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GERMAN PUSH IN
KHARKOV AREA
Tanks In Terrific
Battles
SOVIET WITHDRAWAL
''The Age" Special Service and A.A.P.
LONDON, June 26.
It was reported from Moscow to-day that the
tank battles on the Kharkov front have reached ter
rific intensity, and are proceeding almost uninter
ruptedly throughout the day and night. The Ger
mans are now 40 miles east of the Donetz River,
and are apparently pushing forward , in an attempt
to gain a springboard for a bigger offensive later
on. .
All reports, indicate that the present German
\ offensive in the Kharkov area is a determined at
tempt to drive a deep wedge through the Russian i "
lines. : The Russians are now attacking the south-
ern flank of this wedge, which the Germans are6':
making terrific efforts to widen.
The J3.B.C. observer at Moscow reports that the
Russian withdrawal from Kupyansk, 60 miles east-
south-east of Kharkov, followed many days' intense
German pressure. The Germans used masses of
tanks and planes, and . made extravagant use of
reserves. Ten tank divisions were used as a batter
ing ram for the motorised infantry fallowing behind.
The fall of Kupyansk Is a strategic
gain for the Germans. It not only
gives them a flying start in their
effort to. encircle the Russian forces
which drove a. dent in von Bock's
line, in the recent Russian offen
sive, but also gives them an import
ant railway junction, controlling a
net work of line supplying the
Kharkov front.
Large forces ' of dive bombers,
transferred from the Crimea, after
smashing Sebastopol's outer de
fences, gave powerful support for
this major offensive in the Donetz
area, south-east of Kharkov. Von
Bock has not yet'bggun his ex
pected thrust further south, in the'
dirbctlon of Taganrog, which may. be
waiting on the, thrusts nearer Khar
kov, and perhaps for the / fall of
Sebastopol. :
The German News Agency claims
that the Germans' at Kupyansk .took
21,000 prisoners, and captured; or
destroyed; 100 tanks and 150 gun's.
To-day's Moscow. communique says
the defender?; of Sebastopol . are still
repelling - Gerinah/.'attacks, ; :.
Moscow; ' 'Prav da ' '. says the situa
tion at Sebastopol is still tense. Ger
man attempts to advance against the
Soviet._front line" defences in the
north-east and southern sectors were
all beaten back.
A Stockholm report says the Ger
mans are beginning to admit that
their summer offensive in Russia is
in progress. Informed quarters in
Berlin are quoted as stating that the
question whether the offensive has
begun has become superfluous, be
cause it is answered by the facts.
: The Russians, in three sectors of
the Kharkov front yesterday destroyed
112. tanks and damaged many others.
The Soviet Air Force, it is stated,
has gained command of the air in
.one .important sector of this front.
According to a newspaper report
from Berlin, the Germans have re
captured Tikhvin, 120 miles east of
Leningrad, and Kholm, 200 miles
south of Leningrad.
A Berlin communique issued to-day
asserted that the German and Rou
manian forces, after hard fighting,
had taken several fortified heights in
the east sector of the Sebastopol for
tified area. The German and Rou
manian attack south-east of Khar-,
kov had resulted in enemy formations
being encircled and wiped out. The
Axis forces had taken 2187 prisoners" .
and captured 100 tanks, 250 guns and
much other booty. The Germans had
split up and are destroying encircled
Russian forces on the Volkhov front.
GERMAN PRESSURE
A report from Moscow last night
said fighting on the Kharkov front
was Increasing in intensity. Big tank
battles were raging, but the German
attempt to drive in an armored spear
head appeared to have failed under
the pressure of Russian counter-at
tacks. The Germans were pressing
principally to the north and east of
Kharkov, In an effort to straighten
their line and eliminate the threat to
their right flank, and were also try
ing to obtain a hold on the Kharkov-
Rostov railway in order to mass troops
and supplies for a drive on Rostov. ,
Moscow Radio stated, yesterday that
200 German tanks,, .supported by
planesj were hurled in on a narrow
sector of the Kharkov front. . Only a
small group of tanks managed to
penetrate the Russian lines. They were
out off and destroyed, and German
infantry was also cut off from the
tanks and forced to dig In.
Moscow "Red Star" says the Ger
mans are shelling Sebastopol from the
biggest guns ever known. Shells and
bombs from thousands of planes have
reduced the city to ruins. The area
still held by the Russians is small and
open to fire from all sorts of weapons,
which during night and day maintain
a fire of power and density unknown
in military history. The scream ot
dive bombers over the city is almost
unending. Soviet planes are still tak
ing off from the shell pitted, bomb
cratered aerodrome.
In' the course of the Sebastopol of
fensive, "Red Star" says four Ger
man and two Rumanian infantry di
visions have beert completely smashed,
and two German divisions and one
Roumanian have lost heavily, while
over 150 tanks and hundreds of
planes have been destroyed.
The German Radio admits that
Sebastopol is "stronger than Ver
dun." It says the Axis forces are
able to advanoe only step by step after
artillery preparation.
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