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GERMAN BLOW AT
RUSSIAN FLANK
Bitter Battle Still
Undecided
The Age' Special Service and A.A.P.
LONDON, May 26.
.The Kharkov sector continues as the centre
, > of fierce fighting on the Eastern European front.
The Germans are reported to be persisting with their
counter-offensive in the Izyum-Barvenkova area,
where the Russians. are resisting the powerful enemy
' attempt to outflank their southern wing.
A broadcast Moscow message claimed that the
Russians had pierced the enemy positions on a 20-
mile front at Smiyey, south-east of Kharkov.
It was authoritatively stated in London that the
German claim to have encircled three Russian armies
in the Isyum-Barvenkova area was improbable. It
. was. pointed out that , each army would consist of
from three to eight divisions. It was not thought
there would be room in the. area for a large number
of troops, and it was certain there were not three
-' armies in the Isyum-Barvenkova area as Britain un
derstood the. term, army.
Moscow says that German mass
attempts to cross an unnamed
river in the Isyum Barvenkova area
were repulsed after fierce fight
ing. Twelve hundred" Germans
were killed. The Germans In
another sector on this front threw
In 50 tanks and two Infantry
regiments. Russian anti-tank units
brought the attack to a standstill,
while an artillery unit annihilated
over 1000 Germans.
"Pravda" says the Russians In
one sector of the Kharkov front
have broken through the German
defences and captured a strategic
ally Important village. This opens
the way for a further Russian ad
vance.
The Berlin communique stated
that the battle of encirclement
southward of Kharkov Is In full
swing. /(ffter bitter fighting on
Monday the Germans frustrated a
concentrated Russian attempt' to
break out to the east. At the same
time an attack by German, Rou
manian and Hungarian units from
the south-west and from the north
considerably restricted the enemy's
freedom of movement. His closely
packed masses were constantly
subjected to Increasing blows by
the Luftwaffe. Repeated Russian
attacks north-eastward of Khar
kov were then beaten off. Further
territorial gains on the central
front resulted from local German
attacks, the communique de
clared.
The Germans claim that the
Luftwaffe on Monday night, at
tacked a heavily protected convoy
between Iceland and North Cape,
and sank. an 8000-ton merchant
man and damaged five others.
The midday Soviet communique
reported that during the night
Russian troops consolidated the
positions captured in the direction
of Kharkov. In the Izyum-Bar
venkova sector , they: fought defen
sive, battles against enemy tanks
and infantry. . On other sectors
there was nothing of . import
ance.
Attacks Repulsed
Other Moscow messages state
that the Russians have driven off
repeated German attacks In the
south, but neither, side is giving
details of the fighting. The Rus
sians say that the Germans are
paying an enormous price in men
'and material for every attack they
make. Russian ground troops con
tinue to receive vigorous support
from the Red. air force, which is
relentlessly bombing enemy troops
and aerodromes,
German reports say it Is in
comprehensible how the Russians,
despite their losses at Kerch, can
throw so many tanks Into the
Kharkov battle. Reports reaching
Stockholm deny that the German
offensive on the Russian front lias
begun. The spring offensive, It Is
said, will not begin until about the
same time as the first German
attack on Russia in June last
year. -
Moscow Radio to-day claimed
that the Russians on the Kharkov
front had captured an important
key position after repulsing a Ger
man counter-attack. The battle
field was littered with" German
dead. Following a barrage from
Russian mortar units, Russian
cavalry and Infantry swooped on
the enemy. When the Germans
saw their tanks on fire they threw
in panzers in. an attempt to re
lieve the situation. Russian tanks
ultimately decided the Issue.
The Russian supplementary com
munique stated that anti-tank
units in the Izyum-Barvenkova
sector destroyed eleven tanks and
anti-aircraft guns destroyed seve
ral more. One unit in two days'
.fighting destroyed 27 tanks.
A German attack on the Kalinin
front was repulsed and 200 Ger
mans wiped out. Russian artillery
men on the north-west front de
stroyed hi one day 12 block houses
and 14 dugouts, silenced 0 artil
lery and 10 mortar batteries, and
put six guns out of action.
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