The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-06
Axis Blowing Up Bridges and Roads in Attempt
 to Escape INFANTRY HOPPING UP ISLANDS OF RESISTANCE Hitler Striving Desperately to Supply Starving Stal-
 ingrad Garrison
BY HENRY SHAPIRO United Press Staff Correspond,

 United Press Staff Correspondent.
 Moscow, January 6.-(UP) = The Germans are in dis orderly retreat west of Moz- dok in the Caucasus, front dispatches said today, and are blowing up bridges and mining roads in an attempt to escape from ift-li1oving Cossacks who are SlaShing at their Hanks.
 The Red Army, flaming out west and north of Prokhladnensli, 20 miles west of Mozdok, stepped up the pace of its advance in an at tempt to convert "a German re- treat into a rout. Close behind the Cossacks went tank and infantry units to mop up any islands of resistance.
 Uondon newspapers carried large headlines saying 500,000 Germans were in retreat in Russia.)
 Front dispatches revealed thai 1t was the fierce fighting Cossacks who made the first break through that led to the German defeat ct Mozdok and Nalchik.
 TwO-Day Battle
 The Red Army offensive in the South Stalfngrad Sector picked up momentum, too, after the seizure oi the Axis stronghold on /Tsimlya1ls kaya in the south arm of the DOr bend. The army newspaper, Re6 Star, said the city fell after 6 two- day battle in which the German garrison was annihilated. Then tho Red Army began flaming out and Red Star, Army newspaper, said the operations now had secured all of the eastern half of the Don bend for the Russians.
 The Russians, marrying the Ger mans at every possible point, started an offensive directly west of Stalin- grad, the Soviet noon communiqpe reported.
 Striking out from the west bank of the Volga River yesterday, the Russains by this morning had rip- ped through the first German de- fense line and captured dozens of trenches and dugouts and two ira- portant heights. This newest in the astonishing series of Red Army win ter offensives started with a ter- rife artillery bombardment.
 Infantrymen including the fa- nous guards regiments moved for- ward under cover of creeping bar rage broke through the wire and machine gun cover and, penetrating the first enemym line, captured 20 trenches and dugouts yesterday. Last night the assault troops stormed and captured two heights in fierce fighting, the noon corn- munique said, and in addition cap tured do7ens more trenches.
 Hundreds Killed
 In addition to killing hundreds of enemy troops, the Russians cap- tured prisoners both yesterday and during the night and large stores of war spells including four field guns and 16 machine guns. The nights spoils had not been counted when the noon communique was issued.
 In Stalingrad City the Russian artillery laid down 8 heavy bomb ardment throughout the night, wrecking 12 enemy lugouts in the northern factory district. The Ger mans continued desperately to sup ply their starving Stalingrad gar- rison and the Russians yesterday shot down nine German planes in the Metropolitan area, the midnight communique said.
 On the Middle Don front, now merging fully with the Southwest South-Stalingrad fronts in one gi- gantic steam roller attack toward Rostov, the Russians continued all night to sweep the Germans before them, the noon communique said. They captured several inhabited places between dark and dawn. One unit alone killed all but about 100 men of an entire battalion of l.0oa Germans and captured three tanks. two armored cars, and n field guns The 100 survivors were taken pzi-
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