FIRMLY HELD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 234, 4 October 1943, Page 4

FIRMLY HELD

GERMANS IN YUGOSLAVIA

Recd. 6 p.m. Rugby. Oct. 1. Vigorous operations are continuing in Yugoslavia, with local successes in the north and violent fighting near the port of Solit and in Montenegro. A communique of the Y’ugoslav People’s Liberation Army states that in Slovenia Slovene units repulsed all German attacks and are at present engaged on offensive operations in the sector of Gorizia and Ljubljana. The Germans were forced to retreat at many points in Sandzak and Montenegro. Offensive operations. are continuing. Violent fighting is taking place in Bilek, Niksic, Bielopolye, and Kolasin.

In the vicinity of Split heavy fighting continues. At Sisak our units are firmly holding positions and inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. Units of the First Croat Corps successfully attacked a strong German column on the route from Bihac to Knin. Sixty Germans were killed and 11 lorries destroyed. A German military train was derailed on the Brod-Zagreb line. According to reports reaching the Yugoslav Government in Cairo, 300 hostages were shot by way of reprisal at Mladenovac following an attack on a military train on the Belgrade-Nis line, in which 20 German soldiers were killed and a great many were injured. —8.0.W. Berlin radio says it is reported from Bucharest that enemy planes over Rumania last night drooped only pamphlets and parchutists, two whom were captured. Thev carried largo sums of Rumanian money, drugs an-4 fnpd.

A Yugoslav communique, broadcast by the patriots’ radio, says: Fierce fighting conjm.ies in the Split-Susak sector, where -11 German attacks were repelled. Bosnian units captured Orahovo. ci the River Sava, near Novogradiska. In the last few days we successfully attacked railwavs between Lasva-Travnik and LasvaSarajevo. Bitter fighting continue in the Gorizia Visnjagora and Ljubljana areas, the Germans bringing up reinforcements. Partisans’ formations attacked the road between Trieste and Pola.