ASSAULT ON RIGA

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 September 1944, Page 5

ASSAULT ON RIGA

RUSSIAN PREPARATIONS HUNGARY_ENTERED (Rec. 12.10 p.m.) ' ' v LONDON, September 26. The Red Army js swinging into position to storm Riga, as fresh’groups of dive-bombers and torpedo-carry-ing planes move up to the newly-cap - tured bases to intensify the day-long attacks against the German sea lines, says Reuter’s Mqscow correspondent. The German forces pinned on the Latvian coast west of Volmar by the second arm of the Russian encirclement movement are desperately trying to fight their way back to Riga, about 65 miles distant. The Exchange Telegraph Agency’s Moscow correspondent says: The Germans threw in three fresh divisions west of Volmar, counter-attacking incessantlv in an effort to allow the shattered units of the main German Army to break their way. through to Riga, but the “Red Star” expresses the view that they have only a limited hope of doing so. The Red Army has gained complete control of all railway junctions and highways in the Riga sector, states a front line despatch to the “Red Star.” All enemy movements in this area are now restricted to secondary coastal roads, which they are trying to use to evacuate troops from Riga, but the Red Air Force is hammering the movements strongly. German fighter formations appeared over the sector to give the battered German forces an air umbrella. Big air battles are raging. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says: As the Baltic clean-up nears the final stages the Germans on the coast are desperately scanning the horizon for ships that do not come and are showing signs of “encirclement fever.” Crossing the Rumania-Hungarian frontier at a second point, the Russians are within 25. miles of Szeged, Hungary’s second city. Szeged is 95 miles south-east of Budapest, to which it is linked by rail. Russian and Rumanian troops are still meeting strong opposition from German and Hungarian forces in some parts of Western Rumania.

To-night’s Soviet communique says tffe Russians south-west of Tallinn continued to clear isolated groups from the western coastal area of Estonia and captured 200 places,.including seven railway stations; aiso east of Riga they captured five towns and 300 inhabited places. The Red Army south-east and south of Sanok captured the district centre and railway station of Turka and Radozyce, 19 miles south-south-west of Sanok and a mile from the Slovak frontier nt the mouth of the Lupkow Pass. GERMAN ADMISSION (Recd. 1.5 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 26. The German News Agency commentator, Venelberg, admits that the Russians “occupied the whole of Estonia-” „ , * A German High Command report to-night said that more than twenty rifle divisions, numerous tank corps and other units were attacking south of the Korsno-Sanok. line in an effort to penetrate the Carpathian passes into Slovakia. BATTLE FOR WARSAW. “CITY CEASED~TO EXIST.” LONDON, September 25. “Constant wireless intercommunications are being maintained with Soviet headquarters on the east bank of the Vistula,” says a communique from General Bor in Warsaw. “ “Polish observers are frequently directing the fire of the Soviet artillery. On the southern outskirts of Warsaw there is increasing movement ot enemy units from the battlefront. During the night a violent battle between. Soviet and German artillery took place, the Russians showing a definite superiority. “In the centre of the city Polish units have taken a German point of resistance. German artillery is shelling various districts in this area. The Kierbedz bridge, the only remaining bridge across the Vistula, has been destroyed. In the suburb of Zoliborz the Germans are digging in on either side of the ‘outer strata’ alongside the Vistula. One row of trenches points towards the river and the Soviet positions, while the other faces the Polish positions. In the suburb of Mokotow the enemy has begun a major infantry attack, supported by tanks, after preparation by an artillery barrage and divebombing. In the country the enemy is regrouping his forces in the Kielce area, and is moving panzer and artillery units in the direction of Jadrzejow. Polish troops are attacking the enemy on the move.” “Warsaw has ceased to exist —it is obliterated as no other town ever has been,” said a German News Agency war reported over the Berlin radio. “The last nest of resistance in the city, which stretched over a few hundred yards along the north bank ol the Vistula, has been silenced. The Russian troops who penetrated the Praga district came too late to prevent the collapse of the rising inside the city. With this rising Warsaw itself has died. The city is nothing but a heap of rubble. The Germans mowed down thd Russian relief forces which approached in assault boats, and the San bridge across the Vistula is again in German hands. Although the Russian attempt tc build a bridge across the Vistula failed, they are going to try it again.” BOR’S REAL NAME. (Rec. 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 26. General Bor, in an Army order dated September 20, confirmed a German report that his real name is Lieutenant-General Tadeusz Komorowski. Genera] Bor’s communique said Supplies dropped by the Russians were received. He added that Patriots lost ground in the suburb of Mokotow after German dive-bombing attacks. “We destroyed German tanks. Both sides’ suffered heavy losses.” , , The Polish Press Agency revealed that 282 Russian planes on September 13 dropped 300 tons of food and a quantity of ammunition to the Patriots in Warsaw. “NO EASY OPTIMISM” LONDON, September 26.' “The Allies should prepare for another Winter campaign against Germany,” says Alaric Jacob, the Moscow correspondent of the “Daily Express.” “Another Winter campaign is anticipated by authoritative writers in Moscow. There is no easy optimism about the early end of the war in spite of the latest Red Army triumphs in the Baltic and the Balkan States. The Germans are confident of being able to hold out for some time. If they were not, would they keep 10 divisions in Italy and five in Norway when the Allies are attacking Germany from the east and the west? “Allied communications are now very long, while Germany’s are -short, and German aircraft, anti-aircraft defences, and artillery can now be massed into a smaller area to protect vital points. Germany no longer has 300 un-to-strength. divisions, but her army is still very large and it has the incentive of fighting for home territory and the advantage of knowing the terrain.

“The Allies in France and Belgium, and the Red Army have got enormous benefit from patriot forces.

In Russia patriots were linked by air with the Red Army, so the Soviet Command usually knew the enemy’s battle fornfation precisely and all hjs weaknesses. The Red Army still has| this advantage in Poland,; but m Germany itself there are no patriots to help the Allies and work will become harder. st>?

“Opportunities for spectacular vances such as the Russians’ drive u-.’-nir’h 'he Balkans, are ending. Tffij delay in entering East Prussia is cause East Prussia is packed wiffi Germans. The capture of berg and Cologne .will be a different proposition from reaching Paris, Bucharest, or even Budapest.”