Advancing Red Army

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 23, 28 January 1944, Page 5

Advancing Red Army

LENINGRAD SIEGE OVER

- $ ■"'" '" ;A~ LONDON, January 27. r 'A big Russian advance has brought the Red Army to within B0 miles of the frontier of the Estonian Republic, Moscow radio anbouncod tonight. P #'he town of Tosno, south-east of Leningrad, has also been capjfcure/1. This big Kussian success is given in the Moscow communique. "I . Tosno is an important railway and road junction on the main toscow-Leningrad railway. While one Soviet army was storming into Tosno, another Russian force was clearing the railway between jbhere and a place 20 miles to the south. 'At the end of the day the whole railway was in Russian hands, fend fighting was taking place for another important objective. {These fresh Soviet victories mean that the Germans have now lost jevery stronghold of importance on the eastern side of the Leningrad tealient except the town of Chudovo, and this is menaced by the „ Soviet troops on three sides.

.' The biggest Russian advance of the Bay was made by Red Army men ■ korming along the railway west of batchina. By dusk today our allies kad reached and taken the important jown and junction of Volosovo, 35 biles beyond Gatchina, a little less than 40 miles from the border of the Estonian Republic., r An Order of the Day from the Russian commander on the Leningrad \ - front announces that the siege of the city has been raised. A German sea and land blockade of the great Russian city which has continued without a pause for more than two years has been finally broken. General Govorov's special Order of the Day was addressed to the troops, to the, sailors of the Baltic Fleet, and to the Workers of Leningrad. It said that ■_ after 12 days of stubborn fighting the troops on the Leningrad front had broken through the strongly fortified German defences along the entire Leningrad siege line. They had taken by storm the most important key defence points, had freed more than 700 places, and had driven the enemy back from 40 to 65 miles, and were t still advancing. The Germans have been routed, and k large number of prisoners have been taken. The Order said that as a result of these battles, a task of historic importance had been completed. ■The city of Leningrad had been completely freed from the enemy blockade and from the barbaric artillery Shelling. \ ORBER GIVES THANKS. The Order said, "I thank all the troops of the Leningrad front and the Bailors of the Baltic Fleet who took part in the battles, and I also thank ' the brave people of Leningrad who, by their heroic work and steel-like steadiness, overcame all the difficulties and hardships of the blockade and forged the weapons of victory in the pity." »The soldiers, sailors, and people of the city were honoured tonight by 24 salvos from 324 of Leningrad's guns. This is the first time that the guns of ' Leningrad have fired a victory salute. The Russians, having raised the siege of the city, are now pressing deep into the big and vulnerable German salient\ below it. One Soviet army, advancing rapidly into the salient from the north, is moving down the railway leading to Luga, the main supply base still in German hands. Another, Soviet army, driving into the salient further east, is also is aiding at this key base. This army lias 'already reached a point'half-way between Novgorod and Lu£a and is still going ahead fast. While this great pincers,- movement is developing rapidly, a third Russian : army is shattering the "last German defence line in the noriih-east corner of the salient. This defence line was built along the main Leningrad-Mos-cow railway, but our. allies are already astride the greater part of the railway.