RUSSIAN PROGRESS

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 September 1944, Page 5

RUSSIAN PROGRESS

LOMZA CAPTURED MENACE TO E. PRUSSIA LONDON', September 13. Fierce fighting is reported to be taking place in Poland in the area of Lomza, on the Narew River, a little more than 20 miles from the frontier of East Prussia. Unconfirmed reports say that Red Army troops have entered the town. The Official German News Agency ■states that the long-expected Russian attack against the bridgehead east ol Warsaw opened with a long artillery preparation. It is being carried out with strong infantry and tank forces, supported by large battle aeroplane formations. The focus of fighting, which has rapidly grown m fierceness lies on the Praga-Minsk road. -The Russian attacks are coming from the south-east and north-east in a concentric move directed against Warsaw. The Russians on the Narew sector have gained some ground.

RUGBY, Sept. 13. Mr Stalin, in an order of the day, has announced the capture of the town and fortress’of Lomza, an important German defence base on the Narew River. TRANSYLVANIAN OFFENSIVE. LONDON. September 13. The Russian and Rumanian campaign across Transylvania has aeveloped into a two-pronged offensive. The northernmost spearhead has reached Aiud and the southern piong has seized Neva, 90 miles from the Hungarian frontier. The campaign is continuing against stiff but sporadic defence, and only about 12,000. square miles of Transylvania remain uncleared. ... ... “The long delayed news of the linkup between Marshal Broz s foi ces end the Red Army is expected to-day, says the Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press. “A group of Russian war correspondents is reported to have left Moscow for Jugoslavia to witness the meeting.” “Marshal Malinovsky’s tanks in the south, after smashing the powerful Hungarian defences barring die passage to the Transylvanian Alps, are pressing into Central Europe, says Reuter’s correspondent in Moscow. “The retreating Germans .and Hungarians are facing a threat fiom two Russian' flank thrusts.” A Soviet communique says tnat ground has been gained in the advance into the heart of Transylvania by a drive up one of the main passes. More than 150 places have been occupied, including three railway stations. The Russians’ six-barrelled rocket mortar is proving successful as a mountain weapon and is wiping out whole German units in fierce clashes through the Transylvanian Alps. Soviet mechanised and horse cavalry is penetrating through the winding passes, leaving the Hungarian and German defenders marooned on the mountain tops. General Tolbukhin has been promoted to the rank of marshal ol the Soviet Union. His promotion came only 24 hours after a similar honour had been conferred on General Malinovsky. GERMAN LOSSES. LONDON, September 13. According to an announcement broadcast over Moscow radio, the Russians completely liquidated lb German divisions in a fortnight of fighting for Jassy and Kishinev. The announcement stated that not a single detachment escaped from the ring. Over 150,000 Germans were killed, including five generals and two colonels, and 106,000 were captured, including nine generals and four colonels, also the commandants of Jassy and Kishinev, and two generals who abandoned troops and sought refuge in Bulgarian territory. The Germans also lost, either destroyed or captured, 338 planes, 830 tanks and self-propelled guns and 3500 guns. MANY MORE CAPTURES. (Rec. 1 p.m.) LONDON, September 13. To-night’s Soviet communique states: Russians in the area of Praga on the right bank of the Vistula are engaged in fierce fighting, in which the First Polish Army is participating. Russians south of Rzeszow altei stubborn battles captured the town and rail station of Krosno, and a hundred other places. Russians reached the Polo-Czechoslovak front. Russians in north-west Rumania as the result of stubborn fighting captured Campulung, important German-Hungarian strongpoint in the pass through the Carpathians. Russians in North Transylvania, in co-operation with Rumanians, captured the town and railway junction of Odormei and lilty other' places.

RUMANIAN ARMISTICE

LONDON, Sept. 13.

The armistice with Rumania has been signed in Moscow, but the terms have not yet been made public. Marshal Malinovsky signed the agreement on behalf of the United NatiOnS ' LATER.

Details of the Russian-Rumanian armistice terms broadcast by Moscow radio reveal that Rumania will pay Russia 75,000,000 sterling worth of goods over six years, as compensation for the damage suffered by Russia. The Rumanian-Russian frontier will be that fixed on 28/6/40, which means the return of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina to Russia. Transylvania will be restored to Rumania. “Rumania will put into the field under the Allied command, at least 12 infantry divisions with reinforcements to fight against Germany and Hungary. All Allied.property in Rumania will be restored, and racial laws repealed. ANTONESCU’S TRIAL. MOSCOW, September 13. The Rumanian Minister of State (M. Patrascanu), when asked about the fate of General Antonescu, replied: “He will be tried by a Rumanian or international tribunal. Antonescu is in safe keeping. „He could not escape even ip a dream.” TURKEY BARS REFUGEES

LONDON, Sept. 13

The Turkish Government has requested Peter Gabrovski, former Bulgarian Minister of the Interior, to leave the country, states the Ankara radio. Gabrovski, who arrived at Istanbul on Monday, presumably to seek asylum is known for his Nazi sympathies and anti-Jewish measures.

