BATTLE FOR KHARKOV

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 117, 21 May 1942, Page 5

BATTLE FOR KHARKOV

RUSSIANS PENETRATE DEFENCES NAZIS’ ATTEMPTED OFFENSIVE (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Recd. 7.5 p.m.) London, May 19. The Russians are pressing on despite continued resistance and have penetrated the Kharkov defences to a depth of 30 to 40 miles. According to reports reaching New York, Kharkov is ablaze. The National Broadcasting Corporation correspondent says that the battle zone looks like hell. The roads are littered with hundreds of burned-out German tanks and the Russians are mopping up isolated groups of Germans, all of whom are bewildered and appear to have been drugged. K General von Bock is throwing in all his available forces in an attempt to disorganise the Red Army’s advance on Kharkov, now in its ninth day. Observers, however, are of the opinion that Marshal Timoshenko has already achieved his principal objective—disorganisation of the German preparations for the drive on the Caucasus.

German reports from the Kharkov front now describe the initiation of the Russian offensive last week as something terrific and un- * expected, says the Stockholm correspondent of The Times. They admit that the heaviest fire ever experienced in Russia battered German positions which were hitherto considered impregnable, while giant tanks crashed deeply into the German zones. Military spokesmen in Berlin admit that the force of Marshal Timoshenko's blows surprised the High Command, adds tne correspondent, but declare that the Russian effort to secure the initiative in the summer operations will not appreciably delay or deflect the High Command from its original plans. Marshal Timoshenko has eaten deeply into the densely fortified zone, rather than cracking or breaking through it. The question now is: Which side will be ready first for the next heavy heave? The chances appear to favour the Russians, since their rear is relatively undisturbed and the battle began as they designed. A Swiss correspondent in Berlin says: “The Press to-day for the first time refers to Russia’s spring offensive.” Moscow radio says the Germans before Kharkov are laying huge minefields to hold up the Russian advance, but pioneer troops are clearing them. Hitler is bringing up reserves from the distant rear and is attempting to or-' ganise defence in depth. w A German High Command special I ■ announcement claims that German;' and RumaniaQ troops in Crimea have I reached the coast of Kerch along the] entire length. The last fortified' bridgeheads on both sides of the town] were taken by assault to-day after stubborn resistance, and the battle has 1 now ended. It resulted in the destruction of three Russian armies. General von Bock’s offensive between Isyum and Barvenkova is seen . as a threat to the flank and rear of Marshal Timoshenko’s armies. Isyum is at the base of the Russian bulge southward of Kharkov and the Ger- 1 mans are probably aiming to cut in | behind the Russian left wing. Alternatively, the new German move' may attempt to relieve the tremend-; ous Russian pressure on Kharkov, on which all General von Bock's advanced! communications pivot. Some Russian units are reported to be only eight miles from tne centre of Kharkov. Izvestia reports that a vast tank battle is raging, particularly fiercely, north-east ol Kharkov. The German* tanks pierced the Russian positions in one sector, but the Red Army quickly • brought in a devastating concentra-] tion of anti-tank guns, rifles, and : Stormoviks. compelling the enemy, tanks to withdraw. German despatches state that the Russian resistance on the Kerch peninsula has stiffened since the arrival of fresh Russian units. Berlin admits that the battle for. Kerch is one of the bloodiest this year. 1 [ Commentators believe that Genera! von Manstein s army has suffered verheavy losses in men and material during the 11-day battle for the peninsula. and considerable reorganisation will be necessary before any attempt can be made to cross the Kerch Strait | to the Caucasus.

Messages from Moscow show that Marshal Timoshenko's armies are still pressing hard towards Kharkov, in spite of strong German counter-at-tacks. One message says that Soviet troops are widening and deepening the breach in the German lines, and another says that Soviet forces have penetrated the German lines and gained a foothold on a vital line of communications in the rear. This message says that the Germans are fighting desperately to hold a road which links two large towns, both of which are important points in the defence system covering Kharkov. Moscow messages say that stubborn fightrag is still going on around the town of Kerch, in the Crimea. Russian forces in Sebastopol are reported to be making frequent raids on German positions and aerodromes in order to relieve the German pressure on their comrades still fighting in the Kerch Peninsula. Moscow radio announced this evening that the German 47th Artillery Regiment had been wiped out in the Kharkov operations, while the 17th and 29th infantry divisions had lost half their strength. These units were said to be part of the reserves the German High Command had been accumulating for its own offensive. It i believed in London that the progress already made by the Russians in the Kharkov sector must have upset the enemy’s preparations over a very much larger part of the front. It is pointed out that the Germans held Kerch last year, but it did not I make a lot of difference to their gen- • oral disposition, and although their I present success has deprived the Rus- ' sians of a very convenient springboard . it cannot possibly have upset the organisation of the Russian front to the extent that Marsha! Timoshenko’s at- ■ tack has upset the German High Command’s plans. A high Soviet official declared in a newspaper article: “Our army has everything necessary for the complete destruction of the German army in 1942. Many new Soviet divisions have been completed and trained far behind the lines, and we shall attack and go on fighting on such a great scale that the German army will not bp able to withstand the pressure.”