FRESH DRIVE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21550, 1 November 1944, Page 3

FRESH DRIVE

DANUBE-TISZA SOVIET ACTIVITY THE CENTRAL SECTORS FIRST SNOW FLURRIES LONDON, Oct. 30. Winter has taken a hand in the eastern front fighting, says tiie British United Press' correspondent in Moscow. The first hurries of snow in Uie central sectors iiave accounted for tiie fact that Liie Moscow communique last night confined itself to Russian activities in Czechoslovakia and northern Hungary. The arrival of the snow is at present somewhat hampering the military upecaaons and air action. Nevertheless dispatches from tiie fronts stretching from tiie Arctic almost to the muriatic toil of the amazing resourcefulness of the Rus-

sian peasant soldier, who is lighting equally as well oji the Arctic tundra, tile East Prussian forest, tne Polish mud, and in the Carpathian mountains.

Major von Hammer, the German military commentator, gave proof of this in his announcement that the Red Army this morning has started yet another fresh drive —this lime between the Danube and the Tisza Rivers across the Hungarian plain against Budapest. Von Hammer said: "Tne assault opened at dawn over a broad front, but Hungarian troops prevented * -break-through.” The BurTlh radio previously admitted that tire Russians had established five bridgeheads across the Tisza north and south of Szolnok, 55 miles south-east of Budapest. Budapest Encirclement

Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that, with Marshal Malinovsky attacking from the south-east and General Petrov’s trans-Carpathian armies poised on Hungary’s northern border, Budapest faces the threat of encirclement. He adds that, although iiio oattle for East Prussia is still raging, the weather at the moment is giving the Germans some respite from the Red Army’s heavy blows. Reuter’s correspondent expresses the opinion that General Chernyakovsky is at present building up his strength for the second phase of the East Prussian operation—tiie drive for Koenigsberg. He adds that it would appear that in the meantime German eiioris to slave oil’ tiie Russian sweep into East Prussia have not been in vain.

Tne German News Agency stated that the German front had been taken back a few miles in the Ants area. The Russians on the northern wing of tne eastern front continued the double assault aii day with fresh forces and a powerful array of material.

To-night’s Soviet communique again deals only with tiie lighting in Czechoslovakia and Hungary. It says that tiie Russians in Czechoslovakia north of Uzhorod captured a number of places. The troops of the Fourth Ukrainian Front from October 27 to 29 took prisoner 10,100, bringing the total Germans and Hungarians captured from October 20 to 29 to 21,390 officers and men.

The Russians in Hungary northwest of Satu Mure captured several places, including Acarei Mari, 20 miles south of Cop.