RUSSIANS HELD

Grey River Argus, 18 August 1944, Page 5

RUSSIANS HELD

EXCEPT IN NORTH Enemy Further Reinforced [Aus. & N.Z. Pres? assn.) LONDON, August 16. The Russians have suffered a set back in the Warsaw area, a Soviet communique stating: Russians east of Praga repelled counter-attacks, but abandoned Ossow, seven miles easi-north-east of Warsaw after fierce fighting. The Germans are now hitting back hard from the Baltic to the Carpathians in an all-out effort to check the Red Army’s entry on to German soil, and they have, at the moment, succeceded in stabilising the front m the majority of the sectors. “Red Star” says that German reinforcements have arrived from Norway, Italy and Roumania. The Germans are attacking with stubbornness in an effort to. gain time to consolidate the approaches to East Prussia and the heart of Poland. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent reports that the German reinforcements, although suffering losses while on the way to the front, are big enough to put the Russians at present on the defensive in the Warsaw and Carpathian sectors.

GERMANS TRYING FOR WARSAW BREAK-THROUGH

(Rec. 10.10) LONDON, Aug. 17. A Moscow communique says: At the cost of heavy losses, the enemy east of Praga have succeeded in pushing back our forces slightly, and in capturing the inhabited locality of Ossow. About thirty German tanks were knocked out, also seven self-propelled guns and eleven .armoured cars. A hundred enemy dead littered the battlefield.

(Rec. 1.10) LONDON, Aug. 17. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says: German S.S. tank units have been attacking frenziedly beyond the eastern suburbs of Warsaw, Moscow 1 last night reported the enemy there had driven a minor wedge into the Soviet lines. The German panzers are being powerfully supported by mobile guns. They are time and .again dashing against Soviet anti-tank screens in head-on attempts to crash through to the Russians’ rear.

EAST PRUSSIA FRONT RUSSIANS RESUME ATTACKS (Rec. 1.10) LONDON, Aug. 17. The German Overseas News Agency says: A military spokesman reports Soviet forces, supported by many squadrons of battle planes, launched a series of major attacks west and south-west of Bialystok, and also along the Bialystok-Lohza railway. They succeeded after .a violent artillery preparation in biercing German lines at three points north of the railway. Local German reserves checked the Russian flood. Berlin radio states: Russian forces on Wednesday resumed a drive against East Prussia on a broad front, but their gains do not count for much.

According to the German forces’ radio, a state of alert has been declared in the German province of Danzig, West Prussia, and all civilian leave and holidays was stopped, and most of the cafes and restaurants are closed.

A British United Press corresponaent at Moscow states: The Germans are now holding the Russians, except in northern Latvia and in southern Estonia. There General Yeremenko s troops continue to press Germans back along the Pskov-Tallinn roaa. Germans .after failing to dislodge General Chernyakhov from Marjijampilis in a series of costly counter-at-tacks, have shifted the centre of battle for East Prussia to Ruseiniai. Russians are within fifteen miles of Valk. Elsewhere they have been engaged in repelling strong counterattacks, particularly near Rosseinia. Moscow “Izvestia” stated: Russian soil is almost wholly liberated. The work of the guerrillas has virtually ceased. They killed over 500,000 Germans in White Russia. They held sixty per cent, of White Russia when the Red Army started its offensive in June.

The exchange Telegraph correspondent says that the Red Air Force retains the mastery of the skies, not only over the battlefield, but also over most of the vital road and rail communications.

A Soviet communique stated: Russian forces south of Warsaw enlarged their bridgehead on the west of tne Vistula River north-west of Sandomierz, and occupied, several places. Russians have broken into Sandomierz and are engaged in street fighting. Russians north-west and north of Pechori captured seventy places, and south-west and west of Siauliai repelled major tank and infantry attacks.

Russians on all fronts on Monday destroyed or disabled 115 enemy tanks and shot down 29 enemy aeroplanes. The Moscow radio says the Soviet Air Force is achieving big successes to the north-west of Kaunas.