Evening star., 1942-07-12
Nazi Spearhead
On Outskirts
Of Voronezh
Coins Widened East
Of Don; Two Other
1hrusts Stalled
B, the Associated Press.


MOSCOW, Sunday, July Ia
The German spearhead east OF
the River Don was pushed for
ward a few miles to the outskirts
Of Voronezh, on the Moscow
Rostov railway, the Soviet mid
night communique said today,
but the Russians indicated two
other German thrusts on the
200-mile front made little or no
headway.
The communique did not mention
a withdrawal in any sector, but its
mmention of fierce fighting ION
the outskirts of Voronezh" indi-
Gated the Germans had enlarged the
bridgehead they established east of
the Don some days ago.
Whatever gain the Germans made,
however, must have been small for
Voronezh is only 10 miles from the
river.
An indication of the intensity of
the fighting here was seen in the
communique report that an entire
enemy regiment had been smashed
in one sector northwest of Voronezh
and that one Russian tank crew
alone had killed 200 Germans.
Fierce Fighting Continues.
The communique made no men,
ton of the fighting around Kan
temirovka, 145 miles south of Voro-
nezh, and Lisichansk, IS miles still
farther south, beyond saying fierce
fighting continued in these regions.
"On other sectors Of the front
no essential changes took place"
the communique said.
In naval attacks on German sup
ply lines, the Soviets reported their
ships sank Ave German transports,
with a total displacement Of $4,000
tons, in the Baltic.
The Russians also claimed Soviet
flyers on various sectors Of the front
had destroyed or damaged SO tanks
and 400 trucks with troops and
supplies.
The vast Nazi offensive clearly
was aimed at. isolating the rich, oil
bearing Caucasus by cutting across
the northern approaches to the
volga. Sealing of the Caucasus
also would cut the vital Russian
supply route from the Persian Gulf
and would stake OF q valued prize
of war for attempted conquest dur
ing the winter. But at Lisichansk,
the Germans still were 800 miles
from Baku and its al fields and
much hard fighting lay ahead.
Admit Fall Of valuiki.
The Russians admitted the fall Of
Valuiki, an important railway juno
ton so miles west of Rossosh. which
was evacuated yesterday. 1t already
was outflanked and probably not
defended.
The Soviets also said Marshal
Fedor Won Book had launched
fresh attack on Lisichansk, 400
miles south of Voronezh in the area
where the Don makes q wide semi
circle to the east to within IS miles
Of Stalingrad, the great industrial
city on the Volga.
In capturing Rossosh, the Ger
mans already had cut the important
Moscow to Rostov railway, the last
remaining vertical line connecting
the armies of the center and north
with those of the south. The ad-
vance also gravely threatened to
outflank Russian positions farther
south guarding Rostov, gateway
to the Caucasus. Pressure was
being increased in that area, the
Russians said.
The Russian position was adj
mittedly perilous and even the
army newspaper Red Star spoke Of
the developing success" of the foe.
Hammer at Nazi Flanks.
Fighting was stubborn in many
quarters. The Red Army, capitaliz-
ing on the deep extension Of the
Germans, was hammering vigor-
ously at the German flanks and
imposing mounting losses OF men
and material on the invader.
The Russians at several points
were outnumbered.
(The German high command
claimed to have destructively
beaten the enemy" to have
reached the Don on a 22-mile
front establishing several bridge
heads, and to have captured 88,-
$50 prisoners. The Germans re-
peated claim that Voronezh
had been captured July 7. The
destruction or capture of 1897
tanks, 1888 guns and $40 planes
was claimed.
(The Germans said Kharkov
and Kursk, which in the past
were still menaced," now are 22o
miles behind the front. Russian
attacks continued In the Orel
sector, and the Red forces In the
Rzhev sector nearest Moscow
were further squeezed together
and their resistance on the whole
brokenO
The most violent fighting-per-
haps the bloodiest the world has