THE BALKANS

Grey River Argus, 21 October 1943, Page 5

THE BALKANS

YUGOSLAV OPERATIONS. LONDON, Oct. 18. ' Reuter’s Cairo t 9 orr fP° n e S states: Jugoslavs operating m Serbia are threatening German traffic <4° g the Danube. They are advancing on the great Danube loop, which includes the Iron Gate Rapids. Slavs have already captured Brzapa lanka and are now advancing towards Doini and Milanovac, which are above the rapids. Jugoslav partisans wrecked the main north-south line running through the industrial region of Bosnia. German columns aie on the march in Montenegro, where there is fierce fighting. They are burning villages and massacring people. The Germans have taken over the administrative buildings ana banks of Belgrade, which are now, German headquarters. German ciyilians have been ordered to leave because of the possibility of air raias. Two German divisions, with a combined strength of 35,000 men, have been sent to Albania, where patriots are strongly resisting. The Cairo correspondent of ine “New York Times,” discussing the Balkans position, says: If the Jugoslav Army is able to hold. Milanovac, it will cut the traffic on the Danube, along which the bulk of Roumanian oil and wheat, Bulgarian grain and Jugoslav minerals are shipped to Germany. It would be foolish to be too optimistic concerning General Mikhailovitch’s chances of holding this waterway because the Germans are certain to make available sufficient troops to dislodge him. The Nazis now control all the main Adriatic ports and-are trying to dislodge partisans from the Tulsa region. It is obvious from the course of these operations the primary essential in the present German plans is to gain a firm foothold of the Dalmatian coast in order to stave off any Allied attempts to gain a bridgehead across the Adriatic. Obviously for this reason, two German divisions have been sent to Albania from Macedonia. , ' A Jugoslav/ Army of Liberation communique says; We are mopping up between the river Sava and the Austrian frontier. Street fighting is going on in Kostojevic. We destroyed 450 yards of track and blew up a bridge on the Ljubljana-Trieste railway. „ . . Medium bombers and ngnterbombers attacked, the marshalling yards and railroad bridge at Skoplje, Jugoslavia. Fighters attacked airfields near the Rome area and tuither north, light bombers attacked Catiglione and Cassino. Composite units attacked enemy fortifications at Anchise Bojano and communications at other points. Light bombers attacked transport at the East Coast road on Sunday night. One of our. aircraft is missing.” Berlin radio said that for the nrst time in two and a-half years, Bulgaria was raided yesterday, some towns being bombed and gunned. The Germans have brought up reinforcements and started operations in all sections of Jugoslavia, especially at Susak, Karlovac, Zagreb and Doooj. A communique from the Jugoslav People’s Army of Liberation says the enemy has made several attempts to launch heavy attacks, but has been repulsed. At Gospicon, Slovenia, the main lighting continues for the principal railway line, and the partisans everywhere are offering stubborn resistance. The Cairo radio has reported that Jugoslav guerrillas have penetrated the western part of Zagreb which is stated to be cut off from supplies, and is facing famine. The Jugoslav radio, speaking of the Italian units operating with the partisans, says the reorganisation of the Garibaldi Division has been concluded, and the Division is now fighting in Slovenia. The Italian battalion, was in action at Split under two Italian colonels. In Montenegro, at first only part of the Venezia Division fought with the partisans, while the rest sided with the Germans. The latter have now gone over to the partisans. It is expected that more Italian units will join the partisan. The radio says that violent fighting continues in several sectors, including Tusia, and in Slovenia and Istra, along the main railway line. German units, which attempted to advance on Tusia were repulsed and are falling back in the direction of Dodoj. Units of the First Croat Corps are operating along the railway line to Ogulin and Zagreb. Three hundred Germans were killed and 355 prisoners taken. At Susik, Germans units repeatedly charged the Jugoslav positions with tanks and infantry, and succeeded in breaking through in the direction of Cirkvenice and, Bakar, on the coast. In Montenegro the partisans captured the important traffic junction of Martine. Hitler has appointed Marshal Von Rommel to meet the growing resistance by Jugoslav guerrillas. Guerrilla warfare in Jugoslavia has reached such proportions that the German forces have been put under the supreme command of Marshal Von Rommel. ‘. i I I ’A This was announced to-night by the German radio, which said the Jugoslav guerrillas had been a festering sore. For two weeks now operations «had been carried out against them but the fighting was not over yet. The German Army and armed S.S. were constantly fighting with guerrilla troops in Istria and Dalmatia. The severity of the fighting can be gauged from the numbers of dead. The booty captured shows the Jugoslav guerrillas are armed to the teeth. They have millions of rounds of ammunition, countless lorries and tanks, armed reconnaissance cars and aircraft. The German radio, spokesman claimed that many ammunition dumps were already captured by the Germans, and added: “While I speak battles are still going on in Northeast Italy, Itsria, apd further to the east Fiume was twice attacked by guerrilla forces.” He declared the Germans were now advancing from Fiume. but added: “The Jugoslav guerrillas brought up fresh forces armed with heavy weapons. We constantly come across posters urging the population to fight against us.” ;