Evening star., 1942-05-13
Russians Annihi|ated in Crimea>
10000 Captured Nazis Boast;
Japs Drive Around Chinese Civ
Battle Decided, =
Hitler Says, but
Fight Continues
Nv the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
Adolf Hitler's field headquar-
ters asserted today that the crit
ical 5-day-old battle to break
through on the Isthmus of
Kerch" in the Crimea, gateway
to the Caucasus oil treasures,
had been decided" with the an
Inhalation of Russians encircled
there and the capture of 10000
prisoners.
Heavy fighting continued as the
battle for Kerch steadily developed
Dispatches indicated that after
preaching Soviet lines at the en-
trance to Kerch Peninsula, the Ger
mans still had nearly so miles to 60
to reach Kerch City, just across the
narrow Kerch strait from the Cau-
caSus.
Soviet communiques reported stub
born fighting on the Crimean
Peninsula, of which Kerch is sort
of panhandle, but for two days have
declared nothing of Importance has
occurred. The attack was evidently
a far cry from the dashing offen-
sives which the Germans launched
at this season in Western Europe
in 1910 and in the Balkans in 1941
The battle, regarded as a test
phase of Hitler's long-heralded
spring offensive, started last Fri
day along 12mile front on the
peninsula.
Reds Deny Changes Made.
While the Germans claimed a
smashing victory a Soviet midday
communique reported mo substan-
tial changes" overnight, thus indi-
eating that neither side had scored
any major gains.
In special communique, the
German high command declared:
"The battle to break through on
the isthmus of Kerch has been de-
cided. 1t concluded with the an
Inhalation of enemy forces which
have been overrun and encircled
there.
Pursuit of the beaten remainder
Of the enemy is being continued
In the direction of Kerch"
The Nazi communique said that
In addition to the 10000 Soviet
prisoners-nearly three divisions
the Russians had lost 1877 tanks, 598
guns, 260 warplanes and countless
other war material"
Informed quarters in London dis
counted the German claim of having
preached the Russian lines and de-
scribed the Nazi report of 10000 Red
Army prisoners as probably greatly
exaggerated" Moscow was officially
silent.
These quarters said Hitler had
perhaps 100000 of his best combat
troops massed in the Ukraine and
was using 1000 dive bombers in the
Kerch campaign. The latter, it was
said, could be regarded as the open
ing of a triple offensive aimed at
the Caucasus, with other drives ex-
pected from Taganrog and Kharkov.
ARTILLERY Breaks Resistance"
DN.B., the German news agency
asserted that Nazi troops were
thrusting far beyond the Par
patsch positions" on the neck of the
Kerch Peninsula, and declared:
Resistance of the first Soviet de-
Tense line has been broken by artil-
lery fire. Infantry is being thrown
into the attack"
Latest Moscow dispatches said
only that powerful Axis and Soviet
armies fought on across the narrow
Crimean panhandle, with the Ger
mans throwing masses of cavalry
tanks, planes and troops against the
Russian defenders.
During May II on the Kerch
Peninsula severe battles took place
with the enemy" Soviet communi-
que said
Hitler's newspaper Voelkischel
Beobachter under the heading
''Luftwaffe smashes enemy strong
holds in peninsula of Kerch," sale
wave after wave of German ma.
chimes have bombed enemy CUR
emplacements. bunkers and othel
fortified strongholds, silencing gun.
and destroying bunkers and ma
chine-gun nests"
Continuous air attacks hat
"razed the Notifications TO th'
(See RUSSIA, Page A-5.)