MORE SOVIET SUCCESSES

Southland Times, Issue 25505, 27 October 1944, Page 5

MORE SOVIET SUCCESSES

THRUST IN EAST PRUSSIA GERMANS THROW IN MANY TANKS

(Rec. Midni.) LONDON, Oct. 26. The Germans are counter-at-tacking as fiercely as ever on the East Prussian front and are throwing upwards of 100 tanks and mobile guns into every onslaught against the advancing Red Army, says Reuter’s correspondent. The Russians have had another day of notable successes. They have completed the liberation of Transylvania, have crossed the Finnish frontier into Norway and are continuing their great onslaught in East

Prussia. Berlin has announced the evacuation of Kirkenes and a major Russian offensive between Warsaw and the Narew’ bridgehead. The Russians, by striking into East Prussian territory where the roads and railways permit the defenders to switch their strength swiftly, and where every professional German officer is familiar with the tactical features of the land, have presented themselves with a strenuous task, says the Moscow correspondent of The Times. Russian generalship is being more severely tested by the new offensive than perhaps at any other time during the war. There are indications that the Red Army in East Prussia has a substantial artillery superiority. The concentrations of fire during last week’s opening barrage has been described as surpassing that mounted by General Voronov at Stalingrad where in some sectors there was a gun on every three yards of the front. The Red Army’s accumulation of self-propelled armoured guns has been one of the most significant features of the last twelve months. A Moscow communique says that 2500 Germans were killed yesterday in the fighting in East Prussia. A total of 48 German tanks and 16 armoured troop carriers were knocked out. Russian air reconnaissance has revealed that the evacuation of Koenigsberg is going on. Crowds of refugees from the city are moving towards central Germany. The German war machine is gathering itself for a do or die bid to halt the Russian onrush in East Prussia, says the Moscow correspondent of the ’British United Press. Four crack German tank divisions, which were specially brought up, are repeatedly counterattacking in a full-scale attempt to slow down the? Russian advance on each side of the Kaunas-Koenigsberg railway. The Russians, attacking in superior forces, are so far gaining ground. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says: “Massed Russian armour and the cream of the Germans’ remaining panzers and infantry tonight are locked in battle for the Insterburg’ Gap, which is the key to the control of East Prussia. Reuter’s correspondent adds that Junkers landlords of the broad farmlands in this area, many of whom are relations of Wehrmacht officers, have already fled. Tiger and Panther tanks are being hurled in in an effort to seal the gap, but the Russian tanks and mobile guns are keeping up the pressure without pause. The German civilians’ evacuation of East Prussian towns has been so hurried that streets are strewn with pictures of Hitler from their personal possessions. The Russians 'are trampling the pictures in the mud. DANGEROUS BREACH Moscow correspondents point out that since General Chernyakovsky forced the German Command to rush all available reinforcements to the Insterburg Gap to plug the dangerous breach in the Gumbinnen area, the Red Army has launched a major attack against East Prussia from the south from the Narew River line. Berlin for some time has been reporting a Russian offensive, on this front and Moscow correspondents say that the next few days may see the point of gravity of the fighting move to the Narew sector. Whether the German High Command has been outwitted and made to denude the south flank in a panicky endeavour to check General Chernyakovsky’s advance remains to be seen.

The Stockholm newspaper, Tidningen said: “The Russian advance against northern Norway has compelled the Germans to move the Tirpitz, which is now ch route for Kiel.”

Troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front on Wednesday took by storm-the towns of Setu-Mare and Carei, important strong-holds of enemy resistance in northern Transylvania. Thus the liberation of Translyvania has been completed. This was announced by M. Stalin in an Order of the Day addressed to General Malinovsky. The Exchange Telegraph Agency says: “Kirkenes for the last four and a-half years has been the main German stronghold in the Arctic. It has been invaluable to them as a port because it is free of ice all the year and provided a fine supply base for German troops in the north sector of the Russian front. It also became an important German military and seaplane base, besides being used during the war to ship nickel produced by the north Finland mines.”