NEW SOVIET GAINS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25052, 16 November 1944, Page 5

NEW SOVIET GAINS

ADVANCE ON BUDAPEST TANK BATTLES RAGING (Reed. 11.50 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 15 Violent fighting is reported today along the whole 60 miles of jagged battle line in eastern and northeastern Hungary, says the Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press. The Red Army, in spite of bitter resistance, appears determined to slog through to the objective of establishing outflanking positions north of Budapest athwart the road and railway routes to Austria. A battle going on across a muddy plain 25 miles east of Budapest is testing to the utmost the supply lines, as the courage of the opposing armies. The Russian bulge in the Budapest eastern flank defences has created a growing peril for a German armoured force, which has been mainly counterattacking in a triangular pocket based on Jaszbereny. More Places Captured The Russians advancing on Budapest have made further gains. A Soviet communique announces the capture of Nagy Kata, 35. miles east-south-east of the Hungarian capital, on the railway from Szolnok. The capture of Duna Foldvar, on the Danube, south of Budapest, is also reported. The capture of the latter place was made possible by the liquidation of the German bridgehead on the east bank of the river. , The Germans admit the loss of Duna Foldvar, but clainr*that they are still maintaining positions on the river.

The battle for Jaszbereny, on a branch line which connects tne Buda-pest-Szolnok and the Budapest-Miskolcz railways, is still raging. The Berlin radio savs pressure is being made on both sides of the town which, however, remains in German hands.

The Germans defending Budapest have brought up fresh reserves, heavily reinforced with tanks, according to Moscow messages, and have been making repeated counter-attacks. These were defeated. Fierce Armoured Battles

Heavy- tank battles are raging over the Hungarian plain east of Budapest as Hungarians and Germans try to hold Marshal Malinovsky's armour from breaking through and outflanking Budapest to the north, says the Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press. The Germans are reported to have thrown in many new tanks and antitank weapons in one of the fiercest armoured battles since the big clashes in the Debreczen area last month.

Renter's Moscow correspondent says the Russians in Hungary are using veryheavy guns to obliterate German armour at point-blank range. These big guns do not merely knock out tanks, but smash them to pieces. The Red Army, from Friday to Monday, captured 3600 Germans and Hungarians, bringing the total taken prisoner since last Wednesday to 7700. The Red Army's present tactics in the Hungarian campaign are apparently to maintain pressure against the wings of the German-Hungarian line and effect a wide outflanking movement around Budapest from above and below the capital, says the British United Press. SORTIE INTO FRANCE SPANISH FACTIONS CLASH (Reed. 0.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 15 Spanish regular troops raided a French village to capture Spanish Republicans, .according to reports from Perpignan. After a clash in Aran Valley. the Spanish Republicans retreated to the French village of Sares. They left between 200 and 300 dead and wounded.

Francoist troops, commanded by General Yagues, surrounded Sares and captured most of the Spanish Republicans and returned with them to Spain. General Yagues is reported to have brushed aside local French protests against his crossing the frontier.