GERMANS CUT OFF

Grey River Argus, 12 October 1944, Page 5

GERMANS CUT OFF

IN BALTIC STATES Russians Near Meme! EAST PRUSSIA BEING ATTACKED. LONDON, October 10. A Soviet, communique states: Russian troops have reached the Baltic coast south of Libau and cut the line of retreat to East Prussia of enemy forces grouped in the Riga-Libau-Windau area. Russians west of Kaunas captured Sakiaki, about 11 miles from the East Prussian border. North and south-east of Memel, Russians contiuned a successful offensive and occupied the towns and railway centres of Kretinga and Taurage, and fought into 300 places. iCur troops continued the offensive in the direction of Riga, and occupied over 90 localities, including five railway stations. Some of the places are only seven miles east of Riga. Russians continued to mop up the enemy in the southern part of Osel Island. Russian long-range bombers, last night, made a, mass raid on the ports of Libau - and Riga, attacking German transports in the harbour and military stores and trains. Twelve German transports were in the harbour during the raid on Libau. Large fires were seen and explosions heard. One terrific explosion was observed in the area of the railway station: Large fires were observed in the Riga dock area, where three transports were moored. The Air Arm of the Baltic Fleet yesterday sank two transports and other vessels in the Gulf of Riga and seriously damaged several transports. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent states: The Russian vanguard forces who reached the Baltic coast are 20 miles south of Memel,- and 10 miles north of the tip of East F'russia. One report said Memel was being shelled. Enemy forces in Lithuania and Latvia, including the garrison at Riga, are practically cut off. A large number of places have been occupied, including a town 12 miles from the border of East Prussia.

Another Moscow correspondent stated that south of Memel two Russian armies were pressing towards Tilsit. Moscow radio reported that a town on the banks of the Niemen. a few miles from the East Prussian border, had been occupied. “The Times’s” Moscow correspondent states: The Russians are up against Memel. It remains to be be seen whether Memel is sufficiently manned to force a pause in General Bagramyan’s drive. Coastal objectives during the war have proved difficult to overwhelm, but Memel, on the land side, provides little favouring defence, while the town is not large enough to provide cover for many defenders or to necessitate the employment of large numbers for a direct frontal attack. The drive to the Baltic is in part a covering operation for the Russians’ powerful drive towards East Prussia. The capture yesterday of a town seven miles from the frontier on the Kaun-as-Tilsit highway and the by-pass-ing of Taurage on the main road from Siauliai to Tilsit, constitute an important broadening of Chernaykhov’s front against German territory. The Russians are already fighting inside the outer defences of this region, though the River Niemen lies before them here. Von Hammer said seven Soviet armies were attacking the East Prussian border, led bv 1.000 tanks. Berlin radio said- fighting flared up south of Warsaw, where Russians launched a strong attack from the Vistula bridgehead. The Russ’ans captured an important height and broke into German lines. HEAVY FIGHTING NEAR EAST PRUSSIA. (Rec. 1 0.) LONDON, October 11. The Exchange Telegraph Moscow correspondent renorts that Russian artillery is shelling East Prussia from a new direction, west of Kaunas, where the Red Army is under seven miles from the frontier. The Germans are frequently making heavy counter-attacks in this area.

Advance in Hungary BY THE RUSSIANS. 60 MILES FROM CAPITAL. LONDON, October 10. A Soviet communique states: “Russian forces in north Transylvania occupied Debreczen and captured the railway station of Nadudvar, cutting the Debreczen-Budanest railway. On aerodromes at Nadudvar .and Ragocy, Russians captured 140 German aeroplanes. Russians on Sunday captured 4.220 German and Hungarian officers and men. The Red Army west of Velika Kikinda forced the Tisa River and captured the railway junction of Starybecei. on the west bank of the river 62 miles north-west of Belgrade. In northern Transylvania, combined Russian and Roumanian forces occupied Felfacu, near Cluj. Our troops in Hungary occupied a number of places and closed in on Debreczen, where they are fighting in the suburbs. On Yugoslav territory our troops, operating in conjunction with units of the Yugoslav Army of Liberation, captured Velikaplana. thereby cutting the railway and highway from Nish to Belgrade. The Russians in the past two days in this sector captured 3,200 German officers and men. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent savs: Russians cut the BudapestBelgrade railway between Subnf.iea and Novisad. The line is part of the main Orient express route, and connects Bienna, Salonika and Constantinople. It is the main traffic artery between Germ.anv and the Balkans. Russians forced the Tisa River, the last natural defence barrier before Budapest, and advanced troops are less than 60 miles from the Hungarian capital. Other forces in south-eastern Hungary are closing in on the city of Szeged. Colonel Dietm.ar. said that though Belgrade lies in the Soviet’s direct road to Tito’s partisans in northwestern Balkans, the Soviet belt to the Aegean Sea is now a fact. Its continuation to the Adriatic is the next objective. .To halt the Soviet drive here will demand considerable exertions from the Germans. It is essential to pull out our rather considerable forces from the Aegean areas which are now more important elsewhere. GERMANS DISINTEGRATED IN HUNGARY. j (R p c. 1.0.) LONDON. October 11. German forces in Hungary are rapidly being disintegrated into isolated groups by Russian mobile forces, including Cossacks, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. Another Russian force is combing the forests

for suicide battalions which the Germans have left behind to disrupt Russian communications. YUGOSLAV SUCCESSES (Rec. 1.0) LONDON. Oct. 11 A Yugoslav communique states: The Russian Army in an advance from the Tisa River to the Danube, captured several places, including Oda on the west bank of the Tisa. The escape for Germans from Serbia northwards is thus completely frustrated. Yugoslav partisans will presently be fighting in the vicinity of Belgrade. . ,' GERMANS LEAVING BELGRADE. (Rec. 5.5). LONDON, October 11. The Ankara radio says the Germans are reported to be evacuating Belgrade.