LIMITED GAINS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 May 1942, Page 3

LIMITED GAINS

MADE BY THE GERMANS IN THE CRIMEA FANTASTIC CLAIMS DENIED RETIREMENT MADE IN GOOD ORDER. TALK ABOUT NEW WEAPON CALLED NONSENSE. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, May 14. The latest Russian communique states: “Fierce fighting continued on the Kerch Peninsula throughout last night. On the other fronts nothing of importance took place.” Last night’s communique had stated: “On May 13 our troops on the Kerch Peninsula, in view of enemy superiority, retreated to new positions. An announcement by the German High Command that the battle has been decided in the Germans’ favour and that the Germans captured a great number of prisoners and tanks is false. Our troops retreated in good order, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy.” This communique added: “In the Kharkov sector, our troops took up the offensive and advanced. These is nothing important to report elsewhere.” Unofficial reports from Moscow state that the Red Army is confident that the Kerch offensive will be defeated, and the outcome may be apparent in a few days. The Stockholm correspondent of “The Times” says that the confused German talk about a secret new weapon is undoubted nonsense, possibly inspired to encourage the drooping home front, because after five days the clear fact emerges that no decisive gains have been obtained on the Kerch Peninsula, whereas the Berliners certainly expected the surprise attack to give early results. Today’s Berlin reports, says the correspondent, reflect a certain disappointment and confirm the conviction that the experimental heavy offensive is a flash in the pan, but it is certain that the attempt will and must be repeated because the dislodgement of the Russians is imperative for the initiation of the summer operations, which cannot be long delayed. The question is being asked, if the concentrated, long-prepared German and Rumanian effort with the surprise and improved and secret weapons is unable to clear the Kerch Peninsula, what chance have they to prevail