WESTERN LATVIA

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 23084, 26 December 1944, Page 5

WESTERN LATVIA

Red Army’s Offensive

German Lines Breached By Telegraph—'N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright (7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 25. The German News Agency, reports that the Red Army’s new offensive in Western Latvia has already breached the German lines. The Russians are throwing in heavy forces. The Moscow correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency says that no official mention is made in Moscow of the progress of the Russian offensive against the German divisions trapped in the Baltic. The Russian Press reports that the Germans are reinforcing these divisions and employing desperate measures to prevent desertions or retreat. A Moscow communique says that the Russians north of Gyongyos on Saturday took more than 1400 German and Hungarian prisoners, and on Saturday captured a number of places, including Matranovak. The Russians north and north-west of Sahy captured more than 40 places, and west of Sahy beat off major enemy tank formations, inflicting heavy losses. Troops of the Third Ukrainian Front south-west of Budapest from Thursdaj’ to Saturday took more than 3000 German and Hungarian prisoners. The German News Agency says that the Germans abandoned Szekesfehervar after fierce fighting. The British correspondent of the United Press, commenting on this announcement, says it means that the Russians have virtually broken through the gap between Lake Balaton and Budapest. Szekesfehervar controls all the railways leading southwest from Budapest. The Germans now have only one railway west from Budapest running through Qyor. The German News Agency added that the Russians achieved deep breaches • beyond Szekesfehervar and heavy battles are proceeding. Encirclement of Budapest

A Russian Order of the Day reveals that the encirclement cf Budapest has gone further than the Germans have admitted. The main route to the west has been cut. The Russians are about 15 miles south of the Danube near Esztergon above Budapest. A gap of 20 miles now separates the jaws of their pincers. This has been achieved by a swift blow from near Lakoveloncoi, between Budapest and Lake Balaton, which in three days gained 25 miles. The order addressed to Marshal Tolbukhin and his Chief of Staff Lieut-General Ivanov, states; “Troops of the Third Ukrainian Front having broken through strongly fortified enemy defences south-west of Budapest have in three days’ offensive fighting advanced 25 miles. In the course of their offensive they have stormed the towns of Szekesfehervar and Bacako large communication junctions arid important strongholds in the enemy's defence, thus the main German retreat roads to the west of Budapest are cut.” Bacako is 16 miles due west of Budapest and 25 miles south-south-west of the confluence of the rivers Danube and Ipoly, which the Russians reached on Saturday. A Moscow communique says that the Russians on Saturday, north of Gyongyos, occupied 11 places. The Russians in the Gyongyos battle on Friday took prisoner more than 1000 Germans and Hungarians. The Russians north of Budapest overcame a mountainous wooded region and reached the Ipel River, occupying 12 places, also west of Sahy they repelled counter-attacks by large enemy tank formations, inflicting heavy losses. The Russians on the Szekesfehervar region went over to the offensive and engaged large infantry and tank formations.