GERMANS CUT OFF

Southland Times, Issue 25478, 26 September 1944, Page 5

GERMANS CUT OFF

RUSSIAN DRIVE IN ESTONIA PALDISKI CAPTURED (Rec. 11.15 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 25. Russian troops, continuing their whirlwind advance in Estonia have, with the help of the Soviet Baltic Fleet, succeeded in cutting many of the German escape routes from Estonia. The closing of the Estonian coast has been made so rapidly that most of . the German escape routes have been cut. Russian troops have now captured the Estonian port of Paldiski. In Latvia, the Russians have advanced to within 30 miles of the Gulf of Riga and German troops are likely to be cut off by this move. Advances have been made by Marshal Tito’s forces in northern Yugoslavia and the capture of the important town of Balusnica has been reported. In the past few days, Marshal Tito’s forces ...killed 3000 Germans and captured 4000. The capture of the commanding officer of the, German 69th Division has also been reported. According to Moscow radio, tlie Germans are rushing reinforcements into Latvia in an attempt to hold Riga. One regiment arrived from Berlin this week, where it had been engaged in removing bomb wreckage.

The Russian forces which reached the Gulf of Riga at Pamu are now advancing rapidly towards Riga. The Russians have powerful forces of tanks and self-propelled guns to meet strong German concentrations near Riga. In the past week the Red Army on the Baltic front has destroyed more than 500 German tanks, bringing the total number destroyed in six weeks to 2000. GERMAN ROUT IN ESTONIA The German rout in Estonia has been so complete and rapid that almost the whole country has been cleared in a few days. The Russians gave no opportunity for an orderly withdrawal to and evacuation by sea from Tallinn and Parnu.

An equally critical situation confronts the Germans in the south, because of the concentric Russian pressure round Riga, down the Dvina and from Valga. Both Finland and Bulgaria have now definitely ranged their armies with the Russians against Germany. The Finns report that they are driving north against the Germans in north Finland, and the Bulgarian Foreign Minister announces that Bulgaria’s national forces will henceforth co-operate with Marshal Tolbukhin’s Army in the Balkans and that Bulgaria will alter her whole foreign policy with the other Slav countries, Russia and Yugoslavia.