Evening star., 1942-07-22
Soviet Announces
Gain in Battle
Near Voronezh
p the Associated Press.

fy the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, July 22.-Stalingrad
and Rostov both were imperiled
gravely by fresh German ad-
vances today as the million men
of Marshal Fedor Won Book
pressed relentlessly south and
east against bitterly fighting but
outnumbered Russian forces.
Red Star, the army newspaper
said ominously that the Germans
were approaching the border OF
6talingrad Province.
A furious German assault beat
against the men of Marshal Semeon
Timoshenko along the Moscow
Rostov Railway. The drive was
moving on Rostov from southeast
of Millerovo and from Voroshilov-
grad, both of which have fallen to
the Germans in the 300-mile- wide
Don basin offensive.
Red Star pointed to the danger
thus:
Terrible days face the country.
The enemy is rushing to the vital
centers of our country"
The newspaper called on Red SOL
diers to repeat the example of %
Soviet troops who, in defending
Moscow last winter, fought tank
charges with their hands, all dying
In the struggle.
(Small German armored forces
may have reached the lower Don
in drive southeast from Mile
rovo and there is no denying
the danger to Rostov" from this
and two related operations, Brit
ish military sources said in Lon
DOM
Reds Seize Bridgeheads.
Even as the Russian armies in the
South strove to stem the German
advance, the forces at the northern
end of the front around Voronezh
were reported holding the initiative
and counterattacking vigorously.
The Russians announced sour bridge
heads had been seized.
But the Russian press showed
that the greatest urgency was be-
fore Rostov and Stalingrad, both
vastly important industrial and COM
centers and guardians OF
approaches to the Caucasus, Oil
lands and fertile farms.
The loss of either city, it was
acknowledged, would be tragic
blow, but by far the worst damage
would be caused by cutting COM
munications. Stalingrad lies astride
an elbow of the Volga within As
miles of the Don and the Volga is
the Russian life line through which
the United States and Britain have
been pouring supplies via the Per-
sian Gulf route.
The fall of Stalingrad would mean
the virtual separation Of the Rus
sian northern and southern armies.
The loss of Rostov, along with the
presently Russian-held section
southeast of Millerovo, would mean
the near isolation of the Russian
Army of the Caucasus.
Oil-the lifeblood of mechanical
uar-would be denied to large Sec
tions of Russia except that which
has been stored.
The fall of both cities would iso-
late many other southern centers
from aid in the north, SO vital to
carry on Russia's resistance.
Summon All Strength.
The Germans are pouring tanks,
cannon, trench mortars and planes
into the battle zones before Stalin-
grad and Rostov. The Russians
were summoning all their strength
at the front. Significantly, the Red
Army introduced wound stripes re-
Gently to decorate wounded soldiers
who return to the front.
The Red Armys courageous stand
at Voronezh has now turned into
daring counterattacks. These drives
are helpful but not enough to offset
the impending danger to Stalingrad
the Volga and Rostov.
The Russian man-in-the-street's
confidence, however, was mistaken
Dispatches continued to report
(See RUSSIA, Page A-3D