RUSSIAN TRIUMPHS

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 September 1944, Page 5

RUSSIAN TRIUMPHS

NORTHERN FRONT PROGRESS TALLINN CAPTURED. LONDON, September 22. The Moscow correspondent of the British Associated Press says: Russian and Estonian shock troops are tearing the Ghermans’ northern Baltic front to shreds. They thrust westward to outskirts of a railway nine tion, Tapa, 45 miles east of Tallinn, after over-running Rakvere and hundreds of other places along the southern shore of the Gulf of r inland. The Red Army cleared Estonia’s two main railways to within artillery range of Tapa. Russian superiority is so overwhelming that it seems likely the enemy will be unable to make even a temporary stand short of Tallinn. Further south, in a bulge west of Valk, Russians are 4 hammering away against stiff resistance and deepened a salient designed to cut off the German Estonian wing. The enemy still retains his narrow corridor connecting Riga witn Western Latvia and East Prussia. _ General Govorov’s sweeping advance in Northern Estonia is equalled in strategic importance by a great enveloping manoeuvre begun by General Malinovsky on the eastern edge of the Hungarian plain with the object of trapping from the rear all Hungarian and German forces pinned down in Northern Transylvania, The drive may spell doom for the best divisions of the Hungarian ArmyGeneral Malinovsky has turned north of Mouthmkkes Mures Valley, where it meets the Danubian Plain, and is developing a threat to enemy communications. Russian forces partially outflanked a railway centre, Arad, by the capture of Lipova, also Vinga. The Moscow correspondent ot the British United Press says that an Estonian army corps under Lieuten-ant-General Perla is participating in the liberation of Estonia. COLUMNS OF PRISONERS. (Rec. 10.0 a.m.), LONDON, September 22. The Red Army’s Baltic pincers are tightening around the heavily battered German divisions preliminary to a Russian drive through Estonia and Latvia says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. The twin Russian thrusts against Tallinn look like swallowing half Hitler’s Baltic forces m a singlegulp. Columns of German prisoners in Estonia include men from a crack rifle regiment which was flown northwards in transport planes from Berlin. , , . The Russians in the south are traversing the last few miles separating them from the Hungarian frontier. A broad .spearhead on the 60 mile front has been formed against South-east-ern Hungary. Other Russian forces in the upper bend of the Carpathians .are massing in front of the Czech 'frontier, completing the upper arm ol a vast arc taking in a large pait ol Slovakia, the whole of the lower Carpathians and German -occupied Transylvania.

TALLINN CAPTURED

' MOSCOW, September 22. Stalin, in an order of the day addressed to Govorov, says: “Forces ol the Leningrad front, as the result ol a swift offensive, fought a way into Tallinn, the capital of the Estonian Soviet Republic, and an important naval base and large port in the Baltic Sea.” CONTACT AT WARSAW. (Rec. 10 - o L q^q N) September 22. . The Poles in Warsaw established contact with the Russian advanced elements on the western bank ol the Vistula savs General Bor’s communique from'Warsaw. British planes dropped more arms and ammunition. General Bor has disclosed that the supplies dropped on Warsaw by Fortresses on September 13 helped the Poles to pin down five German divisions, states the Polish Telegraph Agency. Bor’s disclosure was made after the news that Mr. Churchill and Mr. Roosevelt, during the Quebec Conference, ordered the use ol Fortresses. General Bor also disclosed that during the first 51 days to September 21 274 German tanks, armoured cars and self-propelled guns were destroyed in Warsaw. ADVANCE ON HUNGARY. LONDON, September 22. Advancing on a front of 60 miles, the Red Army in West Rumania has occupied a large number of toy/ns and villages. Spearheads are within 20 miles of the frontier of Hungary, and only one big natural obstacle, inc River Tisza and its tributaries, lies between the Russians and the Hungarian capital, Budapest. BULGARIANS ARRESTED. LONDON, September 22. The Moscow radio has announced that Russian troops in Bulgaria have arrested the former Regents (Prince Cyril and Lieutenant-General Mikhov), the former Prime Ministers (Filov and Bogilov), a former Minister (Vasiliev), also the German Minister (Adolf Beckerle), and several members of the German mission and Mussolini’s mission to Bulgaria. All were arrested at Svilengrad, on the Bulgarian-Turkish border, while waiting for permission to enter Turkey. ' , Prince Cyril.is a brother ol the late King Boris.

GERMANS LEAVING GREECE LONDON, Sept. 22

“The whole Greek mainland, apart from certain coastal towns, is now in the hands of the Greek patriots, according to reports reaching Cairo, says a British United Press correspondent. “The Germans are clinging to communication points, but everywhere else are. withdrawing as fast as limited transport permits. Athens and Piraeus are the only places still controlled by the Germans. The guerrillas control the hinterland to Salonika and beyond, and also southern Spirus. Guerrillas are reported .to have captured two more lonian Islands.” . The Berlin radio, quoting “Das Reich” when reviewing the German food situation, said: “Under the changed military situation Germany is no longer supplying food to Belgium, Finland, and Greece.” A correspondent of the British United Press says, this implies that Germany has decided to abandon Greece.