Evening star., 1942-06-28
Germans Halted
AT Sevastopo|
And Kharkov
Russians Smash Attack
After Attack by Foe
With Heavy Losses
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
MOSCOW Sunday, June o.
The valiant defenders of Sevasto-
pol smashed attack after attack
by storming Nazi forces which
tried without success to advance
all day yesterday in bitter fight
ing over the bodies of their fallen
comrades, the Russians reported
early today.
The siege of the Crimean port
went into its oath day with no in
dication of a German break into
the vast defenses of Sevastopol.
On the Kharkov front it was the
same story, military dispatches said.
There Marshal Iimoshenkos
forces were credited with halting the
eight-day German drive, and in
one sector threw the Germans back
in slashing tank counter attacks.
The Germans were unable to make
any headway whatever, the 'front.'
line accounts said, despite the ex-
travagant use of massed air attacks
in an effort to enlarge their gains.
No Other Changes on Front.
These accounts were pointed up
by the midnight communique, which
told of the continued repulse of the
Germans before Sevastopol and
added there had been no other
changes yesterday anywhere on the
long front.
OF the battle for Sevastopol, the
communique said: Our troops re-
PEELED several enemy attacks on the
Sevastopol sector and inflicted heavy
losses on the enemy"
The Soviet air force was credited
with inflicting devastating blows"
on the Germans on the Kharkov
front. In two days, the communicate
said. % Nazi planes were shot down.
IS tanks and lit trucks DESTROYED
and 300 Germans killed by Russian
airmen.
(The British radio, relaving
Moscow accounts, said that in
violent flare-up of aerial warfare
all up and down the front Soviet
pilots were breaking up raid
after raid upon Red Army posi-
tions."
CThe British Broadcasting Co.,
heard in New York by Columbia
Broadcasting System, quoted one
correspondent as saying that for
the moment at least it looks as if
further developments in the
fighting may depend on which
side can get air superiority first.)
1,500 Nazis Annihilated.
The midnight Russian announce
ment said Sevastopol,s artillery bat
teries alone 'annihilated" 500 Ger
mans yesterday and DESTROYED two
German artillery and two trench
mortar batteries.
In exceptionally fierce" fighting,
the Ukraine offensive of the Ger
mans was brought to a halt east OF
kupyanSk, so miles southeast of
Kharkov. Pravda accounts said yes
terday. Thirty-one air battles were
fought in a single day and 81 Ger
man planes were wrecked in them.
the newspapers correspondent said.
Before Sevastopol the Russians
declared the Germans had expended
the stupendous total of so train
loads OF explosives-bombs shells
and mines-in a futile effort to
break open the city's defenses.
The heroism of the Sevastopol
garrison, its unwavering staunchness
and devotion to duty stand out with
utter clarity said a Pravda dis
patch from the fortress.
Butter fights with knife, bayonet
and pistol often have ragged for
hours between Russians and Ger
mans in single trench, the cores
pondent said.
Depletion of Manpower.
The depletion of German man.
power was said to be evident in the
presence of several new infantry
regiments transferred from other
fronts and in the fact that assault
groups which formerly had consisted
Of ropimpptc ond oua,, u,Lo1e H.,
sions had now dwindled to COM
panies and battalions.
One prisoner from the 10th Ger
man infantry division was quoted
as saying that companies of his
unit, which originally numbered 80
to 100 men, now had only 10 or
Is survivors.
The graves of thousands Of Ger
mans dot the hillsides where $4,000
of them have died or been wounded,
it was said
The German casualties of $4,000
for this offensive already exceeded
the losses, estimated at $4,000, in
two previous drives on Sevastopol
in November and December.
Lack of sufficient reserves was
said to have forced the Germans to
limit their action to artillery duels
at some points.
Invaders Still Strong.
Although the Germans Ukraine
offensive had cost them hugely,
Soviet accounts admitted the in
vaders were still able to gain local
superiority in that sector by mass
ing large forces on narrow fronts.
These were reported probing for
soft spots.
The Soviet withdrawal from Kup-
yansk was termed orderly and from
new positions the Russians were said
to be wearing down enemy tanks
and infantry.
Elsewhere on the front, particu.
larly in the Bryansk sector south.
west of Moscow. the exploratorv