EAST PRUSSIA

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25030, 21 October 1944, Page 7

EAST PRUSSIA

NEW INVASION ' RUSSIAN ASSAULT DEPORT BY GERMANS EYDTKUHNEN TAKEN (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 20 The German news agency says the Russians have invaded East Prussia and captured Eydtkuhnen, over the eastern border from Lithuania. The only mention the Moscow communique makes of fighting on the East Prussia front is north of Jelgava, Latvia, where the Russians have dislodged the Germans from a strongly-fortified town. Renter's Moscow correspondent says that new offensives are probably developing; in view of the fact that three great, Russian armies have been freed by the final neutralising of the German armies in the Baltic. The German news agency commentator, von 01 berg, said the Russian assault against East Prussia was developing into a mass battle such as had hardly ever been seen even on the Eastern Front. "The enemy has unheard of numerical superiority," he added. "The Russian penetration beyond Eydtkuhnen has not broken the German defences. The front which the Germans now have to defend extends from Suwalki all the way to_ Memei. The Russians sent 600 tanks into the thrust which reached Eydtkuhnen."

The Berlin radio commentator von Hammer carries the German assertions further. He states that the Russians across the Narew River line yesterday morning, between Serock and Novograd, launched a fresh offensive against the back door of East Prussia, aimed at smashing through to Danzig. A Soviet communique says Russian airmen from the Northern Fleet Air Arm attacked a strongly-escorted enemy convoy in Varangar Fiord, Norway. They sank three transports, one destroyer, six patrol vessels, two minesweepers, also a self-propelled landing barge, and shot down 14 enemy planes in air battles.

BALKANS PROGRESS DEBRECZEN EVACUATED RESISTANCE POINT BROKEN (Rerd. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 20 The German news agency says the important communication centre of Debreczen, Hungary, has been evacuated after hours of street fighting. Debreczen was the centre of German and Hungarian resistance between Budapest and the two Russian armies closing in from Czechoslovakia and Transylvania. Renter's correspondent in, Moscow says the massive Russian spearheads winch penetrated the Carpathian passes to Czechoslovakia are now linking up into one great striking force. The German news agency savs that the Russians on the Hungarian Plain flung in countless > fresh forces. Red rVu iy ta "k spearheads west of Debreczen made some progress to the north. The Russians south-east of Belgrade have driven back attempts by an encircled German force to break out. These attempts cost the Germans several thousand men. Marshal Tito's communique says that Yugoslav and Russian forces in Belgrade are clearing one enemy stronghold after another. Lightnings that flew to bomb the Vmcovci rail yards. 85 miles north of Belgrade, on Wednesday, found fires still burning from the previous night's attack by the Royal Air Force. The Lightnings did an excellent job in direct support of the Russians and Yugoslav Partisan forces in the Belgrade area.

POLISH CONVERSATIONS EFFORTS AT AGREEMENT (Reed. 6.10 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 20 The Prime Minister of Poland, M. Mikolajczyk, had another talk in Moscow yesterday with the Soviet Foreign Minister, M. Molotov. The Moscow radio says that some davs ago M. Mikolajezyk met the chairman of the Polish Committee of National Liberation. Before the meeting delegates from the committee had seen Marshal Stalin and Mr Churchill and expressed their readiness to come to terms with M. Mikolajezyk and his collea Rues on the basis of the Polish democratic constitution of 1921. The radio adds that M. Mikolajezrk said he would consult with his colleagues in London with a view to resuming negotiations soon,

NEW COLONIAL POSTS (Reed. 6.10 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. -20 The new High Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief in Palestine, FieldMarshal Lord Gort, V.C., was yesterday received in audience by the King. The King also received the new Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Fiji Tslands and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, Mr A. W. Grantham.