ADVANCE INTO HUNGARY PROGRESS OF RED ARMY

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24389, 16 October 1944, Page 5

ADVANCE INTO HUNGARY PROGRESS OF RED ARMY

DANGER TO GERMANY’S “ BACK DOOR ”

(Hee. 10.30 p.m.) LONDON. Oct. M. “A threat ol intense gravity to the Germans’ 'bacit poor’ is developing rap* idly on the great plains of hungary, says the "Daily Mail’s" Moscow corrMpondent. “The Russians are now less than 50 miles from Budapest, and are still battling forward,. .. , . . “The fall of Budapest' will open the road to Vienna, after which Germany will be witnout natural barriers on which the Germans could stand effectively. Reports that Hungary is seeking peace are backed up py an.livestia’ statement that the Germans are quitting Budapest. "The circle of steel round Germany will be complete once Hungary » out of the war and the Germans wiU be on the defensive from the north of Finland to Austria in the east,, and from Holland to -the Vosges in th» West,” - "The Tiroes” Moscow correspondent says that Hungarians are losing position after position in a way .reminiscent of the collapse of Rumania,on.the, eve of the armistice. The'Rad Army is already half-way across Hungary. The Russians are threatening to cut the railway from Budapest to Miskolc?, and will thereby cut off from Budapest the Hungarian forces in Car-patho-Ruthenia. .The Germans have alternative routes, but they have-prob-ably overcrowded these with their*own . : men, who have been forced to abandon their advanced. positions through - the defection of their Magyar The Hungarians have beenurged to start a 'national' revolt and general-' strike 4>y the Free Hungarian radio br prevent the . Germans establishing • new. Quisling Government f: ‘ "The. Hungarian Government is divided." said The radio. “One part wanti? to agbt with the ..Germans to j the end. The other is inclined towards an armistice, but is hesitant and cowardly. “The Germans want to take advantage of ‘the situation by slipping in a Government favourable to themselves. The radio exhorted the patriots to cut the trans-Danublan raUwasi from . Budapest to Vienna, and also-blow up the bridges, . A Moscow communique says thd Russians and Rumanians . innorthern Transylvania occupied 10 places and , eight railway stations. , .. A Soviet communique says that in northern Transylvania the Russians have captured Blstoita and more wen 50 other places, including five railway stations. - . A Rumanian communique reports , that Russians, and fighting in torrential rain, have captured . lm* pqrtant height? north-east of Cluj. Reuter’s Bucharest correspondent says- that King Michael, m w’drder of the-day on the, liberation of Cluj, capital of Transylvania, praised- the Red Army and expressed the gratitude of Rumania. y.. '■ Dispatches from Associated Press - correspondents at Ankara and* Stockholm state that the Hungarian Cabinet is meeting to decide finally ■ whether to capitulate or to make a suicide stand. . ‘ ‘ Hungarian newspapers. report that immense numbers of refugees are passing through Budapest, The papers ,ar« pleading for more discipline and less p«inic» \ Very strong-forces of Italian-based heavy bombers on Thursday attacked . strategic targets in Silesia and the Vienna area, and also communications objectives at Vienna and in western Hungary, states Reuter’s correipondent at Allied Mediterranean Headquartera. The targets included the Flondsdort railway yards, the Austrian Motor Works in the western quarter of Vienna, the Banhida railway yards, S5 miles west of Budapest on the roam line to Vienna, and the Sekesfehervar railway: yards, ,45. miles south-west of Budapest. ' - • . , ' , . The Banhida yards contained much rolling stock used to supply the Germans pp. the Russian front. , - This was "the second successive day on which the Americans, have sent out an' unusually large number of aeroplanes. The force numbered between 750 and 1000 aeroplanes, which were comparable to the record assault against the German positions round g enemy fighters appeared, but the bombers encountered intense flak over Silesia and Vienna.

BALKAN ARMISTICE DELEGATIONS

MOVES BY BULGARIA AND HUNGARY

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 11. The Ankara radio and the Swiss radio on October 14 both broadcast a communique stated to be from Sofia declaring that a Bulgarian armistice delegation is going to Moscow as the result of an invitation ffom the Governments of Britain, the Unitqp States, and Russia, , The _Ankara radio stated that a Hungarian armistice delegation is also on the way to Moscow. Reuter's Sofia correspondent said that the Bulgarian Foreign Minister (Stainoff) at a press conference on October 14 said that Bulgaria without awaiting any peace conference already had offered • to pay reparations to Jugoslavia to compensate for all the damage and injustice caused to the Jugoslavs as the result of the Bulgarian forces being sent to Jugoslavia by the Bulgarians of the Fascist Government. PORTUGUESE TIMOR POSSIBLE JAPANESE EVACUATION LONDON, Oct. IS. The Japanese are voluntarily preparing to surrender part of their illgotten empire, according to “Daily. Mail” reports from Madrid. The Japanese are reported to have agreed with Portgual to evacuate Portuguese Timor, and an official announcement is expected in Lisbon within one 0? two weeks. The Japanese are believed to be intending to retreat from Portu. guese Timor to Dutch Timor.