HELD FIRMLY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 June 1942, Page 3

HELD FIRMLY

NAZI ASSAULT ON KHARKOV FRONT EVEN WHERE SOME GROUND HAS BEEN LOST. PRESSURE ON SEBASTOPOL AS GREAT AS EVER. . (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) MOSCOW, June 15. The first detailed report from the Kharkov front show that Axis forces have not succeeded in making a surprise break-through. Most of the attacks have been beaten off, and where the enemy has gained some ground he is now held. The Germans are continually bringing in fresh troops, and have lost thousands dead in the last few days. Bombing by the Luftwaffe has prevented the Russian tanks from getting close enough to the German tanks to engage them. The Russian tanks are striking hard at the enemy’s flanks. The Germans on the Sebastopol front are using more Rumanians, in an effort to break through on the northern sector after a failure of attacks from the south-east and north-east. The Germans at great cost succeeded in driving a wedge in one small sector. The defenders are trading blow for blow, though the enemy pressure is as great as ever and fresh reserves are being piled in. The Russian artillery is very effective, and has knocked out 50 tanks and damaged 12. The fighting is becoming more and more intense, and the Germans lost 5500 killed in one sector in two days’ fighting. A report from Vichy says a battle of extreme violence is raging at Sebastopol. The Germans for the first time have flung monster tanks into the breaches north-east and south-east of the city and flame-throwing detachments have widened the north-east breach. New, intense activity is occurring in the Isyum sector (south-east of Kharkov). Powerful artillery duels are going on along the Donetz River line.