Evening star., 1942-09-05
Enemy Declared
Blocked in Drive
In Caucasus
By EDDY GILMORE.

BY EDDY GILMORE,
Associated Press War Correspondent.
MOSCOW, Sept. 5.-Showing
an amazing power of recupera-
ton, the Red Army today was
reported to have shaken off trip
hammer blows at Stalingrad and
stopped the German advance on
that Volga River industrial CEN
ter.
In the Caucasus also, military ad-
vices said, the Russians were check
ing the German progress, and in the
Central and Eastern sectors were
counterattacking.
The only enemy advance recorded
in today's dispatches was in the sin
gle sector of the Western Caucasus
above the Black Sea naval station of
Novorossisk.
German military informants
In Berlin today said Stalingrad
had been converted into vast
fortress which will not be easy
to take.
C"The Soviets are fighting with
their backs to the wall; they are
faced with the alternative of either
capitulating or fighting to the
last man." one high military
man said. "They certainly will
not capitulate.'o
The Red Army meanwhile con-
tinued to push its own offensive at
Rzhev, northwest of Moscow, on
smaller scale than the gigantic Ger
man campaigns in the Caucasus and
in the Voaga Basin, but strong
enough to bend the German line
farther back from Moscow. Several
more populated points were reported
recaptured on this Western front.
Screen of Fire Ahead.
About Stalingrad the Germans
were described as In difficulties with
. screen Of Red Army fire ahead OF
them and a barren expanse OF
steppes behind.
CThe Chicago Daily News CORE
spondent at Moscow reported that
Red Star, Soviet Army publica-
ton, told of repeated boimbings of
Stalingrad by German planes,
adding that the enemy had
thrown 1000 planes into the
battle for the city,
Northwest Of Stalingrad, the Rus
slams broke into some German posi-
,tions, capturing prisoners and sup
plies and killing 270 Of the enemy,
today's communique said.
The Russian lines stiffened after
three successive days of Withdrawals
and the newspaper Red Star said
the enemy apparently was assem-
bling his last forces" in an effort to
break through to the Volga.
Bloody fighting for railway sta
ton southwest of Stalingrad was re-
ported in its second day. Frontal
and enfilading fire cut into the huge
tank and infantry formations hurled
into that sector by German Field
Marshal Fedor Won Book.
"The enemy attacks were re-
pulsed" the midday communique
said.
Checking of the German squeeze
on Stalingrad and an Improvement
of Red Army positions on the Axis
flank within the Don bend had been
.1ported II hours earlier.
Violent Enemy Pressure.
Violent pressure forced the Rus
slams back in one sector northwest
of Noyorossisk, but Red Marines,
land batteries and the guns of the
Black Sea feet pounded the Ger
mans and their Rumanian allies
hard, the midnight communique
said.
"Six German tanks were de-
stroyed, as well as Is guns, while two
battalions of infantry were ami
hilated," it was announced.
The Russians acknowledged the
invaders had forced a river crossing
In the Terek Basin near Mozdok and
said "our troops were engaged in
pressing the enemy back" in that
theater before the Caucasian Noun
tains and the Grozny oil fields.
"Our warships in the Baltic sank
four enemy transports and two Ger
man torpedo boats with a displace-
ment of $1,000 TONS" the Russians
reported.
Russian sources also said eight
NaZi planes were destroyed during
q thrust against Leningrad yester-
day, and that survivors of the
squadron fed.
budapest, the capital of Axis
allied Hungary, had its first air
attack of the war last night and
indications were that it was ex-
ecuted by Soviet bombers.
apparently seeking to justify
weakening of aerial attacks on
told the German people in a
radio address that every plane
that could be spared must be used
in the battle of Russia. He said:
I'VE have to avoid at all costs
weakening our air force In Rus
sia. In fact, we cannot be strong
enough.")
Further Progress Halted.
The active detense of Stalingrad's
southwestern approaches agains,
armored units and infantry was
reported to have halted further
progress of the enemy in this
sector"
I'm another sector Nazi troops
who had driven a wedge into oul
positions were attacked by Soviet
tanks and infantry" the Soviets
said Eleven German tanks were
destroyed and 600 Germans were
killed"
Red Star declared that German
officers, seeking the greatest use Of
their available manpower, were
even forcing their own wounded inte
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