THORN IN GERMAN SIDE

Evening Star, Issue 25168, 6 May 1944, Page 5

THORN IN GERMAN SIDE

FEAT OF THE YUGOSLAVS 12 DIVISIONS PINNED DOWN (Rec. 1 p.m.) IRUGBY, May 5. -Major-general Velevit, who recently came to .London on behalf of Marshal Tito, estimates that the Yugoslav guerrilla forces have reached 31>0,000 men. As the date of the general assault on the Germans approaches, no doubt is felt in Loudon mat the Yugoslavs are a formidable thorn in Germany's side. Not only have they kept the Second Panzer Army, consisting of some 12 or more divisions, pinned down in Southern Europe, preventing it being used elsewhere, but they have compelled the Germans continually to reinforce thi,s army. The Partisans took full advautage of the fall of Italy last year. Of the 14 Italian divisions in Yugoslavia, they disarmed six, and recruited two for their own forces, the remaining six presumably being disarmed or recruited by the Germans. The Partisans thus gained considerably in arms and man .power. The latest communique from • the Yugoslav front states that the Partisans have gone over to the offensive on several sectors. It is obvious that their morale is higher than ever before, both as the result of their own magnificent successes against considerable odds, and because of the Allied air-borne supplies and air attacks against enemy bases, airfields, and communications. Only heavily-escorted trains can now run on the Trieste-Zagreb track, while the line Zagreb-IBeterade has been cut in four places, and that from Belgrade to Salonika is also cut. _ Owing to Partisan activity the majority of the other railways are unusable by the enemy.