Evening star., 1942-08-12
Russia
Continued From First Page

Cherkessk, 10 miles southeast of
Armavir and less than 200 miles
from Grozny. Red Star reported
the Russians had avoided a Ger
man snare to surround them in the
Cherkessk region, but that fighting
there was hot and heavy and both
sides suffered great losses.
The armies fought under burn
ing sun and heat was intensi-
fed by blazing houses and woods
over large areas, Red Star said.
Whole cities were flaming as the
Germans expanded their operations
to new districts.
Pravda noted the extreme pressure
in the south with the statement:
Great are the spaces of our coun-
try, but we have no place to retreat"
Russian counterattacks were re-
ported slowing the German advance
in the Maikop region, studded with
oil derricks, but the Germans were
gathering all their strength for the
drive forward, Red Star said.
Extreme concern was felt about
the German advance to Cherkessk
The Germans were less than $50
miles from Ordzhonikidze, the
northern terminus of the Georgian
military highway which winds
through the mountains to Tiflis,
capital of the almost fantastically
rich Transcaucasia. There. at Baku,
is produced most Of Russia's oil.
Heavy Defensive Operations.
The midnight communique said
the Russians were fighting heavy
defensive operations against ad-
vancing enemy troops both at
Cherkessk and Maikop, lesser oil
center now generally conceded to
German occupation.
The breakthrough at Maikop was
not only direct threat to the Black
Sea naval port of Tuapse, so miles to
the southwest, but also placed the
troops defending the larger base at
Novorossisk to the north in jeop-
ardy. There, too, the battered Rus
sian defenders were in difficulties.
orossisk, go miles to the southwest,
the Russians we're forced to with
draw after Germans ground through
their defense positions.
German military quarters said
last night that Russian troops
were cornered in the Novoros-
sisk area by a Nazi force moving
west from Maikop, and attempts
were being made to remove the
Russians by sea-
The picture was brighter on the
approaches to Stalingrad and the
Volga, farther north The Russians
said they were inficting tremendous
losses on Germans attempting to
break through south of Kletskaya
about rs miles northwest Of Stain
grad.
Southwest of Stalingrad, near Ko-
telnikovski, the Germans were
throwing every weapon available
into the battle, and the Russians
were responding in kind. The Rus
sian communique said the enemy
was forced to go over to defensive
operations" in one area.
1900 Nazis Killed.
The midday communlque salt
1000 Germans had been killed II
nine days by one mortar unit In th'
terrific fighting around Kletskaya
Rer Star reported that Germal
drives from Kletskaya and iron
? Kotelnikovski definitely had beel
;; stopped after the Nazi columns ha'
l made some progress. Northeast G
A Kotelnikovski, huge German tan
= forces supported by planes wer
s thrown at the Russian lines an
1 broke through the Soviet defenses
and soon put the Germans on tn
defensive, Red Star said
In some places around Kletskay
the Germans made from five to /
frontal attacks within "a hours, tn
army organ reported, adding tha
the Don River should become tn
barrier in this decisive battle.
The midday communique re
d ported that the Germans had bee
e dislodged from two populated place
e south of Voronezh on the uppe
e course of the Don and that sever:
Nazi counterattacks had been re
y" pulsed.