KERCH FIGHTING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24279, 21 May 1942, Page 5

KERCH FIGHTING

STUBBORN DEFENDERS POSITION APPEARS GRAVE GERMANS CLAIM VICTORY (Reed. 8.35 p.m.) LONDON, May 20 The Germans claimed last night to have occupied the whole of the Kerch Peninsula, The Moscow midnight communique, however, reported heavy fighting all day yesterday near the town of Kerch. Although the Russians are still stubbornly resisting in the Kerch area, says the British official wireless, it is probably true that the tremendous weight of the German attack on the Kerch Peninsula has met with certain success, and the Soviet troops in this area appear to be in a grave position. At the other end of the Crimea, however, according to Moscow reports, the defenders of Sebastopol continue to take toll of the enemy by frequent raids against the German positions and aerodromes. The German High Command, in a special announcement, claims that German and Rumanian troops have reached the coast of Kerch along its entire length. The last fortified bridgeheads on both sides of the town, it says, were taken by assault after stubborn resistance. The battle has now ended and has resulted in the destruction of three Russian armies. Berlin admits that the battle for Kerch has been one of the bloodiest this year. Commentators believe that General von Mannstein's army has suffered very heavy losses in men and material during the 11-day battle for the peninsula, and considerable reorganisation will he necessary before any attempt can be made to cross the Kerch Strait to the Caucasus. A message from Zurich quotes a Berlin report that the German advance on Kerch was aided chiefly by the use of a new 15 centimetre motorised antitank gun and a two-man anti-tank rifle. Both fired a new explosive. FIGHT WITH FRENCH VICM ALLEGATION BRITISH PLANES AND SHIPS (■Reed. 9.15 p.m.) • LONDON, May 19 A Vichy communique says a British seaplane flew over Algerian territorial waters at 9 a.m. yesterday. A French fighter patrol plane went out to halt it in conformity with International Law. Then, the British plane having opened fire, the French airmen replied, forcing it down at sea. A British torpedo-boat opened fire on two French ships which were going to the rescue of the British airmen, and then destroyed the seaplane by gunfire. At the same time the antiaircraft guns on the torpedo-boat opened fire on the French fighter patrol, which succeeded in bringing down a second British plane. One French plane is missing. No statement has been made in London about this alleged incident. TROOPS IN IRELAND MR. ROOSEVELT'S HOPE LONDON, May 20 A denial that the recent landing <?f many more United States troops in Northern Ireland implied that Southwest Pacific requirements were being ignored was made by President Roosevelt yesterday. "That is a new one on me," he replied, when an Australian reporter pointed out that such an impression appeared to have been created in Australia. The President added that there was no basis whatever for that impression. He hoped that more American soldiers would go to Northern Ireland. SINGAPORE INQUIRY TIME NOT OPPORTUNE NOW LONDON, May 20 In the House of Lords a request was made by Lord Davis for an inquiry into the'loss of Singapore. He suggested an investigation by a body of men including representatives of the Empire as well as of Britain. Lord Simon, in reply, said such an inquiry could not take place without a disturbance of the war effort. The arguments against an inquiry at present were overwhelming. TORPEDO VICTIMS U-BOATS SCOUR ATLANTIC (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, May 19 An Axis submarine torpedoed two medium-sized United States merchant ships in the Gulf of Mexico. Twenty men were killed in one vessel and 13 in the other. Twenty-two survivors of the vessel torpedoed and sunk in the western Atlantic have arrived at a port in eastern Canada. Four of the crew were killed by an explosion. A message from Willemstad, Curacao, says that a United States merchant ship was torpedoed on Saturday off Bonaire Island, a Dutch West Indian possession, where 19 survivors have been landed. A battered Free French freighter has arrived at an eastern Canadian port after a three-hour running battle with a U-boat. The crew said that the merchant ship's gun scored a direct hit on the U-boat, which is believed to have been sunk. The freighter was hit twice by torpedoes, which failed to explode.