The radio added that the action was taken because of Turkey’s decision not to accept refugees.

CAPTIVES’ ORDEALS.

LONDON, September 13.

When Allied airmen internees from Bulgaria, including 305 Americans. left Turkey yesterday for the Middle East they were wearing Turkish Army uniforms, underclothes and boots, a present from the Government, says the Associated Press Istanbul correspondent. Turkish officers had been distressed over the sorry picture the internees made when they arrived from Bulgaria, emaciated and verminous, clothes in rags, with toes sticking out of torn boots. They were living proof of the

appalling conditions wherein, they existed in Shumen, Bulgaria. Some had been there for two years. They lived on nothing but a brownish liquid called soup and black lumps called bread. Although water was plentiful it was rationed. A wash was a special treat. If they complained they were .beaten and made to' stand at attention in grilling sunshine. When they parachuted on to Bulgarian soil after their planes were damaged, peasants, women and men, menaced them with guns and pitchforks. They were marched through towns past jeering crowds, closely guarded by the police lest they were lynched. JUGOSLAV DISSENSIONS RUGBY, September 12. The fact that Generals Mihailovitch and Neditch, former Jugoslav War Ministers, are now fighting against Marshal Tito’s forces is disclosed in to-day’s Jugoslav communique. It stataes: In Serbia our units are engaged in operations between Bajne and Basta and Pozhega, and have dispersed Neditch’s and Mihalovitchs iroops. Two hundred were killed and the rest put to flight. Mihailovitch was directing operations himself. To the south of the River Morava, our units occupied Vranje and took 3500 Bulgarian prisoners. supplies for Poland THANKS TO BRITAIN ■ LONDON, Sept? I'3. The Polish Government has announced that it recently received a message from General Bor acknowledging with warm thanks the receipt of arms and supplies, which were delivered to him irom aircraft operating under British control. Expressing appreciation of. Great Britain’s help, the Polish Government says that since the Warsaw rising on August 1, aircraft manned by British, South African, and Polish crews had flown a large number of sorties from the Mediterranean for the relief of the capital. Although the aircraft ' were operating at the maximum range and in face of strong German opposition a considerable proportion or the sorties was successful. More than 100 tons of weapons were delivered and received by parachute, including 250 Piat anti-tank weapons, 1000 Sten guns, 3,000,000 rounds of ammunition, 19,000 anti-tank and an-ti-personnel grenades, and many tins • of special material for street fighting. About 250 Allied airmen, including 98 Poles, were lost in delivering supplies. The Polish Government has been assured that Britain will continue to do all in her power to maintain the flow of military relief and supplies to Warsaw. General Bor, in a communique says: “In general there are no material changes in the situation. Hard street fighting for every house continues in the centre of the city.” The Warsaw broadcasting station, which is on the air again and was picked up in London on Monday night, states that the 2nd Division of the Polish Home Army went into action against the rear of the German armies in the Krakow Province. Units of this division smashed six enemy motorised columns and blew up a railway bridge and several road bridges.

THE POPE’S MESSAGE

LONDON, Sept. 12.

The Pope, in a message to the President of Poland (Mr. Raczkiewicz), said that the sufferings of the Poles had made a particularly profound impression on him during the last four years, in which he had repeatedly raised’ his voice .to recall the world to the basic principles which ought to determine the conduct of war. The Pope added: “Everybody knows that we have done everything in our power to defend the oppressed and obtain for them the protection of the law.” GERMANS IN FINLAND.

(Rec. 1 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 13. News from North Finland shows that the German troops cannot now be out by September 15, the date fixed by the Russo-Finnish Governments as the end of the period in which the Germans should withdraw voluntarily, says “The Times’s” Stockholm correspondent. German forces still occupy the same positions as before in North Finland. Information suggests the Germans intend to retire only gradually, fighting rearguard actions presumably until they reach a short and more permanently defenceable line in North Norway. Reuter’s Stockholm correspondent forecasts a German-Finnish war within two days as the result of the tardy withdrawal of German troops from Finland.