LULL IN RUSSIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 May 1944, Page 5

LULL IN RUSSIA

RED AIR FORCE BUSY TARGETS IN THE NORTH LONDON, May 14. To-night’s Russian communique reports no large-scale fighting on any part of the front. An attack by German infantry in the Carpathian foothills, south-east of Stanislawow, was thrown back. On the Bessarabian front the Red Air Force continued to attack enemy troops and supply clumps. . , , “On Friday night Soviet long-range air forces bombed concentrations of enemy trains and military dumps at the railway junctions of Dvinsk, in Latvia, and Tartu, in Estonia,' savs a Soviet air communique. ‘A.s a result of the bombing at Dvinsk goods trains in the marshalling yards were set on fire and there were several powerful explosions, one oeing followed by a great fire. At the rail junction of Tartu 10 fires broke out among trains and military dumps. Eleven explosions took place, one of them being described as terrific. One Soviet aeroplane failed to return. Successful blows by the Red An Force against enemy shipping m the Barents Sea are reported in a Russian ■supplementary communique, which, says that two transports, totalling 12 000 tons, were sunk on their way to’a port in Northern Norway under convoy. Russian aeroplanes also sank four escort vessels, a mme-sweeper. and a coastguard cutter and damaged two transports and two destroyers. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent, savs that the Germans’ spoiling attack afainst the Red Army’s lower Dniestei bridgehead (north-west of. Tiraspol) was a direct reply to the loss of Sebastopol and a plain attempt to delay the battle for Rumania, which threatens to open up at any moment. For a month the Red Army has been poised on the Dniester for an assault against Chisinau to open the way for a drive round the Black Sea coast through the Galati Gap to the Danube Valley. Friday’s Russian air communique reported that Russian aeroplanes made a mass raid on the rail junction of Lublin. 83 miles southwest of Brest Litovsk, and bombed concentrations of military trains and stores. GERMAN LOSSES. LONDON. May 12. Losses suffered by the Germans m their vain defence of the Crimea are reported in a special Russian communique. which says: “In the Crimean Soviet troops have accomplished the operation of clearing Cape Khersones of the remnants of the German Fascist troops routed during the occupation of Sebastopol. In the coflrse of i lhe fighting for the Sebastopol bridge--head and during the clearing of the enemy from Cape Khersones. Soviet troops between May 7 and May 12 destroyed 49 tanks. 87 aeroplanes, 308 guns. 331 mortars, 620 machine-guns, and 564 lorries. The enemy lost more than 20,000 troops killed and 25,000 were taken prisoner.” Figures given for German losses in lhe Crimea show that Between April 8 and May 12 the Germans lost in killed and prisoners 111,587 men, of whom more than 50.000 were killed. They also lost 299 tanks and self-propelled guns, 578 aeroplanes, 3000 guns. 7000 lorries,' and great quantities of war material. , . The Red Air Force and the Black Sea Fleet, in the same period, sank 69 transports and 56 landing barges, making a total of 191 ships of various tonnages sunk in this period. HUNGARY’S DECISION LONDON, May 14. The Budapest radio replying to the joint British, American and Russian warnings to Axis satellites to get out of the war said: “The terms are regarded as implying complete subjection to Russia. Hungary is not pursuing any imperialistic aim in this war but is merely defending her frontier and historical mission. Britain and the United States are so. distant from Europe that they do not realise what subjection to Russia means. Therefore Hungary, is determined to pursue the war against the Allies on the side of Germany.’ RETRIBUTION PLANS. NEW YORK, May 13. The- “New York Times’s” Washingion correspondent says: There have been confidential reports Irom Moscow that Mr. Stalin plans to exact a retribution for Nazi crimes which may shock the sensibilities of. the Western world. The reports are P al “ tially confirmed by the Soviet Embassy here in a bulletin. This bulletin reports that a Soviet tion-committee ascertained that Nazis murdered, gassed, and tortured .to death at least two million m occupied Soviet districts. The report cites documents captured from Gestapo headquarters in Kiev ordering wholesale but secret extermination 01. prisoners ol* wnr cind civilians. Nazis who were responsible lor such crimes incidcd Major-General Von Hindeninirg Chief of a Prisoner ol Vai Camo in East Prussia and Lieutenant General Herrgot a Chief-of Prisoners Camps in Poland. It states that those who will pay the penalty lor monstrous crimes include the personnel of firing squads and operational squads in prisoners’ camps. FRENCH PRISONERS. LONDON, May 13. The Moscow radio said: The French Committee of National Liberation some time ago asked Russia to hand over prisoners of war from the German Armv of French nationality, paificularly Alsatians and Lorramers who voluntarily went over to the Red Army, and to direct them to Noith Africa for incorporation in the French Army. The Soviet Government has agreed and has issued the necessary instructions to Russian military authorities.