RUSSIAN DRIVES

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 October 1944, Page 5

RUSSIAN DRIVES

EAST PRUSSIA’S DEFENCE FIGHT FOR GUMBINNEN LONDON, October 27. The main fighting in East Prussia Centres on the town Of Gumbinnen, which the Germans are defending stubbornly. Gumbinnen is fit the junction of the rivers Rdmihte and Pissa, and is abbutj66 miles frdni the capital. Koenigsburg, and is biL the railway leading to Insterburg. Several small towns and enemy strongpoints in the area of Gumbinhen have been captured. “The Red Army lias seized GoeiV ing’s East Prussian hunting eastlf.at Amaliehhof, which is dhh 6f_ four places captured near Gumbinnen mentioned in a Russian . bbminu.nique,” says the “Daily Mail.”

NORWEGIAN FRONT. LONDON, October 27,. Fighting their way through difficult, marshy country against stubborn German resistance, thA Rhd Army on the Arctic front is thrusting deeper into Norway. The advancing Russians are reported to be receiving aid from Norwegian patriots. Joy at the liberation of areas of Norwegian territory has been expressed by the Norwegian Government in exile, which* has assured the Russians of full co-operation in the battles to be fought in Norway. A Soviet communique issued last night said: “Russian troops on . the Karelian front to-day (Thursday) continued the offensive and occupied a number of localities in the Petsamo region, including Pitksjarvi,. on the Norwegian border, 47 miles south-west of Petsamo.” The “Times’s” Stockholm correspondent says that the battleship “Tirpitz’s” arrival at Tromso is connected with reports that the Germans are preparing to abandon north Norway. SOUTHERN FRONT.

LONDON, October 27. The greater part of Ruthenia, the most easterly province of Czechoslovakia, has been liberated by Russian and Czechoslovak forces, which are advancing on a front of 60 miles. . . j , , A Soviet communique issued last night repeats the order of the day on the capture of Munkacevo and adds: “Troops of the Fourth Ukraine ian Front, between October 20. and 26, captured 11,230 officers and men’ and took much booty. The Russians north-west and west of Satu Mare continued the offensive and captured on Hungarian territory more than 40 localities. Troops of the Second Ukrainian Front, during the fighting in Northern Transylvania between October 21 and 25, took 6700 prisoners.” , , , After eight weeks of stubborn fighting it appears that the Slovak Patriot Army has had to abandon the free capital of Banska Bystica and disperse in the mountains to - conduct harassing operations. A Czechoslovak communique says: “The enemy has considerably reinforced the tToops whom our defence is facing m Central Sloyakia. On Wednesday enemy pressure made itself felt mainly in the eastern and southern sectors, where the fighting shifted to the areas of Brezno (in the Iron Valley, 30 miles east of Banska Bystica) and Detva (35 miles southeast of the free capital)..’ Further large areas of Jugoslavia have.been liberated as a result of the continued Russian advance, and Marshal Broz’s troops are also bn the offensive in many other parts of the country, particularly in Dalmatia. A Jugoslav 7 communique reports that Jugoslav 7 and Russian troops have liberated the whole of Backa Province. Fighting is in progress 35 miles north-west of Belgrade, and ’ Jugoslav 7 troops are making progress in Serbia, Macedonia and Dalmatia. UZHOROD LIBERATED.

RUGBY, October 27. Almost the whole of the Czechoslovakian easternmost province of Ruthenia. or Carpatho-Ukraine, has now been liberated by the Russians. Mr. Stalin, in an order of the day, announced the capture of Uzhorod, or Ungvar, the capital, which lies near the western border of the province adjoining Slovakia. The order, addressed to General Petrov, states: “Troops of the Fourth Ukrainian Front, as the result of a violent offensive, to-day occupied the town of Uzhorod. capital of Car-patho-Ukraine, an important enemy stronghold.