LONG STAND UNLIKELY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 84, 10 April 1945, Page 5

LONG STAND UNLIKELY

Konigsberg Taken As Big Battle Opens For Breslau N.Z.P.A.—Copyright—Rec. 12.30 p.m. LONDON, April 9. Troops of the Third Ukrainian Command to-day captured the centre of Vienna, including Parliament Buildings, the Town Hall, the central police headquarters, the main telegraph office and the Opera House, states to-night's Soviet communique The Russians to-day captured Konigsberg, capital of East Prussia. According to front line reports, a big battle has opened for Breslau. The Red Army is in the centre of Vienna. This is the outstanding news from the Eastern Front to-day. Reuters Moscow correspondent says that within shelled Vienna 2,000,000 men, women and children await the outcome of the struggle. There are indications that many civilians are sabotaging the Germans' efforts, but there are no reports so far that the Germans are launching an orgy of destruction, as they did in Budapest. The British United Press says Berlin has dropped its "fight to the last" broadcasts to Vienna, and makes no parallel to the protracted struggle in Budapest. A German High Command report says: "The Russians are attacking again and again."

The Berlin radio commentator, von Hammer, reveals that the Russians captured both Kahlenberg and Leopoldsberg Heights, which dominate Vienna. He added that fighting is raging around museums on the Ringstrasse, which is the road encircling the heart of the city. Von Hammer said the Russians are bringing up reinforcements on tanks. "The losses on both sides are considerable, he added. Earlier the German news agency said that despite violent opposition, especially from S.S troops, the Russians managed to further penetrate Vienna. Fighting spread to the northern part of the city, and fierce fighting was raging in the vicinity of the Franz Josef railway station, the terminus of the Vienna - Prague line. Ihe news agency added that Marshal Tolbukhin s troops, while the battle for Vienna continues, are thrustmg westward along the Vienna-St. Poelten road. Marshal Stalin's Order of the Day announcing the capture of Konigsberg was addressed to Marshal Vassilevski It states that troops of the Third White Russian Front, after stiff street fighting, to-day completed the capture of the fortress city of Konigsberg, the principal city and port of East Prussia and the most important stronghold of the German defences. "Up to 8 p.m. to-day we took more than 27,000 prisoners and captured a large of wa material. The remnants of the German garrison, headed by the commander of the Fortress infantry, General Lasch, and staff laid down their arms at 9.30 p.m." —