SNOW IN RUSSIA

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 266, 9 November 1944, Page 5

SNOW IN RUSSIA

FIRST HEAVY FALLS German Strength Being Drained In East Prussia N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 11.30 a.m. LONDON, Nov. 8. The first heavy snowfalls of the season on the Russian front are reported to-day, says Reuters correspondent in Moscow. There is also snow in Moscow to-day. It is disclosed here ,the correspondent adds, that there are now four newly-formed German tank divisions in East Prussia, also that thousands

of East Prussians have been recalled from 'the Western Front and Italy to help defend the threshold of the Reich. A resumption of the offensive against Budapest is believed to be imminent.

There is little change on the Eastern Front, but fighting continues to be bitter in East Prussia as well as in Hungary, where the German Army is being bled white in futile attempts to wrest the initiative from the Russians, says the Exchange Telegraph correspondent in Moscow. Whole German divisions in East Prussia are being made up of marines, anti-aircraft gunners, Luftwaffe ground staff and radio operators, all fighting as infantry.

NO MATERIAL CHANGES

Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 8. For the third successive day the Soviet communique reports no material changes along the whole front. The Daily Telegraph says the Hungarian War Minister, General Bereczky, ordered the evacuation of men aged from 16 to 50 from Budapest "which might become a war zone and the men remaining are likely to be forced to work by the Russians." Men were instructed to assemble at fixed points. Their destination was not stated, but they were warned they should be prepared for hardships as "most of the journey will have to be afoot." The German news agency reports new Russian tank concentrations in the outskirts of Budapest. Some Russian forces are said to be under three miles south of the capital.