Evening star., 1942-05-25
Russians Wipe Out NoziWedge
Near Khorkov as imoshenko's
Troops Score F Fresh Advances
Germans Are Driven
Out Of Important
Resistance Point
By the Associated Press.

Sy Lhe ASSoclhteo fIeses
MOSCOW, May 25.-Marshal
Semeon Timoshenko's renewed
offensive against bitterly con-
tested Kharkov has gained fur
ther ground, driving the Ger
mans from another important
center of resistance, front line
dispatches from the Ukraine re-
ported today.
One wedge which the Germans
hammered into the Red Army's
Kharkov salient "at the cost OF
enormous losses" was wiped out in
the new Soviet onset, communique
declared.
Battlefront reports said previously
occupied positions were being
strengthened constantly, German
counterattacks repulsed, and stub
born defense maintained against the
Nazi flanking counteroffensive in
the Izyum- -Barvenkova sector to the
south.
CThe German high command
asserted yesterday that heavy
NaI counterattacks had re-
suited In encirclement of strong
Russian forces south of Kharkov0
Gigantic Slugging Match.
Observers here said the battle ap-
peared to have settled into an ex-
change of savage blows resembling a
slugging match between two heavy
weights, with no sign yet OF tlr1ng
or of decisive change.
Masses of modern materiel, in
cluding medium and heavy tanks,
the latest model planes and fast
firing guns, were in action while the
bulk of the infantry OF both sides
was locked in battle.
The official newspaper Pravda
quoted front-line officers as agree
ing that the fighting had reached
extreme intensity.
The dispatch described the strug-
gle for one settlement as showing
the dogged tenacity Of German re-
sistance before Russian attacks in
the Kharkov sector. Although the
Russians encircled the Germans,
they fought for every house and pill
box until they finally succumbed
under the weight of the Red Army
artillery and infantry.
Tanks Made Into Pillboxes.
The Germans had concentrated
an infantry regiment at the con-
tested point, supported by 100 auto
matte rifemen and several bat
teries of mortars. A number of
tanks were buried to serve as pill
boxes.
After the settlement was sur
rounded the Germans dropped
parachutists, munitions and food
from planes and sent several dozen
tanks by land in an effort to relieve
the garrison. The Russians reported
they crushed the resistance method
icaIy and finally overwhelmed the
Germans, killing about 900.
The drain of man power in the
German air force during the almost
incessant aerial battles was re-
ported as heavy.
Offensive Gains Momentum.
Although the Soviet offensive
against Kharkov appeared to be
gaining new impetus after fierce
German resistance had stalled it
temporarily, the Russians again re-
ported a defensive battle in the
Izyum- m-Barvenkova sector to the
south.
The Nazis suffered heavy losses
there also in unsuccessful infantry
charges and eight of their tanks
were destroyed, the war bulletin
added.
In the only other report Of action
on the long Russian front, 1t said
Soviet forces on the front before
Leningrad wiped out almost 300 Ger
mans and destroyed three tanks in
combating an attack by two Nazi
battalions.
For the first time in several days,
the Soviet Information Bureau an
nounced in its overnight commu-
nique that Red Army forces ham,
mering at the defenses Of Kharkov
had advanced.