The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-07-31

Stalingrad toward the lower Volga Astrakhan and the Caspian sea. The Germans already nave cut the main Caucasus rail lines, but the Moscow communique reported that the Red army was battling to destroy the en- emy forces that had crossed the river there. Berlin said Italian units were in action in this area.
 It was northward on the upper edge of the Don river elbow that the Russians scored their most impor- tant successes in defense of Stalin- grad dispatches from the front said that the Germans had introduced a new version of the 18th century bat tering ram attack, forming a spear head of tanks and rnotored vehicles and placing their infantry inside the "V'' shaped armored lines as they advanced.
 Tn eight days of heavy fighting south of KletSkaya, the Germans crashed through to the banks of the Don but repeatedly were thrown back and finally repulsed to afpoint southwest of Kletskaya. The Rus sians said the fury of the fighting was illustrated by the German loss of 120 tanks and 2,000 men in one day.
 BY HENRY SHAPIRO
 United Press Staff Correspondent)
 Moscow, July 31-CUP)-Russiar resistance, stiffened by Josef Stalin's call for a victory -or-death stand has stemmed the German drive al the approaches to Stalingrad anc along the upper Don where the NaAs attempted to advance with 6 modern version of the medieval bat. tering ram, official dispatches saic today.
 A Soviet mid-day communique acknowledged an advance by the Germans south and southwest oi Bataisk, about IS miles south ol Rostov and across the lower Don but indicated that elsewhere along the 125-mile northern Caucasus front the Re darmy was holding doggedly.
 Despite the successes, advicel reaching Moscow emphasized tha' Russia's peril remained grave - might even become worse at any hour-and that the fullest sacri' fices were necessary.
 (The Germans, in 8 high com. mand communique, claimed swif moving advance to points 112 mile south of the Don which hurled Rus sian troops back in complete rou and disorder" The Germans sait they had extended their occupation of the vital Rostov-Baku railroad by taking the town of Kushchevka 50 miles south of Rostov and mid way to the rail junction of Tikho retsk. Heavy fighting was said t. be underway for the railroad towl of Salsk, about 100 miles southeas of RoStov. The Germans acknoWl edged, however, that they had n, information of any further advance upon Stalingrad).
 Biggest Soviet Success About 70 miles northwest o Stalingrad, where the Germans hay been attempting to strike eastward across the Don, the Russians claime' their biggest success. The German were hurled back in that sector witt heavy losses, the communique said
 It was around Kletskaya, 2 miles northwest of Etalingrad, tha the big German attack was crushed The Germans have been pourin reinforcements into their attempt to force the Don there for eigh days.
 The community said the German introduced . modern adoption 0 the 18th century triangular batter ing ram in a desperate effort to ac complish their purpose. The ape and sides of the triangle wer formed of tanks and armored car' Troops were packed Inside the tri angle.
 The battering ram advanced. So viet artillery concentrated on tn apex, simultaneously showerin shrapnel on the Hanks. The flank broke, exposing the infantry to ma chine guns and rifles. Then tn center of the triangle broke, tn Russians counter attacked an drove the Germans back with heav losses.
 On one sector-it was not dis closed whether 1t where the bat ter1ng ram was broken-the Ger mans lost 12O tanks and more thal 2,O00 men yesterday, the communi que asserted.