OUTSIDE BUDAPEST

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 November 1944, Page 5

OUTSIDE BUDAPEST

RED ARMY’S APPROACH

DEFENCE DETERIORATION

LONDON, November 3. The spearheads of Marshal Malinovsky’s forces in Hungary are expected to reach the outermost ring of defences round Budapest some time to-night. An unofficial report puts the Red Army within 20 miles of the capital. The Official German News Agency has admitted that Russian forces have breached the German defences at Kunsztmiklos, 29 miles .south of Budapest. Reuter’s correspondent in Moscow says that the position of the German and Hungarian armies battling against the Red Army’s advance to Budapest has deteriorated sharply. The Soviet wedges are being merged into one solid steel mass driving towards the capital. A powerful air screen is covering the advance to Budapest. “With powerful Russian tank spearheads just 20 miles south of Budapest, the Germans in the city are frantically dragooning their Hungarian allies into digging defences around the capital, q ~ vs Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. “Another Russian column has reached the outskirts of Czegled, 35 miles of Budapest. Russian armoured" forces between these two thrusts are fanning Out across country and menacing enemy communicaThe Berlin radio says that the enemy attacking Budapest has all the advantages" The terrain leading up to the capital lends itself to swift tank thrusts across the plain with no serious obstacles. REVOLT REPORTED (Recd. 10.5 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 3. The Bucharest radio declared: “A revolution is in full swing in Budathe Moscow newspaper “Red Star” stated that prisoners taken in the Russian drive towards Budapest said the city was convulsed with fear. Merchants and industrialists were getting out as fast as possible. German and Hungarian officers had stripped the city of all civilian motor vehicles to rush reinforcements to the front. Berlin radio stated that the fluctuating Russian-German battle now embraces the area of Budapest. The Russians made an effort to-day to reach the Hungarian capital but Hungarian and German formations bitterly opposed the advance. WITHIN SIGHT OF CITY. LONDON, November 3. Budapest, the last of the satellite capitals, is about To be engulfed by the Russian avalanche, say Moscow correspondents. The Columbia Broadcasting System correspondent says that latest reports from the Hungarian front place Marshal Malinovsky’s main forces advancing from the east now within sight of Pest which is on the eastern bank of the Danube, forming, the half of the capital, while Cossack horsemen racing northward across the flat Hungarian plain from the Kecskemet area are already within sight of Buda. . , x Von Hammer, to-night, was the .only source giving the definite, location of the Red Army. He said the Germans had withdrawn to a point south of Bugyi, which is 14 miles south ,of Budapest “The situation on the right flank of the German-Hung-arian front was temporarily critical; Therefore, under cover of darkness, it was withdrawn south of Bugyi. The battle between the Tisa and the Danube is approaching a decisive stage. It will increase in fury in the next few days because the Germans are 1 taking counter-measures.” The German News Agency declared that the inhabitants of Budapest are able to hear the roar of (ho Red Army's approaching guns.

JUGOSLAV PROGRESS

LONDON. November 3

Marshal Broz’s latest communique broadcast over the free Jugoslav radio announces the capture of Zara after three days’ fighting. Jugoslav headquarters reports more progress in Dalmatia, Slavonia, and Macedonia, and lighting against Ger? man columns trying to esoape from the southern parts* of Jugoslavia. Russian and Jugoslav troops have captured Mitrovica, 45 miles northwest of Belgrade. The Germans are being driven towards the Bosut River on which Vinkovci stands. In the Sarajevo sector the enemy withdrew to positions on the Romania mountains. In Macedonia heavy fighting is in progress at Topolcany with a German column trying to break through towards Priler. In Montenegro there was fighting with a German division which was cut off from Cetinje. In central Dalmatia there- is still fightin? from Tomislav. Grad Posuzje and Siroki Brijeg. The strongly-forti-fied enemv positions of Skradin and Vropole were captured and lighting for Sibenik is in full swing. The Germans are evacuating officers and staff from Sarajevo by air. POLISH SENTENCE. (Rec. 9.30) ’LONDON. Nov. 3. Reuter’s correspondent reports that a Lublin Court sentenced to death a Pole named Muselski, charged with complicity in German atrocities. This was the first case heard. Fifty others are listed for hearing.