The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-05-22

forward III al uUDTOkSIl IndIC4l.
Although the Russian dispatches
said that Timoshenko's forces were
advancing ahead it still was uncer-
tain whether he was attempting to
seize Kharkov in q frontal assault
or envelop the city and cut the vital
highways branching out from 1t in
six directions.
Whether or not the Russians take
Kharkov, their victory win be big
one If Timoshenko Is able to keep
the initiative because the Nazi loss
es have been great and the left
flank Of Adolf Hitler's southern
armies, whose ultimate objective is
the rich Ukraine, has been battered.
If the highways around Kharkov
are cut the German forces at
Kharkov may find themselves In
the same position as the German
10Th army trapped at Staraya-Rus-
sa-a Nazi strongpoint between
Moscow and GLeningrad-since early
December.
Today's Red army communique
and other front line Russian &C
counts indicate that the Red army
I've, in contrast with the weak
ening German resistance and coun-
ter-attacks, was gaining in intensi-
ty, overcoming strongholds one by
one and forcing the Germans back
under Soviet tank charges followed
up by infantry.
In one Kharkov sector, 1T was
reported, a German counter attack
was crushed and the Russian troops
broke into a German-held town.
On the 25-mile Barenkovo-1 Zyum
sector, 10 miles south Of Kharkov,
German counter offensive-which
the Nazi high command never has
mentioned in any of its commune
ques thus far-waS said to have
halted.
German Communiques
Germany's communicates through
out have spoken of Marshal F'edor
Won Books NaZi forces around
Kharkov fighting "wefensive bat
ties" and have emphasized that
the German counter assaults In the
region cannot be regarded as Of
fensives.
Reports reaching Stockholm from
Berlin said that German leaders
had stopped talking Of spring Of
fensive" and were now speaking OF
a summer offensive ito be launched
in an unexpected dDrection"-the
usual propaganda line the Nazis use
tot bewilder the enemy.
The German high command, in a
communique today, claimed the
capture of 1891 Russian prisoners
in what the Nazis call their "anni-
hilating" sweep across the Kerch
peninsula in the Crimea to the
Straits at the gateway to the Cau-
casus. The Russian high command
disputed Germany's Crimean VIC
tory claim, however, and said that
fighting continued on the Kerch
Peninsula.
The war at sea also was gather
ing intensity, with the sinking Of
a 7,100-ton Japanese cruiser in the
first reported naval action in the
southwest Pacific since the battle
of the Coral sea and Rome,s claim
that an italian submarine has sunk
U. S. battleship of the 31,500-ton
MARYLAND class in the south Allan
tic.
Macarthur Planes Busy
Gen. Douglas MacArthur's head
quarters at Melbourne announced
that a Japanese cruiser Of the Kato
class and two supply ships totalling
5000 tons had been sunk in "un-
derwater actfon"-Undoubtedly by
an American submarine.
The sinkings brought to % the
number Of Japanese ships sunk or
damaged since the start OF the
Naval battle of the Coral sea on
MAY 4 and indicated that Allied
naval and air forces relentlessly
were searching for japanese concen-
trations of warshipS and supply
vessels which may be massing for a
new blow at Australia.
Meanwhile American and Austral-
IAN planes, striking in unfavorable
weather, destroyed or damaged
eight japanese planes in a heavy
raid on the Japanese invasion base
at Lac, New Guinea.
Tnere Was no COA1LluAtAOAI A4VAAA
any other quarter Of the Rome ra-
dos claim that an italian subma-
rine on Wednesday sank a u. 3.
battleship Of the Maryland class
while it was enroute 10 the Cape
of Good Hope apparently to re-
inforce American naval forces in
the Indian Ocean,"
The Vichy radio, often erroneous,
quoted a Rome communique as say
ing the sinking occurred In Brazil
ian waters 100 miles west Of the
Island Of Fernando de Noronha, a
fortified island manned by Ameri-
can forces and nearest point TO
Dakar on the African coast.
The Italian submarine, identified
as the BGr6arito, was said by Rome
to have fired two torpedoes into the
y. 8. battlesliip.
Mexico May Break
Mexico, one OF the United States
staunchest supporters among the
Pan American nations In opposition
TO the Axis, appeared to be on the
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