GERMANS WORRIED BY KHARKOV REVERSES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 126, 30 May 1942, Page 7

GERMANS WORRIED BY KHARKOV REVERSES

mmBKS NEW MOVE

Enemy Garrison Inside Russian Trap | United Press Association.—Copyright. Rec. 2 p.m. LONDON, May 29. Hitler's hurried move to the Kharkov front to take over command of the German armies has created apprehension in Germany, says a report reaching Stockholm from Berlin. It adds that Berliners recall that in January, when Hitler hurried to the Russian front to take command, the Russians were on the offensive smashing their way down the Moscow-Smolensk road. Before the Russian drive is halted Hitler was forced to move his headquarters from Smolensk to Minsk, 190 miles farther west. The German view is that von Bock has failed to counter the Russian strategy. Another Stockholm message says that according to unconfirmed reports attributed to Russian sources the Russians have surrounded the German forces in the Kharkov battle and have wiped out two Rumanian divisions and destroyed 100 tanks. Russia's rocket bomb is possibly the most important tactical advance in air weapons yet evolved, says the British aeronautical journal, Aeroplane. Its advantages are its hitting power, which is sufficient to knock out tanks which dive-bombing achieves only by a fluke, and it has greater bombing accuracy than divebombing or low-level attacks.

Nazis' Hopes. The German High Command spokesman said in a broadcast: "Our Fuehrer has taken personal direction of strategic operations on the Kharkov front. We look to his | genius as a strategist to bring about J a full victory." Moscow reports maintain that the I Russians are attacking and advancing on all important sectors of the whole front. The Times correspondent in Moscow says German and Rumanian reinforcements arrived on the Isyun-Barvenkova sector, but have not been able to force a crossing of the river line on which the major part of the fighting is raging. Russian gunners cleverly concealed on the river bank held their fire until the Germans reached the opposite bank. After a bombardment, Russian infantry crossed the river and attacked the Germans with bayonets, killing 1000 and frustrating the attempt at a crossing. Hundreds of Germans were drowned or shot as they tried to cross the river in another attack. Battlefield Extended. Fighting has again flared up on the Bryansk front, south-west of Moscow. The Germans are divebombing the Russian positions, but the Russian infantry has beaten off several German attacks. A fierce battle lias also been going on for the past three days on the north-west sector of the front, around Lake llmen. The Russians repulsed seven attacks and killed 1000 Germans. The newspaper Red Star says fresh German divisions were sent into action on the Kalinin front, but the Russians, taking advantage of the wooded and marshy country, counter-attacked and beat back the advance. Hurricanes and Stormoviks on the Russian front are using a new type of rocket bomb. This is mounted under the wing and propelled by a rocket as soon as the target is within the bomb sights.