BALKAN ARMIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25625, 28 August 1944, Page 5

BALKAN ARMIES

STRENGTH AND DISPOSITIONS

mu « , u LONDON, Aug. 25. The first break up of German allegiances in the Balkans makes it of interest to note the strength and dispositions of the armies in the Balkan countries.

The Hungarians are known to have 30 to 35 divisions of 8000 to 10,000 troops each. Twenty of these are believed to have been in the Carpathians. The Bulgarian Army consists of abcut 20 divisions and four independent brigades—one armoured, onejnountain, and two cavalry. Six or seven of these divisions are known to have been in Jugoslavia. Their unconfirmed withdrawal as reported by neutral sources would thus seriously jeopardise German'communications with their armies in Greece.

With the withdrawal of Rumanian allegiance to Germany the outstanding strategic problem for the Germans will be the holding of the Galatz Gap in the Carpathians, for which they were relying on Rumanian support. For its defence the Germans had three armies —the v Eiehth, between the Rivers Seret and Pruth, the Sixth, between the Pruth and the Lower Dniester, and the Fourth Rumanian Army in suppor* nf the German Sixth Army between che Pru'h and the Lower Dniester.

Altogether the Rumanians have about 20 infantry divisions and two armoured. divisions. Although the German defences are known to be 6trong, the problem of supplying the defending armies through what has now become hostile country in face of active military opposition from the Rumanians will be considerable.