The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-05-20

1asl yunkers and Messerchmitts in recent days.
 The Soviet Arctic fleet was re- uorted to have sunk IA German Ehips totalling 95,OO0 tons during April and four German transports, two destroyers and two patrol boats were reported sunk since May 13 m attacks which are paralyzing the German army in its preparations for an offensive against MurmansK'
 A Red Star dispatch from the Eeninnrad front told of an ex- change of blows between Russian and German tank-led forces, re- suItlng in a Soviet counter -attack which cut enemy communicatlons and disrupted Nad lines or supply leaving the Germans in "an ex- iremeiy difficult situation"
 Today's Soviet high command nornrnuniuue, which reported "of- fensiye battles" by Timoshenko's forces around Kharkov and "In- tense fighting" around the town ol Kerch in the Crimea, described the vast destruction being inflicted by slle Red air force behind the Ger man lines.
 FIeets of Soviet tanks, including 62-ton "Klim Voroshilovs," were gaid to be moving forward with eabre-swinging Cossack cavalrymen flahting ever nearer to Kharkov.
 Cossack Cavalry There
 one Cossack cavalry unit was said to have driven deep into the Ger man rear and seized several popu- lated places, killing 700 Germans ln a lightning raid.
 m one sector German tanks at- tackled in solid wall against the Russian center and Hanks.
 Russian tnfantrymen, holding their fire, took the shock of the at taek and, from a thousand fox- holes. leaped out with hand grer- ades, flaming bottles and name throwers to charge into the lorna lion from both sides and hurl their missiles or jump on the tanks.
 seventy-one German tanks were smashed, and into their wreckage crashed seven flaming German lighter planes downed by the Rus sian air force.
 Tank-led Russian infantrymen and cossack cavalrymen, oriving behind a terrific artillery barrage and under an umbrella of protecting planes, made new important gains in key areas while endorsements held German counter offensive on the Russian left flank.
 Special front dispatches to the army newspaper Red Star reported thai the Red Army men had liber- ated several towns and villages and smashed and overrun new German defensive positions.
 It was indicated that the Ger man counter-drive, on & 25-mile frorik had not yet fully developed. German success in driving a wedge into the Russian left flank would relieve pressure on Kharkov.
 Tn the Crimea, Russian resistance continued stoutly on the 11th day of the German offensive against the Kersaa peninusla.
 Before Leningrad, the Russians, suspecting a German move to strike at their right flank, started 8 local offensiv of their own, cutting a strategic road and splitting the forces which the Germans were aS- seemhling.
 Naxi Divisions Hit
 It was reported that the Rus s.ans had inflicted terrible losses on the German 208th, 211th and 2i6th infantry divisions and the 484th infantry regiment before Ixharkov and that they had cut or threatened three of four main railroads center!ng at Khar- l1Ov.
 Desperate, German Field Marshal Fedor Won Book sent powerful force of tanks and infantry against the Russians on the front between and 1Zyum, 70 miles southeast of Kharkov in an attempt tO stop the great Russian offensive, now in its ninth day.
 It was int!mated that the Rus siam staff had been awaiting the for several days and that Marshal Semyon Timoshenko, hrillint commander of the Russian armies of the south, was confident he could break 1t without diverting | strength from his own main attack
 RrssiaiS noon communique said Red troops had continued their lSharkov offensive throughout the night, killing 1850 Germans, de- stroying 27 tanks and capturing many prisoners and much war ma- Eerial.
 It reported that fierce fighting continued in the area of Kerch, in | he Crimea and said Russian war ships had sunk an enemy troop | transport in the Barents sea in the Arctic.
 The Germans were attacking the left flank between Barven- kovO, 75 miles south-southeast of | Kharkov, and Izyum, 70 miles southeast of Kharkov.
 Barvenkovo, a railroad junction, 6 20 miles west of the Donets river md 25 miles southwest of Izyum. rxyllm is slightly west of the Donets, Sn the east bank of the Syevern or northern Donets, an arm of the Main river.
 German General Tries Trick
 German Field Marshal Fedor Won Book apparently aimed at diverting attention from hard-press- d Kharkov and thrusting salient Setween the Don basin and north- srn Ukrainian Russian forces.
 German Report
 Berlin, May 20. (German la....n ea.n nA rannn,.dnd I.ns nm in. NInrrr