VIENNA THREATENED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 76, 31 March 1945, Page 5

VIENNA THREATENED

Sever Supply Routes To Huns In Northern Italy N.Z.P.A,—Copyright—Rec noon ._, LONDON, March 30. The masterful Russian sweep from western Hungary »o-<Jay threatened to quickly sever the main Austrian supply routes for the German forces in northern Italy and put Vienna iteelf under wege, reports the Associated Press Moscow correspondent. The Keel Army to-day frontally attacked from the east and by-passed from the south the strategically important Hungarian locality of Sopron, less than 30 miles from Vienna. Marshal Tolbukhin's advanced spearheads flooding across the Austrian border along at least five highways threaten to_ cut the Vienna-Graz railway and paralyse the enemy communications and large armies to the south. The Germans are hastily massing troop* along the Leite River, the last natural barrier before the Austrian capital, in a final desperate endavour to hold the overwhelming flood of Russian tanks and infantry. Advancing along two good highways leading north-west and west from the Hungarian road hub of Szombathely, Tolbuklmrs tanks have entered the low range of hills rising just inside the Austrian frontier driving hard for the Vienna-Northern Italy railway. Moscow newspapers, quoting front line reports, said the Wehrmacht confusion verged on panic. The headlong flight to Austria has cost the Germans more than 18,000 prisoners m the last two days. Several thousand more have been trapped in the pocket at Sopron, which is already hard hit by Red bombers. Tolbukhin's Austrian onslaught represents a gigantic left hook, curling past prepared defences at Bratislava and landing with a paralysing impact on the traffic network due south of Vienna. Wienerstadt is one of the objectives of the powerful drive which Tolbukhin is mounting south of Neusiedler Lake, reports Reuters Moscow correspondent. He is simultaneously fanning out on both flanks at top speed. ■, Marshal Malinovsky east of the northern end of Neusiedler Lake is exerting fierce pressure on the German formations holding an 18-mile stretch of land between Neusiedler Lake and the Danube. The Red Army formations swung up flush with the border in this area less than 45 miles from Vienna and are preparing a drive through Bratislava Gap.

The Exchange Telegraph Moscow correspondent says the Luftwaffe is fighting a resolute but losing battle in the ekiee over Austria. The Red Air Force is shooting down scores of enemy planes daily, wrecking communications and mercilessly strafing the Germans, who are surrendering in ever-increasing numbers and a*e streaming back eastward along roads and over fields strewn with their own dead and with wrecked equipment.