ROUTED ENEMY UNITS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25589, 17 July 1944, Page 5

ROUTED ENEMY UNITS

CLEARED FROM OPOCHKA IMPORTANT JUNCTION (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, July 15. Describing the capture of Opochka, a Russian supplementary communique states that Soviet units which reached the town from three sides engaged the enemy in the outskirts. The Germans resisted desperately, trying to hold the town at any cost. The Russians, however, overcame the resistance, and cleared the eastern part of the town. The routed German units retreated beyond the River Velikaya, and blew up all crossings behind them, after which the Russians, under cover of artillery and mortar fire, crossed the river on pontoons, rafts, and boats, and completed the capture of Opochka, which is an important highway junction. !

About 5000 Germans repeatedly tried to fling back the Russians, who repulsed all the counter-attacks, in which 2000 Germans were killed.

Referring to the Berlin radio’s claim that the Vilna garrison had broken through the encirclement and rejoined the main German Army, the communique declares that the Germans could not have escaped even by air because for the last three days they held only a few buildings in the centre of the town.

When Vilna was completely cleared on Friday, the Germans attempted to break through to the town with 40 tanks and two rifle battalions, which were liquidated the same day. “The German Army is suffering one defeat after another, and the liars at Hitler’s headquarters face a situation from which they cannot escape.” The communique adds that the Red Air Force made mass raids on the railway junction at Dvinsk, the railway stations at Kobryn and Janow, west of Pinsk, and set fire to several trains. Torpedo-carrying planes sank a 9000ton transport in the Gulf of Finland. Moscow messages state that the Red Army continues its steady advance in the Karelian sectot, with sappers as the main heroes, as the Finns are relying on mines to slow down the main advance.

One sapper detachment alone defused 40,00 U mines on a stretch of under 30 miles. Some of the mines were attached to Soviet banknotes, which were scattered along the roads. Soviet aircraft are making 1000 sorties a day in support of the Russians advancing in the direction of Riga.