WASTERN FRONT

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24401, 30 October 1944, Page 5

WASTERN FRONT

PROGRESS IN NORTHERN NORWAY (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 29, A Russian communique says: “Russian and Polish forces have occupied west qf the Warsaw suburb or Praga, and also other places in the same area. “In northern Norway the Russians on Saturday continued to advance in the Petsamo area and occupied an inhabited locality 55 miles south-west of Kirkene§. They also liberated Neiden and a number of places between Neiden and Kirkenes.” “The Soviet Arctic Navy and Air Arm are complete masters of their sea routes and have destroyed in the last 10 days alone 50 enemy ships,” says “Pravda.” “Gone for ever are the days of massed attacks by enemy aeroplanes and submarines on convoys from Britain and America.” “The Russians are intensifying their blows against Insterburg in freezing weather,” says the Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press. “The Red Air Force is taking advantage ot clearer weather to strike massive blows against concentrations of German troops and materials. “The Russian push west from Augustow, which has been overshadowed by the battle for Insterburg and Gumbinnen, is making good progress , “Front line dispatches emphasise the tremendous power of the German antitank defences. The Germap armoured divisions in East Prussia are reported to be more heavily equipped with antitank devices than any others so far encountered. “The Germans fighting along the railway leading to Koertigsberg are grimly trying to prevent the Russians from by-passing their fortifications. Massed forces of German tanks on Thursday launched attack after attack against

the Red Army on all the East Prussian sectors* “Strong Russian reinforcements are reported to be moving to East Prussia from the Memel front and also from the Bug river area.” A Soviet supplementary communique says that during the fighting in East Prussia on 1 Thursday the Russians killed more than 3000 Germans, and knocked out 95 enemy tanks. 11 armoured troop carriers, and more than 100 motor vehicles. Concentrations of Russian heavy artillery have switched their fire against the depths of the East Prussian defences, threatening vital fortified sectors with demolition. 'Hie terrific cannonade continues day and night along the whole front. Russian

tanks and guns are moving forward to attack through breaches in the German fortifications and thousands of German corpses litter the roads. The Russians are now building landing strips immediately behind the fighting line for their night bomber squadrons which are being sent forward in great strength, indicating that the Red Army is preparing for another big drive forward. The Official German News Agency commentator, von Olberg, claimed on Friday that the Germans had won the great tank battle which had been raging south of Gumbinnen, in East' Prussia, for three days. He . said that the German barrier from Gumbinnen to Goldap withstood the Red Army’s pressure and that the Russians were now hurling their main weight against the line between Gumbinnen and Pillkallen. The Russians, he said, penetrated Pillkallen, but the Germans later ejected them. The Official German News Agency commentator (von Hammer) saysj the Russians have opened a new offensive south-east and east of the Latvian port of Libau.