Evening star., 1942-10-31
StoIingrod Defenders
Again Turn Back
German Forces
BY HENRY C.. CASSIDY,
Associated Press War Correspondent

MOSCOW, Oct. 31.-Re formed
lines Of the Red Army were re-
ported holding in fierce fighting
for the Nalchik Plateau of the
Central Caucasus today while
German attacks were repelled
again by the defenders of Stall
ingrad in their 68th day of siege.
A battalion of submachine- gun
ners, supported by go tanks and
armored cars, was repulsed during
attack after attack on a community
in the Nalchik area and % of the
machines were destroyed, the Soviet
Information Bureau announced at
noon.
"In another sector" it said, "a
Soviet unit repulsed two German
attacks, killing 240 of the enemy.
Twenty German trucks with am
munition were destroyed by Soviet
artillery"
These defensive accomplishments
were reported chalked up after three
successive retreats by outnumbered
fteQ ARMY 1OrceS.
Light Tanks Withdrawn.
The Germans were reported to
have withdrawn their light tanks
from the battle of Stalingrad. Red
Star said heavy losses inflicted on
the machines by Russian anti-tank
guns had forced the enemy to sub
stitute heavy tanks which rolled
into the streets in groups of five to
eight, firing their guns while in
motion.
The Russians said three German
tanks were destroyed and German
company was wiped out overnight in
the repulse of attacks on Stalingrad
while Red Army men consolidated
their positions and carried out
reconnaissance activities northwest
of the city.
"One Soviet detachment wiped
out 80 Germans and captured four
machine guns and $50 hand gre
nades," the communique reported.
Soviet artillery destroyed three
enemy pill boxes and dugouts and
three German tanks dug into the
ground"
The midnight communique told
OF a fresh Russian setback in the
campaign southwest of Mozdok, but
coupled this with reports of a slow
Soviet advance in the Western
Caucasus and firm stand by
Stalingrad's garrison against Ger
man attacks yesterday.
1000 Germans Slain.
The communique declared 1,1OO
Germans were slain yesterday in
vain attempts to expand invasion
salients toward the Volga, eight
tanks were disabled or burned, 16
siege batteries were silenced and
IL planes were shot down.
Local combat persisted north
west of Stalingrad. The Russians
said their troops broke into enemy
trenches and wiped out a company
in hand-to-hand fighting while
Red Army men on another sector
repelled attacks, killing 100 Ger
mans.
About 1000 invaders were de-
clared newly added to the Axis
death lists during the see-saw fight
ing for the Western Caucasus. the
victims of Red Army troops and
Red Marines.
Northeast of Tuapse our troops,
overcoming stubborn enemy re-
slstance, slowly advanced" the
communique said. I'm the area of
one height the Hitlerites, after fu-
tile attacks lasting many days, went
over to the defensive"
In narrative style, the communioue
told OF the Red Army's fight to hold
the forested upland about NaIchik
from which fan out trails to the
high slopes Of the Causasus, to VOL
fran and Molybdena mines, to the
Georgian military highway, to the
Grozny oil fields. Fruit and horse
breeding farms dot the region.
New Defense Line.
Our troops fought defensive en-
gagements against enemy tanks and
infantry" 1t was announced. In the
area OF a height, one unit repulsed
fierce enemy attacks. Two tanks
were disabled and about a company
OF infantry was exterminated.
by the end of ire day, under the
pressure of numerically superior
enemy forces, our troops retreated to
a new defense line
Baltic Sea units of the Red Navy
were credited with sinking two more
German transports totaling 10000
tons.
In the Gulf Of Finland, Soviet
aircraft sank an enemy torpedo
boat" the noon communique said.
Soviet troops defending a north
western front sector were reported to
have driven off several attacks and
killed TOO Of the enemy"