Imperial Valley press., 1942-12-04
NuziiS !
Strike
Back
BY NJ. s. HANDLER


MOSCOW, Dec. T. - U.P0-
Strong and still developing German
counterattacks have slowed the
Russian offensive on the Stalin-
grad front and resistance is in
creasing on the central front but
the Russians continue. in some Sec
tors at both ends of the line, to
drive the enemy from successive de-
fense points, special dispatches said
today.
In Stalingrad city and in the
sectors northwest and southwest of
it, the Germans are fighting des-
perately to hold their positions and
disrupt the Russian drive by means
CT persistent counterattackS. and
they are communicating also on
the central front west of Moscow.
INSIDE NAZI LINES
The biggest counterattacks have
been made northwest of Stalingrad
where the Germans are in a dan
gerous position east of the Don riv-
er with Russian troops attacking
deep inside their lines.
A dispatch to the army newspa-
per. Red Star. however that de-
spite the counterattacks the Rus
slams were slowly forcing the enc
my from position after position and
had captured a new and important
hill in yesterdays fighting after
breaking through a series of de-
fense lines
Many groups of Germans trying
to filter in the Russian lines in
parties of 80 to 40, have been wiped
out
TEMPO SLOWER
The fighting in Stalingrad city
has slowed to Scme extent, the dis
patches said.
In the northern factory area ac-
ton was confined largely to scout
activities and sporadic artillery and
mine thrower duels, Nevertheless
Soviet scouts we're able to take some
gun emplacements and dugouts,
Red Star reported.
Dispatches indicated that one big
reason for the slowing of the Rus
sian drive at Stalingrad was snow,
fogs and low ceilings which ham
pered the Russian air forces in the
area. It was necessary for the
planes to operate singly or in pairs,
flying at only 10 TO Is yards above
the battle area.
CHANGE NOTED
Today'S noon cOmmuniquC. Civ
ing prominent mention to artillery
action in which the guns lombard
ed enemy defense points to soften
them for a renewed advance, show
ed the change due to the German
counteractions.
Stalingrad city: Factory area
Russian troops exchanged fire and
secuted. Artillery smashed eight
dugouts and block houses and de-
stroyed three field guns, Is ma
chine guns and 300 Germans.
Trench mortars dispersed enemy in
infantry and motor vehicles.
-Stalingrad: Some So
viet troops continued the offensive.
In 4 number cf sectors others re-
PEELED COuntcrattackS. A battalion
of German infantry supported by
five tanks attacked a Soviet posi-
ton and hand-tO-hand fighting de
veloped. The Soviet troops rcOulS-
cd the enemy. killed $50 of them.
and captured two tanks, five field
guns and ether Snoils.
SoUthwest-Stalingrad: A Soviet
unit cleared enemy pill boxes and
small forts and killed more than
300 enemy troops In other sectors
Soviet units went on offensive pa
trolls and wiped out about 300 Cor
mans.
Central front: Soviet troOns con-
tinued on the offensive and -
PEELED counterattarks WcSt Of
Rzhev a Soviet unit in three DAYS
killed or wounded several thousand
enemy troops. They DESTROYED five
enemy tanks. seven armorcd cars,
five field guns, and ~ trench NOR
tars and captured "a field guns, 10
trench mortars, 164 machine guns.
about 900 rifles and automatic rifles.
more than so motor trucks. eight
radio transmitters. nine ammuni-
ticn dumps and about 100000 car
tridges. In the Rzhev-VyaZma road
area Soviet units repulSed counter
attacks and wiped out 800 Germans.