FRONT OF 300 MILES

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24369, 22 September 1944, Page 5

FRONT OF 300 MILES

Battles in Baltic States

OUTSKIRTS OF RIGA REACHED

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 12.30 a m.) LONDON. Sept. 21, A third Russian army has been thrown into battle in the Baltic States, and fighting is now raging on a front of 300.miles, extending from the approaches of Riga to the Gulf of Finland. Sixteen German divisions are reported to be opposing the three Russian armies, and over wide areas the German defence line has been breached. Soviet advanced troops are already reconnoitring the outskirts of the Latvian, capital, Riga, and a powerful force is driving towards the Estonian port of Tallinn (formerly Revel) and the XaUinn-Riga railway.

“The Russian avalanche is moving north-west through Estonia, with Tallinn as the goal, and the Red Army’s break-through is‘being widened more and more,” says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent quoting a front-line report. “The Russians in the region of the new breach north of Tartu are relentlessly pursuing the enemy and inflicting heavy losses. An Estonian unit, which is in the forefront of the advance against Tallinn, covered 28 miles in the first two days, spurred on by the acrid smell rising from burning villages and homesteads which the Germans had set on fire. The country beyond the Russian break-through was stripped of' its inhabitants by a German evacuation order.” .

“Izvestia,” in a dispatch describing the Russian break-through in Estonia, says: “Our troops north of Tartu waited for the dawn, and then suddenly the earth heaved and trembled as artillery and bombers opened the new offensive. The smoke-shrouded German defences glowed red from numerous fires and ..xploding dumps. Then the Russian infantry attacked, piercing deeper and deeper through the German fortifications. Simultaneously, west of Narva, the, Russians broke through German positions in the area of the. Blue Hills and swept down the Tallinn highway. The Soviet Command succeeded in outmanoeuvring the enemy by slicing through his positions, cutting off from each other the tattered German groups which were only recently reinforced. The whole German defence system now shows signs of a complete rout. Our vanguards are well ahead and our troops are bearing down, north-westwards. Ahead of them lies Tallinn.’’

Mr Stalin, in an order of the day addressed to Marshal Govorov, says:—

“Troops of the Leningrad front, having passed over to the offensive north of Tarty, broke through powerful German defences, and, in four days of offensive operations, advanced 42 miles on a front of 75 miles, liberating more than 1500 inhabited localities. Troops of the Leningrad front simultaneously went over to the’ offensive west of Narva and in three days’ fighting advanced to a depth of 38 miles, occupying more than 300 inhabited localities.” A Soviet communique, issued last night, said:— - “North-west and south of Walga, the Russians fought forward and occupied more than 50 inhabited localities. The

Russians east of Riga fought their way into more than 100 inhabited localities, including two railway stations west.of Jelgava. and repelled strong infantry and tank attacks. “South-east • and South of Krosno (Poland), the Russians captured several inhabited localities. There has been reconnaissance and some local fighting in other sectors. Russian longrange bombers dn Tuesday night made a mass raid on Budapest, causing fires and explosions.” . * Reuter’s correspondent in' Moscow says that after breaking through southeast of Riga, mounting, a mighty attack with tanks, mobile guns, and infantry before the last German defences at the southern approaches to the city, the Red Army is already reconnoitring the outskirts of the city. This is the first serious threat at the complete isolation splitting up, and destruction of the ’ Germans’ northern army group. Other Russians, 100 miles to the northeast, beyond the captured bastion of Walga. are also on the offensive. They have less than 60 miles to go to complete the breaking up of the menaced German grouping. They are stnkin b towards the Tallinn-Riga highway, one of the principal north-south routes still open to the Germans. The Germans are striving to stem the Russian flood, but a powerful German armoured group beyond Jelgava appears to be losing its sting.

BULGARIA AND THE

ALLIES

ARMISTICE DELEGATE LEAVES CAIRO

(Rec. 5.5 p.m.) , LONDON. Sept. 20. The Bulgarian armistice delegate (Mushanov) has left Cairo for Sofia to obtain fresh instructions from the new Bulgarian Government. It is not known whether .negotiations between the Allies and Bulgaria will be resumed in Cairo. , The Greek authorities m London deny the report of an agreement alleged to have been concluded between representatives of the Greek Government and General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson on the one hand and the Bulgarian Government on the other, according to which the Bulgars would continue to administer Greek territory occupied by them until Greek officials take over.

IMPROVED POSITION IN WARSAW

LONDON, Sept. 20

General Bors reports from Warsaw that Tuesday was the second consecutive d a y free 9* German air raids as a result of the cover given by Russian fighter? and anti-aircraft guns. The Germans are reducing the garrisons ?t most of their Strpngppints, but in spme suburbs fresh German mptprised units have been observed. Monday’s expedition by United States Flying Fortresses caused enthusiasm among the population of Warsaw. The German Official News Agency states that the Russians have gained a bridgehead over the Vistula inside Warsaw, , .