HEAVILY CHECKED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 May 1942, Page 4

HEAVILY CHECKED

NAZI ATTEMPT TO SMASH RUSSIAN FLANK IN UKRAINE BATTLE VON BOCK’S DESPERATE GAMBLE NOT SUCCEEDING. RUSSIANS COUNTER-ATTACKING & ADVANCING. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day. 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, May 27. The Red Army has checked the frenzied German attempt to smash its left flank in the Ukraine. The “Red Star” says General von Bock’s offensive in the IsyutnBarvenkova sector has been halted at an important river crossing, where the Russians are holding a strong line and counter-attacking and advancing. A report received in Stockholm from Moscow states that the Russians have penetrated the flank of the German wedge on the Isyum-Barvenkova front and cut off the spearhead of the main German thrusts. A terrific tank battle is raging in the Kharkov area. The “Red Star” reports that Russians have recaptured more villages. A German communique claims that the annihilation of the Russian armies encircled southward of Kharkov is rapidly progressing, after fresh and fruitless attempts to break out. “Von Bock’s desperate gamble is not succeeding,” says the “Daily Express” military writer, who adds that unless the defence line breaks almost immediately, von Bock’s mighty armoured thrust must be written down as a failure.

“The Times” Stockholm correspondent says von Bock’s frantic and titanic efforts to break through the Red Army’s left flank are dictated directly by the High Command. Von Bock was told that his armies must win or die where they stood. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Stockholm correspondent deduces from the brief German communiques that things are going badly for the Germans, or that at most they are only holding their cwiu s STUBBORN FIGHTING SOVIET OFFICIAL REPORT. (Received This Day, 12.20 p.m.) LONDON, May 27. A Moscow communique states: “Our troops consolidated their positions in the Kharkov area during the night and also fought stubborn engagements on the. Isyum-Barvenkova front.”