The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-05-20
Russia
Continued From Page one)

front.
Dispatches TO the Red Star, the
Soviet Army newspaper, said
that in one sector German and
Russian tanks and infantry were
locked in a terrific battle at such
close quarters that Nazi war
planes dared not risk supporting
their own land troops for fear of
hitting them. In this clash alone,
46 German tanks were reported
left i'm ruins and 81 others de-
stroyed elsewhere.
The Red Army is breaking the
fierse resistance of the Hitlerite
beasts and pushing them back TO
the west" Pravda reported.
Meanwhile, our troops are
carrying or intensive battles
with superior enemy forces in
the Kerch peninsula in the vi
cinity of Kerch.
Even greater battles are
ahead"
LIKEN TO BAThAN
Pravda likened the Russian
stand at Kerch to the long Am
crican defense on BataGn pen
insula in the Philippines.
Sixty-two Nazi tanks were re-
ported destroyed in yesterdays
daylight fighting and q more
we're left in fire-charred ruins
as the battle ragged into the night.
The Soviet communique also
| listed 1850 German officers and
men killed and wounded in the
latest hours Of the struggle.
! British military quarters said
a successful German counter-of-
fensive toward Izyum and Bar
venkokva, 80 miles below Khar-
kov, would be a serious threat
to "a very tender spot" in the
Red Army's i've on KharkoV,
but the Russians indicated that
so far they had lost no momen-
tum.
The important factor, how
ever, was the undisclosed size of
the German counter thrust. I'M
less IL were a full-scale often
sive, the Nazis could expect lit
! tie more thai TO distract the
Russians advancing on Kharkov
or to out-flank secondary Rus
sian movement toward Lozo-
vaya.
SECONDARY THRUST
This secondary Russian front,
in itself, is a drive TO out-flank
the German defenders of Khar-
kov.
Hitler's field headquarters &C
! knoWledged that Marshal Seine
on Timoshenko's r m e. were
pressing new attacks against the
big steel city, but asserted they
had been repulsed.
Countering a Berlin claim that
Axis troops had crushed Soviet
resistance on Kerch peninsula,
In the Crimea, a Russian COM
munique deClared
Battles continued in the vi
cinity of the city of Kerch."
The German high command
last night reported that Axis
forces had overrun the coast of
kcrch Strait along its entire
length, announced the capture
of 1926 prisoners, and said
only remnants Of three Soviet
armies had escaped across the
Strait to the Caucasus mainland.
London military quarter
! branded the Nazi claim as abb
surd, pointing out that it would
mean Russian strength of about
$4,000 tro ops on a 20-mile
front.
The extravagant G rm a n
claims were obviously made TO
counter the impression made on
the German civil population by
Marshal Timoshenkos Kharkov
offensive these quarters said.
FLEE TO CAUCUS
After last nights communique
reporting that only emnants OF
the Soviet armies had escaped
to the Caucasus, Hitler's COM
mand gave a new version today,
declaring that German and Ru.
manian troops ARE pursuing the
beaten enemy
The high command said Axis
forces had captured the last two
strongly-fortified bridgeheads on
the peninsula after bitter resis-
tance.
German dispatches 10 neutral
Switzerland frankly expressed
surprise at the unexpected Rus
sian pressure against Kharkov
and at the quantity of the Red
Armys heavy new equipment,
which includes United States
made tanks and planes.
The dispatches acknowledged
German retreats and noted that
the Russians were able TO send
considerable masses of troops
into the conflict.
While the two armies battlcd
at peak fury, Britain's aerial
second front offensive pound
cd heavily at the big German
war foundries city Of Mannheim
and attacked the Nazi IL-hnnt