ADVANCE ON BUDAPEST

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 November 1944, Page 5

ADVANCE ON BUDAPEST

RUSSIANS WITHINI 50 MILES

HUNGARIAN LOSSES HEAVY LONDON, November 1. The Russian armies advancing on Budapest from the south and southeast are fighting within 50 miles of the Hungarian capital. Soviet forces have broken into’Kecskemet, the fifth town of Hungary, and are fighting in the streets. “The Russians have penetrated the German and Hungarian defences on a broad front between the Tisa and Danube rivers in the direction ot Budapest,” says a supplementary Russian communique. “The Russians are now impetuously pushing ahead, swiftly by-passing isolated groups of hastily brought up enemy reserves. There groups are being annihilated while our forward elements are far ahead. In one area alone two enemy regiments and the staff of the 23rd Hungarian Infantry Division were wiped out after being encircled. Large numbers were taken prisoner, including the group staff officers. Thirty enemy tanks were destroyed.” “Driving beyond Kecskemet, Soviet tank spearheads are wheeling to cut off the town’s garrison as fierce street battles continue to rage inside the town,” says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. “The latest dispatches from the Hungarian front state -that the Red Army’s blows are becomingstronger in all directions between the Danube and Tisa rivers.” ■ The Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press says the Russians are advancing on Budapest on a front of 100 miles. Resistance is stiff, but appears to be decreasing. The Russians are reported to have a firm hold on the main road and railway to Budapest from the south running between Kecskemet and the Danube. A Rumanian High Command communique revealing the progress of the southern army against Hungary says: “The Rumanians and Russians are continuing their advance across the Hungarian plain between the Tisa and Danube rivers. Operations are developing favourably.” “The Jugoslavs continue to gain ground in the Adriatic coastal regions while the Germans trying to retreat from Macedonia and Albania to the north-westwards are being harried,” states a Jugoslav communique. To-night’s Soviet communique states that troops in the Budapest direction between the Danube and the Tisa occupied the town and communication centre of Kecskemet, besides another town and railway station and fought their way into over 100 other localities. The Russians north-west and west of Nyirehyhaza occupied over 40 places. Yesterday the Russians between the Danube and the Tisa took 1300 German and Hungarian prisoners, making a total of over 5000. In the region of the aerodrome at Iszak the Rusisans captured 48 enemy planes. There was patrol activity and local fighting in other sectors.

GERMAN ADMISSIONS

(Recd. 10.40 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 1

While the British United Press Moscow correspondent states that violent tank fighting is continuing on either side, besides inside, of Kecskemet—the last bulwark defending Budapest—and the fall of Kecskemet is expected at any moment, the German News Agency this evening said the Germans had evacuated the town. The military commentator, Olberg. said it had been yielded to the Russians. The Berlin correspondent of the German-controlled Scandinavian Telegram Bureau was permitted today to report: “The bitter race for' Budapest is now in full swing. The entire Hungarian front has begun to shake under the Russian offensive. The Russians are advancing along an eighty-miles front.” Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that Malinovsky’s leading tanks are now less than forty miles from Budapest. The battle across the Hungarian plain which the Germans are contesting so bitterly really represents a struggle for the outer approaches to southern Germany. The fall of Budapest will provide a focal point on the threshold of Austria for the big Russian forces which have been poured inter the Balkans in the last few weeks. Malinovsky by launching the main drive along the Tisa and Danube corridor has sacrificed width of front to secure his flanks and forced the German-Hun-garian forces to risk complete destruction. There are indications that the Germans are outnumbered in tanks and are relying on hurriedlyprepared fortifications to check the Soviet advance. E. PRUSSIAN OPERATIONS LONDON, Nov. 1. Moscow is maintaining an official silence about the operations in East Prussia, but correspondents’ reports speak of fierce fighting and German counter-attacks. The latest dispatches from the East Prussian front report that a steady stream of Russian troops and supplies is moving up. Russian experts are making a detailed examination of the formidable German defences in East Prussia, which, according to the Moscow radio, have an overall depth of from 75 to 100 miles. According to the Moscow correspondent of the “Daily Express” the Germans have launched a violent, counter-attack to throw the Russian: back across the East Prussian border, but Soviet guns, massed along a 150mile front, are destroying wave after wave of German tanks. The Russians may have to withdraw is some sector? to more favourable positions, adds the correspondent, but they are successfully withstanding the German pressure at all important points. Moscow to this evening still maintained security silence regarding details of fighting in East Prussia, but Reuter’s correspondent reported the Red Army commentator, Colonel Akimov, as saying the Germans are now exerting great pressure against the Soviet lines. Akomov said: “The Germans are in a- position to concentrate large forces -of men and material, especially tanks, on individual sectors, and the amount of material perhaps exceeds what the’ Germans had on the main sectors at the outbreak, but the German counter-attacks are proving extremely costly.” Other reports reports from informed quarters describe the German fortifications as consisting of row after row of defence positions right hack to Koenigsberg. These are solid, permanent structures, heavily patterned with concrete fire-posts.

PETSAMO CLEARED. RUGBY, November 1. Petsamo area has been completely, liberated, states an ordei’ uf the day by Mr. Stalin. “Troops of the Kareliar front in co-operation with naval unit; and troops of the Northern Fleet, advancing in difficult arctic conditions to-day completed the liberation of the, entire Petsamo region.” The ordei 1 which is addressed to Marshal Meretskov and A.dmiral Golovko names 90Soviet commanders including nine naval commanders, and 29 artillerj commanders whose troops distinguished themselves in the operations. Moscow- is saluting the victory with 20 salvoes from 224 guns.

ARRESTS IN FINLAND ' LONDON, Nov. 1. The Moscow radio has announced :hat the Finnish Government has orlered the arrest of 44 persons for alleged war crimes. Several high-rank - ng officers are included. CZECHS EXECUTED ~LONDON,‘ Nov. 1. Czechoslovak Headquarters in Lon’on has been informed that 28 Czechs ncluding eight women, were execute id on October 21 for forming nationil committees and inciting citizens tn ’ebellion by pamphlets. It is alleged .hat all the victims acted under instructions fr om the 8.8. C. and the Moscow radio. j