The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-10-21
three days threatened to bog down their drive,
 Agazl Eood Ia Scarce

ghouRh not stated in the Communist party organ Pravda's documented fiescrlption of hunger among the German hordes at Stalingrad, that the Naz.s' l900-mile-long communi- cations, which had for week. sup- ported one of the greatest battles m history, were at last faltering.
 There also was @ possibility that the heroic Russian resistance had forced such an expenditure of mu- nitions that the Germans were now being compelled to transport more munitions and less food for troops.
 Frantic to take Stallngrad, before winter settles, they were hurling S0,00O men and 60 tanks against a narrow sector in the northwestern part of the city, The heroic defend- CTS were smashing every attack and exacting frightful toll.
 Pravda said the Germans were reduced to eating stray dogs that wandered into their lines. The de. lenders, on the other hand, had two substantial, hot meals day, includ- ing plenty of meat and fish. Fish was especially plentiful. Fishermen's wives were cleaning and cooking them in sight of the starved" Ger mans, Pravda said.
 The following letter which Ger man Corporal Hermann Vigreb wrote home but never had chance to post was quoted:
 T have nothing good to report, For four months there have been no meats and fats. Only one thing disturbs me-my stomach. A few days ago several dogs ran to our line. The one which I shot proved to be very skinny"
 The army organ Red Star said 1t had rained without stopping since Monday, that air activity was ham pered and the mud was becoming increasingly difficult for tanks to navigate. The weather was cold.
 Stickingly grimly to their deter imitation to achieve decision be. fore the weather wrecked their plans, the Germans were striking with two infantry divisions and 60 tanks against one narrow sector in an industrial section of northwest ern Stalingrad and suffering tre- mendous losses.
 No Gain in 4S Hours
 Nevertheless, the Soviet high com nland has not admitted German gain in 4S hours.
 "In the Stalingrad area, 6 Soviet unit repulsed attacks, threw the enemy back to his initial positions and wiped out over a company (20C men)," the noon communique said 'GuaTdsmen Krasnopolsky killed 30; another tommy gunner, 34. Guards tnortarmen burned two tanks, sl- fenced three batteries of artillery and wiped out a company of infan- try"
 Captured Germans had said that 70 per cent of their diVision-sever out of every 10 men-had beer killed, wounded or taken prisoner In the last few days.
 It was the 58th day of the siege of Stalingrad and the eighth day of q supreme German effort tC aNeak through the industrial dis trict. reach the Volga, and spreae north and south, mopping uI StaliNgrad.
 As the rain started Monday, thu Gerpans redoubled their efforts hul%Hg the 3o,000 men and 60 tanks agaiRSt a strategic factory, front line dispatches revealed.
 They almost crushed the defend CTS, who fell back. The arrival O. Russian endorsements saved th' situation, but fresh enemy troop struck the Soviet flank west of th' factory, broke through army forma tions and reached 0 railroad.
 A lone rifle regiment, almost en clrcled, defled the superior enemy and managed to clear the flank bolstering the Soviet center. Afte 24 hours of uninterrupted battle ol the outskirts of the factory, tn Russians restored thier initial posi- tions.
 The Germans resumed their as sault against the same factory fror two directions yesterday, dispatche said, with even more tanks. Al additiinal 40 tanks assaulted neighboring industrial settlement, Il an effort to start pincers maneu yer.
 Forced tO Retreat
 Dive bomberS, in groups Of fiv and six, supported German intan try.
 The Russians fought desperatel before the factory, but were force to retreat in one place. On neighboring sector, Soviet un counter-attacked the enemy flanl stopping the advance. The retreat ing Soviet unit rallied and counter attacked, flingig the enemy bacl Fierce fighting still ragged on tn outskirts of the settlement for tw streets, but no German progret was reported.
 The Communist party orga Pravda emphasized that the Gel mans were concentrating everythir on one narrow sector, and therefor had numerical superiority, but saiC ssThe secret of Stalingrad's defen! lies not in mythical fertilization but in the extraordinary gallantl of the defenders and the size of u city,"
 Stalingrad is 40 miles long, u longest city in Russia. Streams ar rivulets intersect it, breaking 1t l into numberleSs islands, separate by narrow ravines.
 Pravda said several unwreckI houses in the southern part of Sta ERgrad were occupied by evacuat' women and children. The powe house still functions; the newspape stalingrad Pravda publishes reg larly.
 Despite the rain, smoke pillow from fires that have been burnii in stalingrad since August "A. Cal nonading back and forth across t volga never stops. And hardly nlrht since the siege began Ina the Germans failed to bomb ponto.