NAZI CONTACT WITH BALTIC ARMIES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 280, 23 August 1944, Page 5

NAZI CONTACT WITH BALTIC ARMIES

Regained Near Gulf Of Riga

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, August 21. The latest Russian communique states that General Bagramyan’s Russian Army has evacuated Tukums. This means that The Germans have succeeded, at terrific cost, in pushing the Russians back from the Gulf of Riga and thereby reopening communications with their northern group of armies in the Baltic States, says the British United Press. . Tukums is ten miles inland from the Gulf of Riga and 32 miles west of Riga, on a single-track railway leading to the small Baltic port of Ventspils (Windau). The Germans in-this area are reported to be fighting with desperate savagery.

Dealing with' the land fighting the communique reports that the Russians south-east and south of Tartu captured 30 inhabited places and east of Riga captured several places. The Russians .north-west and west of Jelgaya repelled major tank and infantry attacks. They evacuated Tukums and withdrew to more favourable positions. The Russians' north and southwest of Shavli repelled enemy tank and infantry attacks. The Russians north-east of Praga, after repelling enemy attacks, counterattacked and captured Tluszcz, 30 miles north-east of Warsaw, Lochow, 45 miles north-east of Warsaw, and 50 inhabited places. , . -, , . The Russians north of Sandomierz enlarged their bridgehead on the left bank of the Vistula. During the liquidation of the encircled groups they killed 12,000 and took 1500 Germans prisoner, destroyed 80 tanks and self-propelled guns, and captured 20 more, also taking large quantities of equipment. The Russian Baltic Fleet has sunk four German destroyers, says tonight’s Soviet communique. Aim of New Drives. Referring to 'the capture of Tluszcz and Lochow, Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says Marshal Rokossovsky’s forces have begun a new drive northwestward which may develop into a longrange thrust toward the Baltic coast at Danzig through the former Polish Corridor,' aimed at cutting off East Prussia and the vast German forces tied up in the Baltic States. . Further south Koniev’s forces, ’with which Rokossovsky obviously is closely collaborating, are pressing forward in a distant outflanking threat to Warsaw, with his main forces assembled on the west bank of the Vistula,.. 120 miles south of the capital. The German news agency today stated that the Red Army had secured a third bridgehead over the Vistula iu the area of Karzimerz, 35 miles from Radom. The existence of breaches in the German positions in Rumania was admitted tonight by the German news agency commentator, von Olberg, who said the Russians, after heavy attacks, had scored successes between Tiraspol and Jassy.

Another commentator, Major von Hammer, described the Russian objective as an attempt to crush the whole German position on the Dniester.