STORMING OF RIGA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 27 September 1944, Page 5

STORMING OF RIGA

RED ARMY SWINGS INTO POSITION DESPERATE GERMAN ATTACKS FORCES PINNED ON LATVIAN COAST (Rec. 12.10 p.m.) London, Sept. 26. The Red Army is swinging into position to storm Riga as fresh groups of dive-bombers and torpe-do-carrying planes move up to newly captured bases to intensify the daylong attacks against German sea lines, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. German forces pinned on the Latvian coast west of Volmar by the second arm of the Russian encirclement movement are desperately trying to fight their way back to Riga, about 65 miles distant. The Exchange Telegraph Agency's Moscow correspondent says the Germans threw in three fresh divisions west of Volmar, counter-attacking incessantly in an effort to allow the shattered units of the main German army to break a way through to Riga, but the “Red Star” expresses the view that they have only a limited hope of doing so. RUMANIAN-HUNGARIAN FRONTIER Crossing the Rumanian-Hungarian frontier at a second point the Russians are within 25 miles of Szeged. Hungary’s second city. Szeged is 95 miles south-east of Budapest, to which it is linked by rail. Russian and Rumanian troops are still meeting strong opposition from German and Hungarian . forces in some parts of western Ruma- , nia. To-night’s Soviet communique says 1 Russians south-west of Tallinn continued to clear isolated groups from the western coastal area of Estonia ana captured 200 places, including seven ! railway stations. Also east of Riga they captured five towns and 300 inhabited * places. 1 The Red Army south-east and south 1 of Sanok captured the district centre , and railway station of Turka and Rado- . zyce, 19 miles south-south-west of Sanok and a mile from the Slovak fron- | tiej* at the mouth of Lupkow Pass. “ENCIRCLEMENT FEVER” The Red Army has gained comj plete control of all railway junctions and highways in the Riga sector, states \ a frontline dispatch to “Red Star.” All I* enemy movements in this area are now ; restricted to secondary coastal roads which they are trying to use to evacuate troops from Riga, but the Red Air 1 Force is hammering the movements strongly. German fighter formations . appeared over the sector to give the : battered German forces an air umbrella. Big air battles are raging. > Reuters correspondent at Moscow • reports that as the Baltic cleanup nears the final stages the Germans on the coast are desperately scanning the horizon for ships that do not . come and are showing signs of “encir- , clement fever.”