RED OFFENSIVE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 82, 4 October 1944, Page 5

RED OFFENSIVE

To Smash Hungary

FOUR BIG DRIVES BEGIN

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.)

Kec. noon. LONDON, October 3. ■ The Russians have launched four large-scale offensives to knock Hungary out of the war and to liberate Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. The four drives are, firstly, one towards Belgrade by the forces which have crossed into Yugoslavia from Rumania, and, secondly, through the Beskid Pass on the border of southern Poland and north-eastern Czechoslovakia.

The third drive is Westwards to Budapest from northern Transylvania. This force is within 100 miles of Budapest. The fourth drive is north-westward through Hungary from Sakrad which is 60 miles south-east ol Budapest. The Russians have advanced 27 miles further into Yugoslavia and are now in the immediate neighbourhood of Zajecar where fierce fighting is in progress. The line of the advance is towards Wish from which the Russians are now only 40 miles distant.

A number of towns has been capture^ and Yugoslav troops in eastern Serbia moving towards the advancing Red Army have captured Aleksandrovac, in eastern Serbia. The Berlin radio commentator, Major van Hammer, says the Russians are throwing in tanks, infantry, artillery, and planes on a 13-mile front near the Beskid Pass. Moscow radio declares that the liberation of Riga is not far off. "Our troops are converging On Riga from three directions and are already close to the city," it says. "A number of German divisions, with masses of heavy equipment, are ndw compressed into a small area a few miles square. Long columns, of Russian reinforcements are moving along the roads towards Riga." ♦i/^' Gernian news agency reported that major Russian forces had fended on the shore of Dagoe Island (west of the Gulf of Riga) yesterday. It added that the German garrison immediately engaged the Russians whale 'the German navy was interfering with further landing opera- i tions. ISLAND CAPTURED, Troops from the Leningrad front, as the result of skilful landing and operating, captured the island of Dagoe, in the .Baltic, says tonight's soviet communique. Troops south of Turku, overcoming enemy resistance and engineering obstacles in forestcovered mountains, fought their way into a number Of localities and captured two railway stations. : The Russians in northern Transylvania captured the town and railway station of Reghi and several other localities. The Russians^ south and south-west of Timisoara, crossed the Danube and occupied three large towns in Yugoslav territory, besides 250 Other places.. South of the Rumanian town of Turnu Severin, the Russians fought their way into several localities on Yugoslav territory.

Banska Bystrica, while the other one is preparing an assault on Shty Kriz, 25 miles south-west of Banska Bystrica. At Horn! Stubna, a Czech counterattack pushed the enemy back to his initial positions. The patriots also gained ground in the Zarnovice area. Two heavy German tanks were destroyed and numerous prisoners taken. —B.OYW.