MOUNTAINS OF BOOTY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 May 1942, Page 3

MOUNTAINS OF BOOTY

REPORTED BV MOSCOW RADIO MANY GERMAN PRISONERS CAPTURED. TIMOSHENKO USING MAMMOTH TANKS. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, May 17. Again advancing successfully toward Kharkov, the Red Army has liberated many populated places, inflicted tremendous Josses and taken a large number of prisoners, yesterday’s communiques reported. They have also captured tanks, guns, motor vehicles, ammunition dumps and warehouses full of war materials and provisions. In a single day, the enemy left 70 damaged tanks on the battlefield. The Moscow radio speaks of “moun-, tains of booty” and prisoners, many of whom gave themselves up. | “Our soldiers are. surging westward and heavy German counter-attacks., supported by large numbers of tanks, are yielding under our mighty pressure,” says the Soviet Information Bureau’s war correspondent on the Kharkov front. “The Germans are being hurled back with heavy losses,” the correspondent adds. “Heavy and light tanks, disabled by guns and bombs, are blazing wrecks along the lines of the German retreat. The offensive spirit of our men is irresistible. Guerillas spring to aid our advancing detachments and townspeople aid in streetfighting. Old men, women and children assist in mopping up recaptured localities by helping round up Germans hiding in cellars and lofts.” Marshal Timoshenko is using the big new Russian-made tanks of the Klimvoroshilov type on the Kharkov front. They are called land battleships and are proving superior to- the Germans. The big American three-turret tanks are also giving a good account of themselves. The Independent French news agency at Ankara, says that for 10 weeks before Marshal Timoshenko struck at Kharkov, the Germans had been concentrating a colossal amount of material there, including 20,000 tanks, with the intention of using Kharkov as a base for the main thrust against the Caucasus. BATTLE FOR KERCH. The Russian Black Sea Fleet is hammering the Germans as they advance along the Kerch Peninsula. Hundreds of shells have been poured into the German coastal positions while fleet air arm planes are carrying out continual bombing. It is admitted in Moscow that the. Germans are advancing with vastly superior forces. Reuter’s correspondent on the German frontier says that the Russians, from Yenikale, at the extreme eastward tip of the Kerch Peninsula, are ' reported to have driven the Germans out of Kerch, which the Germans occupied except for the harbour area. Russian tanks under cover of artillery, hurled the Germans back to the surrounding heights. The Moscow radio says that at the approaches to Sebastopol, the Germans have already lost 75,000 men without gaining a single step. SOVIET PLANES OPEN THE WAY. Marshal Timoshenko’s forces streamed across the Donetz at fresh points between Byelgorod and Miyiev. Russian planes dominate the sky over the battlefield, and heavy guns have opened the way for tanks and infantry. The “Pravda” describes the use by

the Russians on the Kharkov front of tank “landings,” where troops advance into fortified zones aboard heavilyarmoured vehicles and then disembark in the rear of the German positions. The Russians are also skilfully using camouflage and swift manoeuvres to swoop on and wipe out German artillery mortar posts and machine-gun nests in the firing lines. The offensive has caused a tremendous outburst of guerilla activity west of the battle front, and guerillas, aided by relentless attacks of the Red Air Force, are making the situation of the Germans most difficult. The German news agency says that the Russians on the Donetz front are using a mammoth tank which is an “armoured colossus.” The sinking of one and probably two enemy destroyers was announced in a Russian communique which said that apart from Kharkov and Kerch, there was nothing of importance to report from the front. On Friday, 56 German planes were destroyed against the Russian loss of 15. Soviet naval units, and the ail’ force, operating in the Barents Sea, sank an 8000-ton transport and a destroyer and inflicted severe damage on another destroyer, which probably Scink LENINGRAD FIGHTING. The Moscow communique reports that Russian units in three days’ fighting in various sectors on the Leningrad front annihilated 1200 Germans and destroyed much war material. A Russian detachment operating at the rear of the enemy on the central front, wrecked four military trains and killed more than 300 Germans. The Stockholm correspondent of the “Daily Express” says that a Russian air and tank offensive has resulted in the capture of Kremona, which is on the railway line from Leningrad to Dno, north-west of the Volkhov. The “Red Star” reported on Friday that the battle on the Kalinin front has grown in intensity. Tire Germans ere resisting stubbornly, but are unable to halt the Russian advance.