Imperial Valley press., 1942-12-02
Red Shock Troops
Menace Foe From
Rearward Lines
BY M. S. HANDLER

oldil ollOCh GlOOlJS, IdhlllS IL lOi VI
fled hill in the Stalingrad area by
storm, have made the Germans in
the city open to attack from be-
hind, dispatches from the front
said today.
Dispatches and the noon COM
munique reported the capture of a
German operational base southwest
of Stalingrad, an important forti-
fled point northwest of it and a
fortified township on the RzheV-
Vyazm2 railroad on the central
front.
But the capture of the hill be-
fore Stalingrad seemed the big vic
tory of the day and one of the big
gest of the week.
The hill dominates the railroad
station at which the Germans had
detrained troops and supplies for
transport by truck into the city
proper.
GERMANS GIVE UP
For two and a half months they
had fortified it against Russian at
tack. building trench systems and
artillery emplacements to protect its
southern and southeastern ap-
proaches.
The Red armv shock troops took
it in face of desperate resistance.
The Germans. determined to get 1t
back. detached rs tanks and an en-
tire infantry division but they gave
it up after seven desperate coun-
terattacks which left the hill dot
ted with German dead.
In some sectors of the Stalingrad,
The infantry and armored forces
met strong German counterattacKs
or halted to consolidate their posi-
tions and let the artillery blast at
German pill boxes and dugouts in
preparation for renewed attacks,
but the general offensive, both in
the south and on the central front,
continued at its furious pace.
RFAR LINES CUT
The entire German position
northwest of Stalingrad was
threatened bv the Russians who
had crossed the Don from west to
east and had driven deep into enc
nv defenses constructed on the
east side of the river, to protect
the rear of the Germans inside
| Stalingrad. Here the Russians were
driving eastward along the Khar-
kov-S -Stalingrad railroad, attacking
| in the direction of the city.
The Germans, numbering many
divisions, were fighting with des-
peration inside a triangle, facing
attacks from west, south and east
and, perhaps soon, by the Russians
| inside Stalingrad.
| Russian planes were blasting from
the skies great Junker-52 transport
planes which sought to take REIN
forcements and supplies to the Ger
mans in the Stalingrad area.
BOOTY TAKEN
TOday'S noon communicate report
ed that in one northwest Stallngrao
sector the Russians stormed a
strong fortified position frcntally
and from both flanks, forcing the
Germans to retreat in disorder
leaving 300 dead ana large quanti-
ties of arms and equipment.
In another northwest Stallngrao
sector the artillery, preparing the
wav for new advances, destroyed IL
German dugoutS and block houses
and blew up an ammunition dump
Southwest of Stalinerad the Rus
slams were now within eight miles
of Kotelnikovo, 80 miles from the
CITY on the Caucasus railroad, aft
er capturing the towns of Nishni'
Yablitchy, Verche- -Yablitchy ant
Nehykov which form an arc nortf
and east of it.
In this area the Russians tool
Zhutov and Tculikov railroad sta
tions Is miles from Kotelnikovo.
The neon communioue said tina
in one southwest Stalingrad secto
the Russians had DESTROYED 25 pill
boxes and Z firing points.
It was here that the German op
ere tiOnal base was taken.
In the fighting, q German bat
TALON of 1000 men was routed, ant
nearby four disabled tanks Wer
captured.
Inside Stalingrad city artillcr,
and mortars were active, destroy
ing nine block houses ana dlgol'l
and silencing eight field guns ant
l6 trench mortar batteries.
Scattered German counter attack
were broken.
On the central front west o
Moscow, the Russians continued t
advance slowly west of Rzhev an
east of Velikie Luki.
Marching through blizzard SHOWS
the Russians took number OF VII
lages and smaller fortified points
dispatches said. and killed 5000 Ger
mans in the last "a hours. The
had captured in the same perio'
80 guns and damaged IL tanks.
A crack Jaeger battalion of Ger
man shock troops was driven on
of strong fortified point between