LATE MESSAGES

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 December 1944, Page 5

LATE MESSAGES

PACIFIC CAMPAIGN WASHINGTON, Dec. 27. General MacArthur announced that Japanese warships shelled American positions at Mindoro yesterday, but were repelled. American planes and torpedo boats sank three Japanese destroyers, and hit a cruiser and battleship. Fires were observed in Tokio areas by the Superfortress crews which attacked Japan in medium force at noon to-day, says a Twentieth Air Force communique, based on early reports? Flak and fighter opposition was believed to be moderate. One Superfortress was lost to enemy action. Among the targets was the important Nakajima aircraft plant, located in the Musashima district on the outskirts of Tokio. russian~progress LONDON, December 27. The Russians have split the German defenders of Budapest. This is announced in to-night’s Soviet communique which says our troops south-west of Sahy cleared the ground between the Ipel and Hron rivers capturing 1,510 Germans and Hungarians. Our troops in Budapest area occupied a number of suburbs on the eastern bank of the Danube. After forcing the eastern arm of the Danube north of Budapest our forces occupied an island with inhabited localities, and linked up with units which occupied Saint Andre on the west of the river, thus splitting, into two the encircled enemy grouping in Budapest. This offensive has driven one part of the enemy grouping into the forest-covered mountains of the Danube fork north of' Budapest, while the remainder is gripped in a vice in Budapest itself. Our troops north-west and to the north of Budapest captured more than two thousand Germans and Hungarians. After stubborn battles, north of Szekesfehervar, our troops captured the railway town of Felsogalla, twentyseven miles west of Budapest ; and other inhabited localities. The German News Agency commentator, von Hammer, stated .that thousands of Soviet guns were blazing away on a sixty miles front in the southern sector of Kurland battle area (Latvia). Very fierce fighting developed north-west of Auts. . The Russians have thrown in fresh infantry and armour and further intensified their breakthrough drive in a northerly direction: