Evening star., 1942-07-24
Soviet Resistance
In Rivers Bend
Declared Broken
3y the Associated Press.

~ the ASSoclateo Press.
BERLIN From German Broad
casts, July 24.-Rostov has been
taken by storm and resistance of
fresh Russian troops has been
broken in the big bend region
of the Don, the German high
command reported today.
Fall of Rostov, on the Don IS
miles from the Sea of Azov, was
announced in special communique
which said:
Troops of the German Army,
troops of the S. S. elite Guard)
and Slovak units, supported In
splendid manner by the air force,
have broken through the entire
front of strongly fortified and
deeply echeloned positions of the
defenses of Rostov and, after hard
fighting, have captured the town
by storm.
1T is important as traffic and
harbor center.
"Mopping up Of the remnants
OF the enemy in the town is con-
tinuing."
Reds Still Fight in City.
The German Transocean News
Agency said this indicated most of
the city was in German hands, de-
claring, only in one section of the
town are the Soviets continuing to
offer resistance. but breaking of this
last resistance is only question of
very short time, according to
competent military circles"
The same agency acknowledged
that around Voronezh Soviet attacks
were continuing, saying:
AT a few places German troops
were slightly drawn back to avoid
unnecessary casualties, as German
military quarters explain"
1t said Voronezh itself was in Ger
man hands.
While asserting that German
forces held several bridgeheads on
the lower Don, it said these were
presently only of local Importance,
because large operations in the di-
rection of the Caucasus had not been
started.
Lightning Conquest Indicated.
The regular daily communique is
sued little later repeated the Spe-
cial announcement and added:
In the great bend of the Don
infantry divisions and mobile units
broke resistance of Soviet troops that
had been newly brought up. Sixty
nine tanks and 20 guns were de-
stroyed in this action"
The report on Rostov indicated a
lightning conquest Of that city, for
only yesterday the high command
announced that its troops had
reached the outskirts. tRostov was
captured last November 81, but Ger
man forces later withdrew at the
start OF the Russian winter cam
paignD
Nor. than 300 miles to the north,
on the Voronezh flank, the regular
commLnique said strong Soviet at
tacks were broken up by German
counterattacks aided by dive bomb
ers, which inflicted heavy losses.
In the north, on the Volkhov and
Leningrad fronts, renewed Russian
attacks were declared to have COL
lapsed. deployed Soviet soldiers
being dispersed by German artillery
IRE.
In the Arctic, the communique re-
ported great success" in an air raid
on submarine moorings and military
installs tions on Poljarnoje naval
base.
Total Soviet plane losses yesterday
were placed at 80, with German
losses seven.
Enthusiasm In Berlin.
The Transocean News Agency
reported that the special communi-
que on Rostov's fall occasioned the
greatest OF enthusiasm in Berlin,
where every one knows that Stain
and Timoshenko did their utmost
to make the city of Rostov a SYM
Dol Of Soviet force of resistance.
Stain had ordered Rostov held
at any cost for this reason, but
German and Slovak troops now
have stormed it, said Transocean
The second phase of the large
German offensive has thus been ter
minated" it said The first phase
resulted in breaking through Soviet
lines In the Kharkov-Kursk area
TO the upper course of the Don
The second phase achieved the
capture of the eastern parts of
the Dcnets Basin and Rostov and
In addition the entire area in the
great Don bend"
Now. 1t said, German troops with
bridgeheads on the east bank Of the
Upper Don and the southern bank
of the Lower Don can launch new
attacks whenever German leader
ship issues orders to that effect"