The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-08-22
GERMANS PUSH
 RUSSIANS BACK
Continued from Page D


 
 The southern flank, northeast oi Kotelnikovski, which is % miles southwest of Stalingrad, also was in peril. There the Germans had driven 8 wedge of tanks into Rus sian defenses, and, although last midnight,S communique said there were only a few tanks, and they we've being wiped out, front-line dispatches indicated that the situa- tion had not greatly improved.
 German Losses Heavy
 On both Hanks, German losses were heavy.
 "1n the Kletskaya area, Soviet units during the night inflicted a sudden blow to the enemy" the Soviet noon communique said. "Af- ter fierce hand-to-hand fighting, the enemy retreated and left on the bat t1eneld 200 dead, two guns, eight machine guns, 13 trucks of war ma- terial and radio transmitter.
 Southeast of Kletskaya, our troops fought stubborn battles with the advancing enemy forces. One Soviet unit repulsed three attacks and annihilated over 260 Hitlerites
 Northeast of Kotelnikovski, our forces fought stubborn battles with tanks and motorized infantry of the enemy. In the last few days the Germans in this region have suf- fered heavily and there are con- stantly throwing in great reserves. Fifty enemy tanks and infantry at- tacked one Soviet union. In a few hours fighting, Soviet troops beat back the enemy attack, destroyed three tanks, left nine burning and killed 300 Germans
 South of Krasnodar, the Russians fiercely resisted German forces driving toward the Soviet naval base of NovoroSsiSk. One Russian unit killed more than 1000 Ger mans, destroyed l2 tanks and many trucks in three days fighting, the noon comnunique reported.
 Krasnodar is 63 miles from Novo- rossisk, but the Germans appar- ently were much nearer their ob- jective than that.
 Naxls Force Retreat
 Front-line dispatches revealed that German motorized infantry by hundreds of tanks had forced retreat south of KraS- nodar obviously the retreat ac- knowledged in last midnight's com- munique. The Germans lost thou sands killed and scores of tanks" the dispatches said.
 The noon conmunique said an enemy unit had been encircled in the mountains and wiped out south east of Pyatigorsk, which is 140 miles from the Grozny oil fields. On another sector, however, the com- munique said. Soviet forces re- treated to new defensive positions. The Russians fought desperately on the west bank of the Don southeast of Kletskaya, and 40 miles from Stalingrad, to wipe out enemy forces seeking to force the river. The Germans had forced the river twice. The first crossing was destroyed; the second all but wiped out and the remnants driven back to the edge of the river.
 One strong German armored col- rmn trying to force a passage had been repulsed, after having lost 40 tanks.
 The Soviet midnight communique said small number of enemy tanks had wedged into Russian positions northeast of Kotelnikovski. which is 90 miles southwest of Stalingrad,
 The Russians had cut of the wedge and were wiping it out, as the Germans tried to break through and relieve 1t.
 South of Krasnodar, Soviet forces on one sector were forced farther back toward the naval base of Nov- orossisk. KraSnodar Is 63 miles above NoyorosSisk.