BALTIC VICTORIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 September 1944, Page 5

BALTIC VICTORIES

RUSSIANS BREAK THROUGH RIGA’S FALL_IMMINENT LONDON, Sept. 21. A third Russian army has been thrown into battle in the Baltic States and fighting is now raging on a front of 300 miles, extending from the approaches of Riga to the Gull of Finland. Sixteen German divisions are reported to be opposing the three Russian armies, and over wide areas the German, defence line has been breached. Soviet advanced troops are already reconnoitring the outskirts of the Latvian capital, Riga, and a powerful force is driving towards the Estonian port of Tallinn (formerly Revel) and the Tallinn-Riga railway. ADVANCE ON TALLINN. LONDON, September 21. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says: A Russian advance is moving north-west through Estonia with Tallinn as the goal. The Red Army’s break-through is being widened more and more according to a front-line report. Russians in the region of a new breach north of Tartu are relentlessly pursuing enemy forces and inflicting heavy losses. An Estonian unit is in the forefront of the advance against Tallinn. It covered 28 miles in the first two days, spurred on by an acrid smell rising from burning villages and homesteads which the Germans set afire. Country beyond the Russian break-through was stripped of its inhabitants by a German evacuation order. “Izvestia” has a dispatch describing a Russian break-through in Estonia. It says: “Our troops north ol Tartu awaited dawn, and then suddenly the earth heaved and trembled as artillery and bombers opened a new offensive. Shrouded in smoke, German defences glowed red from numerous fires and exploding dumps. Then Russian infantry attacked, piercing deeper and deeper through German fortifications. Simultaneously west of Narva Russian forces broke through German in the Blue Hills area, and swept down the Tallinn highway. The Soviet Command succeeded in outmanoeuvring the enemy by- slicing through his positions, and cutting off from each other tattered German groups, which were only recently reinforced. The whole German defence system now shows signs of a 'complete rout. Our vanguards are well ahead, and our troops are bearing • down north-westwards in one all-engulfing flood. Ahead oi them lies Tallinn.” furthefFsuccesses. (Rec. 12.40 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 21. Troops on the Leningrad front, developing the offensive in the Tallinn direction, to-day occupied the town and key railway centre of Rakvere and fought their way into 300 inhabited localities, says . a Moscow communique. The Russians advancing west from Narva completely cleared the enemy from the isthmus between Lake Peipus and the Gulf of Finland and joined the troops advancing along the western shore of Lake Peipus. The Russians northwest and west of Valga occupied several inhabited localities and, west ot Jelgava, repelled large enemy infantry and tank attacks. The. Red Army south-east and south of Krosdo occupied a number of inhabited localities. The Russians west of Rumania, in co-operation with Rumanian forces, occupied 100 inhabited localities, including the town of Lipova. GERMAN DESPERATE PLIGHT.

(Rec. 11.35 a.m.) LONDON, September 21. To all intents and purposes Hitler’s Baltic Front is now no more, and the problem confronting the German Generals is what can be saved, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. The heavy battleswf the last lew days on the Baltic Front have resolved themselves into a mighty Russian double drive against Tallinn, and a steady battering of the defences in front of Riga. The fall of both cities is likely to transform the Russian Baltic campaign into another Crimea, with the Germans having little possibility of evacuating by sea. Two Russian Baltic forces in the last five days swept through more than 1800 towns and villages, relentlessly pressing back the Germans towards the sea. German panzer attacks in the Jelgava area are waning, suggesting that the Germans have given up the idea of the forming a bold position south-east ol Jelgava. The British United Press Moscow correspondent says that an Estonian Army Corps under Lieutenant-Gen-eral Perla, is participating in the liberation of Estonia. ■ The Berlin radio says that the Russians are using more than 60 divisions in the Baltic offensive. The Red Army is making simultaneous attempts to cross the Vistula north and south of Warsaw, and from Praga. The Russians south-west of Krosno, to-day, after several days’ heavy fighting, penetrated the German f ront at one point. COMMANDOS IN WARSAW? (Rec. Noon) LONDON, Sept. 21. The German News Agency .says that a large formation of British and American bombers in daylight dropped a number of Polish commando leaders by parachute on Warsaw. The Agency ' claimed that all _ the commandos were shot in the air.

(Rec. 12.40 p.m.) LONDON. September 21

Polish official circles in London denied knowledge of any Polish commando paratroopers being dropped in Warsaw. The German report is believed to be intended to belittle the success of the Flying Fortress expedition. recently when arms and ammunition were successfully parachuted to the Polish forces in Warsaw. TERMS FOR~FINLAND.

RUGBY, September 20

The United Nations concerned in the armistice agreement concluded between Finland and Russia and Great Britain are Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, India, Czechoslovakia, and Bolivia.

“The terms do not differ much from those offered to Finland last year. Since rejecting those terms Finland continued shortsightedly to provide aid and comfort to Russia’s enemies and even promised not to conclude a separate peace without German agreement. It is not surprising, therefore, that Russia has now insisted on rather stricter territorial guarantees of Finland’s good behaviour. The settlement is much more than a cessation of hostilities, and the basis is laid for future permanent relations between Russia and Finland. The Finns can now be assured that they are to retain independence subject to the maintenance of a close connection with Russia. As a guarantee that this indispensable connection will be maintained Russia will possess a base for her armed forces in a strategic position at Porkkala.”

GE RM AN MO VEMENTS

LONDON, Sept. 20

According to reports received in Stockholm from Helsinki. Russian operations against the Germans in northern Finland are already under way.

The Germans are leaving Finland at many points as the Russians move in. A German spokesman said that Finland was now an area of war, and in consequence the Germans would not hesitate to destroy villages and lay the country waste if this was necessary for the safety of the German troops. FINNS’ DELAY ALLEGED. (Rec. 11 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 21. Moscow newspapers to-day accuse the Finnish Government of delay in carrying out the preliminary armistice conditions regarding the withdrawal of the Germans from Finland. “Izvestia” alleges that although a week has passed since September 15, the date by which the Germans were to be removed from the country, not a single soldier has been, disarmed or handed -over to the Soviet. The Finnish authorities, moreover, are helping the Germans to get out without being disarmed. . “Pravda,” repeating the same charges, adds: “No further delay in this matter can be countenanced.” NEW PRIME MINISTER. (Rec. noon) LONDON, Sept. 21. Helsinki reports quoted by the German radio state that Urho Castren, President of the Supreme Administrative Court, has been appointed Prime Minister in the new Finnish Government in succession to M. Hackzell, who is still seriously ill in Moscow. The Moscow Trade Union leader, Vupri, and the former Minister of Social Affairs, Fagerholm, are included in the Cabinet as leaders of the peace opposition. BULGARIANARMISTICE. LONDON, September 26. The Bulgarian armistice delegate (Mushanov) has left Cairo for Sofia to obtain fresh instructions from the new Bulgarian Government. It is not known whether negotiations between the Allies and Bulgaria will be resumed in Cairo. The Greek authorities in London deny the report of an agreement alleged to have been concluded berepresentatives of the Greek Government and General Sir Henry IvTaitland Wilson on the one hand and the Bulgarian Government on the other, according to which the Bulgars would continue to administer Greek territory Occupied by them until Greek officials take over.