ADVANCE ON RIGA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 30 September 1944, Page 5

ADVANCE ON RIGA

RED ARMY 20 MILES AWAY INCREASING GERMAN RESISTANCE DEEPLY STAGGERED DEFENCE SYSTEM London, Sept. 29. The Russians are advancing against Riga, from which they are now under 20 miles distant, meeting increasing rearguard resistance. The "Red Star ’ says the Get-mans north-east of the capital have taken advantage of numerous rivers and swamps to erect a deeply staggered defence system. Our troops have now entered an area of dense forests and swamps extending to the very outskirts of Riga, in which all roads are heavily mined or destroyed by the enemy. Moscow radio says the Red Army has j almost completed the liberation of Estonia. Roads and fields along the route of the Russians’ advance are littered with enemy dead and abandoned equipment. A Berlin military spokesman reports the resumption of Soviet activity in the Suwalki sector in the corner between Lithuania, Poland and East Prussia where the Red Army is within a few miles of the German border. The spokesman says: "The enemy has begun to pound our positions with heavy artillery. His air forces are also bombarding the German lines. DARK DAYS FOR HUNGARY The Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press ol Great Britain states that Hungary’s defensive position has never been darker than to-day with strong Russian forces pressing forward in a 100-mile arc along the RumanianHungarian frontier and utilising Marshal Tito's permission to cross into Yugoslav territory to strike the Hungarians and Germans on the southern flank. Yugoslav partisans are on the approaches to Belgrade where they have routed a force of Germans and Chetniks, says the Free Yugoslav radio. Chetniks, members of the so-called Home Guard are coming over to the Liberation Army en masse. A total of 55,000 of them had responded to Marshal Tito’s call by September 16 and more are still joining. New units of the People’s Army of Liberation are being formed daily. The radio announced the liberation of the port of Jabalaac, which is an important centre of communications to Fiume. YUGOSLAVIA AND UNRRA London, Sept. 29. The Free Yugoslav radio announced that the Yugoslav Committee of- National Liberation notified UNRRA that it has renounced all co-operation and assistance toy UNRRA for Yugoslavia. The explanation given was that UNRRA refused a request by the Yugo. slav Committee for representation on UNRRA administration in Yugoslavia. SHIPS AND PLANES DESTROYED London, Sept. 29. A Moscow air communique says Soviet planes on September 27 attacked Vadso sinking five German barges and 26 motor-boats and shooting down 13 German aircraft in air combat.