GRIM BATTERING

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 23012, 2 October 1944, Page 5

GRIM BATTERING

DEFENCES OF RIGA Zone Enveloped On Three Sides

By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright (6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 30. The Red Army is grimly battering down the German defences north-east of Riga in some of the heaviest fighting ever seen on the SovietGerman front, writes a Moscow correspondent.

Large German forces concentrated in the Riga zone are enveloped by Soviet troops on three sides with one narrow corridor open in the west Through this the enemy is continuously drawing up reserves as Riga is vital to the defence of East Prussia.

The Germans in the Riga zone are savagely defending every mile and ambushing and mining the forest roads. Hundreds of German snipers perched in trees to allow the Soviet troops to go past and then shoot them in the back. Picked Soviet troops with mortars and light guns are infiltrating deep into the enemy’s defences, wiping out ambushes and strong points. German artillery and Tommy-guns desperately defending the marshy terrain near the terminus of the Pskov-Riga highway are being mercilessly strafed by Stormoviks and pounded by mobile guns.

The Russians scored an important success in the Eastern Carpathians, approaching to within 40 miles of Cluj, after breaking the upper Mures River line, says the Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press. The Red Army, assisted by Czechs, has already cracked a 90-mile stretch of the frontier fortifications defending the Ruthenian Hills, and in advances through Northern Transylvania has driven wedges into every important Ruthenian pass, extending its grip on the Czechoslovak frontier to 145 miles. In spite of supply difficulties in the mountains, the Russians appear to be increasing the force of their blows, and are developing what may be an encircling threat to the remaining German units In Northern Transylvania.

The Mosco_w correspondent of Reuter’s says the reed Army on some sectors of the Czechoslovak front is fighting battles on dizzy mountain heights where sudden thunderstorms transform paths into torrents, sending huge boulders crashing across the roads. Soviet ' guns continue a smashing bombardment across the Vistula against German fortifications in Warsaw. The Germans are keeping up fierce machine-gun fire across the river from tall buildings in the city. At the same time they are making a systematic attempt to raze the suburb of Praga by shellfire.

Frontal Assault

The Russians are making a frontal assault against Riga along a semicircle from the Gulf of Riga to the south-western approaches of the city, states the Moscow correspondent of the British United Press. Cossack cavalry and motorised forces have penetrated the forests, thrusting against stiffer resistance, but tank spearheads have forced wedges into the German defence line. Armour is being thrown in to breach the last barriers. The full extent of the defeat of the Germans in Estonia is revealed in a Moscow statement giving losses inflicted by troops of the Leningrad front under the command of Marshal Govorov. In 10 days’ fighting the Russians killed 30,000 Germans and took more than 15,700 prisoners, as well as a vast amount of booty.

The mopping up of the last pockets of German resistance in North-western Estonia has released powerful forces for operations in other sectors of the Baltic front. The Russian drive against Czechoslovakia, which is making good headway, threatens the last German defences along a great stretch of the Polish-Czech border region. The drive to Czechoslovakia menaces the German forces in Hungary and those massed in sectors south of Cracow. It also brings the Russians nearer to Silesia, which is one of the most important areas in this section of Germany.

A double thrust into the heart of Yugoslavia is being developed by the Russians, who routed the Germans in the first big battle on Yugoslav soil, says the Moscow correspondent of the British United Press. The Soviet advance, which is believed to be aimed at Belgrade, 90 miles distant, is outflanking the German defences facing the Bulgarian border, while General Tolbukhin’s troops concentrated in Eastern Bulgaria are able to join in whenever the moment is ripe. The German defences at the Iron Gate are similarly being outflanked by Marshal Malinovsky’s troops who, after crossing the Danube below the Iron Gate, turned its southern end, fanning out west and south. They presumably linked up with Marshal Broz-Tito’s forces at Negotin. The Red Army, with the co-opera-tion of Bulgarian forces, have begun the occupation of Greek Thrace, and are creating Communist local administrations,’says the Istanbul correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency. A German war reporter says that after taking Praga, the Russians forced their way into Warsaw itself. Dive-bombers and artillery are creating bedlam inside the city. Advance Into Yugoslavia After Soviet reconnaissance units infiltrated into Yugoslavia on September 29, Russian troops on September 30 crossed the frontier of Yugoslavia south of Rurmu Saverin, says a Moscow communique. The Russians in the first engagements in Yugoslavia defeated the Germans and occupied 20 localities, including Negotin and Kladovo. Russians north-west of Parou crossed the strait and occupied the island of Moon. The Red Army south and south-east of Turk occupied several localities. In difficult mountainous wooded country west and south-west of Vampulung, the Russians occupied more than 30 inhabited places. The Red Army north of Targushnures continued to fight for bridgeheads on the west bank of the River Mures and occupied four localities.