EAST FRONT

Grey River Argus, 14 May 1945, Page 5

EAST FRONT

Three Russian Armies STILL CHASING GERMANS (Rec. 7.30) RUGBY, April 12 A Press correspondent in Moscow stated: The forces of Marshals Koniev, Yeremenko, and Malinovsky are keeping up pressure against remnants of German forces, who are under General Schqerner m Czechoslovakia and Austria, and who have refused to capitulate. The enemy resistance has been reduced to a disorderly retreat. . According to information reaching London, Germans are being made to work on debris in Prague, and they have to wear a huge Swastika on their backs. The famous Hradcany Castle escaped undamaged, as well as the Cathedral, and old streets and houses at the foot of Castle Hill. The most serious loss was the fourteenth century town, which was burnt down by Germans in the last few days of the occupation. Earlier reports stated Dr. Benes had reached Prague. He has not yet arrived. The Government is there. . etntoHA Russian communique st^ e ,; 63 German Generals and more than seven hundred thousand Heiman troops were taken prisoner on all fronts on May 10, 11, and 12. For ces of the Leningrad Command on Saturday continued to f Y h C ® ptromsurrender of Germans of the land grouping on the Bailie. , Two of the Red Army s toughest tank commanders, Col °P el Leliushenko, a hero of Moscow, Stalingrad and Berlin, and General Tybalko a vetenm of Vo> onezh and the Silesian break-thioug n have been sent by the Rosian Hig Command to settle the stiff but scat tered opposition still being jp bv the Germans in Czec \° s o \A,)‘ a arid parts of Austria, says the Moscow correspondent of the Associated PI’PSS Red Army tanks, backed, by Stormoviks, are spreading out in a wide arc with Prague in the centre, storming dozens of towns, taking thousands of prisoners and killing many breakers of the surrender terms. The Germans have no line or front but they possess several hundred tanks and are well supplied with ammunition. They are giving considerable trouble. The Sofia correspondent of the Associated Press says that despite the formal announcement of the cessation of hostilities along the Bulgarian front some German units are violating the capitulation order and are continuing resistance. Bulgarian troops have consequently renewed operations, and advancing westward, have taken Slovenia’s major city, Maribor. At Copenhagen, Danish mosquito craft and patrol boats, which have been fighting gallantly beside the British Navy for the past five years received a preat welcome when they sailed home’ to-day to Copenhagen. While the German forces in Norway are being rounded up, some details of the assistance given to the Norwegian underground movement by supplies dropped by British aircraft have been disclosed. Patriot fighters in Oslo alone received 1200 rifles, 1,000 Sten guns, 120 Bren guns and 120 light machine-guns. MANY PRISONERS TAKEN. (Rec. 9.30.) LONDON, May 12. A Russian communique states: Troops of the Leningrad Command on Saturday continued to accept the surrender of units belonging to the German Kurland grouping, of which 140,408 German soldiers besides 5,803 officers and 28 generals gave themselves up between May 5 and May 12. In the same period we captured 307 tanks, and 1,427 field guns. Troops of the Second White Russian Command completed acceptance of the surrender of Germans in the( area from the mouth of the Vistula east of Danzig, Putzigernehrung north-east of Gydnia, and on the island of Bornholm, from which 59,106 German troops gave themselves up, besides 1,728 officers and 12 generals, including the Chiefs of Staff ot the German Second Army, Major-General Matter. Troops of the First Ukrainian Command, between May 9 and 12 took prisoner 168,000, besides 10 generals. Troops of the Fourth Ukrainian Command took 135,000 prisoners, beides eight generals. .The' ‘ liru’G Ukrainian Command took 14,756 prisoners and five generals, rhe KUS’ sians therefore took prisoner neaily 600,000 men and 63 generals, between May 9 and 12.