DRIVING WEST

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25177, 14 April 1945, Page 8

DRIVING WEST

RUSSIAN PROGRESS

MUNICH THE GOAL REPORTS BY GERMANS SILENCE IN MOSCOW (Reed. 6.10 p.m.) LONDON, April 13 Moscow is maintaining official silence on the German statement that Marshal Tolbukhin's tanks are driving west of Vienna toward Linz and Munich,, but the Associated Press correspondent in Moscow says that there is every reason for con sidering the report true. It is known that Marshal Tolbukhin's forces drove rapidly through a big hole punched in the German defences. A security silence is imposed, because the Germans are not aware of the positions of some of his units. Marshal Tolbukhin's men, in their drive from Hungary into Southern Austria, have taken more than 40 places, including one 36 miles east of Graz, says a Soviet communique. In Vienna, street fighting is raging between the Danube River and the Danube Canal, where German forces aro still holding out. Russian storm troops are speeding up their drive to clear the enemy from the last streets still in German hands. The Russians have taken GO more blocks of buildings in the small area of the city still held bv the Germans. Russian forces closing in from the north-east have reached the outskirts of the city, and have cut the railway and highway running down from Brno in Czechoslovakia. This leaves the Germans still in Vienna with only one railway line, and this is now under Soviet fire. Tho German commentator von Hammer says that Russian gunboats have begun landing on both sides of the Danube south of the bridge linking north and south Vienna. Another German commentator stated that Marshal Malinovsky has thrown 20 divisions and two motorised corps into his big drive north of Vienna. It is expected that the Russians will make a landing on the Danube bank on tho flank of the German-held area as a final blow to crush resistance. APPROACH TO BERLIN FIERCE BATTLES RAGE REPORT BY MOSCOW RADIO LONDON, April 12 Russian troops are lighting fierce battles beyond the Oder in the approaches to Berlin, states the Moscow radio. Tonight's Soviet communique makes no mention of fighting on the Oder front. KONIGSBERG COMMANDER LONDON, April 12 Today's German High Command communique, reporting the surrender of Konigsberg, says that a court-martial sentenced General Laseh in absentia to death by hanging for cowardly surrender, and adds; "His family will be held responsible." LIEUTENANT'S V.C. "MAGNIFICENT HEROISM" LONDON, April 12 The posthumous award of the Victoria Cross has been made to Lieutenant George Knowland, of the Royal Norfolk .Regiment, attached to the commandos, whose valour, last January, when commanding a forward platoon near Mangaw, in Burma, is typical of British heroism. The Japanese, some 300 strong, were concentrated on Lieutenant Knowland's platoon of 24, and, in spite of ferocious attacks at times from only 10yds away, lie kept the enemy at a distance. "Such was the inspiration of hi.s magnificent heroism," says the citation, "that, although 14 of his 24 men became casualties and six of his positions were overrun, his men held on through 12 hours' continuous and fierce fighting until reinforcements arrived If his end of the hill had fallen, the rest would have been endangered, the beachhead dominated by the enemy, and other units farther inland cut off from their source of supplies." . ARMED HOLD-UP £12,000 IN WAGES STOLEN (Heed. 9.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, April la Three men armed with a tommy-gun held up a paymaster at the Cockatoo Dock at 10.:50 this morning and stole wages amounting to £12.000. The gunmen were masked. After seizing the money from the paymaster and the four escorts who had accompanied him to the bank, the assailants ran to a large black sedan and drove away. The alarm was given immediately, and a police cordon thrown around the area, but no arrests have been reported. LAND GIRLS STRIKE NO WAR GRATUITY (Reed. fi.3o p.m.) LONDON, April 13 Three hundred land girls in Essex, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire are on unofficial strike against the decision not to give them a war gratuity. MR Q. HOGG'S POST LONDON, April 12 Mr Quintin Hogg succeeds the late Commander R. A. Brabner, as Joint Under-Secretary of Air. Commander Brabner recently lost his life while crossing the Atlantic by air. Mr Quintin Hogg is Conservative member of the House of Commons for Oxford City and heir to Lord Hailsham, who was Lord Chancellor in 1928 and later Secretary of War,