ESTONIAN FRONT

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24371, 25 September 1944, Page 5

ESTONIAN FRONT

Russians Capture Tallinn OCCUPATION OF FARM) (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 24. The capture of Tallinn, me capital of Estonia, and the seaport of,Parnu, were announced by Mr Siahn m orders of the day addressed to Marshal Govorov. . The order of the day announcing the capture of Tallinn said that forces of the Leningrad front, as a result of a swift offensive fought their way on Friday into Tallinn, capital of the Estonian Soviet Republic, an important naval base and a large port on the Baltic Sea. Earlier the Germans announced that they were evacuating northern Estonia, giving as an excuse that as a result of the signing of the armistice between Russia and Finland, there was no longer any need to protect southern Finland and they could now do away with the long northern flank. “The Red Army, in its drive to Tallinn, also captured more than 800 inhabited localities, including the town and railway junction of Tapa, also the towns of Paide and Poltsamma,” said a Moscow communique. “The Russians north-west and west of Walga fought their way into more than 60 inhabited localities. The Red Army south-east of Sanok occupied, as a result of stubborn fighting, more than 30 localities. A Russian supplementary communique says that troops of the Leningrad front during their 50-mile advance to Parnu took 1000 German prisoners in a single day’s fighting. German divisional commanders east of Riga are openly appealing by radio to the German High Command for help. “Two powerful Red Army forces after the capture of Tallinn are advancing towards the seaports of Haapsalu and Parnu to head off the German escape attempt," said Reuter’s Moscow correspondent in an earlier dispatch. "The Germans have assembled a fleet of light vessels at these ports with the object of embarking the remnants retreating from Tallinn." The Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press says that Riga is the* last Baltic capital not yet liberated, but it will soon be freed from its German masters. Red Army troops on Friday night were inside the outer defences and battering into the heart of the city.” “The Russians on the Leningrad front have occupied Fellin, which is a large road junction in southern Estonia, and 700 additional localities,” says another • Russian communique. “The Red Army on the 3rd Baltic Front, continuing its offensive, has captured, Volmar and a number of other localities, including two railway stations.

“The Russians east of Riga took the offensive and occupied 150 places. “Red Fleet aircraft in daylight on

Friday bombed, torpedoed, and strafed German ships evacuating troops from Tallinn. They sank 11 troop transports, and damaged one transport ana one minesweeper. Red Air Force longrange aeroplanes on Friday night attacked Riga and Parnu, and caused fires and explosions. ‘ . “The Red Army on Friday destroyed 57 German tanks and 39 aeroplanes on jdl fronts.” “The German survivors of the Red Army’s blitzkreig in Estonia are now trapped as the result of Marshal Govorov’s break through to the Gulf of Riga and the capture of Parnu,” says the Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press. “Marshal Govorov’s troops in the last seven days are estimated to have destroyed eight German divisions and shortened the Baltic front by more than 120 miles. They have also given the Red Fleet and the Red Air Force bases from which twothirds of the Baltic can be controlled.” The British United Press correspondent in Moscow says that the Red Air Force is wiping out the remnants of the shattered German Estonian army, which is attempting a large-scale Dunkirk. One convoy of 11 transports was sunk as it fled from the Estonian coast. Any transport that gets away has still to run the geuntlet of more than 400 miles of Russian-dominated coast before it reaches the nearest East Prussian port. I