GERMAN RESISTANCE GROWS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 94, 21 April 1944, Page 5

GERMAN RESISTANCE GROWS

THE CARPATHIAN FOOTHILLS

FURY OF SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL

(11 p.m.) London. April 20. • Bitter fighting in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, where the Germans are endeavouring to block the advance of the Red Army into Czechoslovakia, is regarded by some commentators in this country as an indication that the Germans intend to offer increasing resistance to the Russian offensive. One spokesman declares that Russian advances now' will be slower. , While bitter fighting continues at the northern end of the southern front, the fury of the Russian siege of Sebastopol continues.

A Moscow message says tbv Soviet Air Force is actively supporting the ground forces ad vaticing on Sebastopol. Soviet planes effectively attacked aerodromes % and destroyed 38 enemy planes, blew up two large stores and killed more than 100 Germans. Another Moscow message says that Marshal Koniev’s troops have crossed the Moldava River in Rumania. There is stubborn fighting going on at the foot of tne Carpathian pusses into Czechoslovakia, ror the second nignt running the soviet communique also reports me repulse of large forces of enemy tanks ana infantry in the Galician oilhelas. This if. a vital area for the Germans, for me Russians can strike across tne hills into Hungary and westwards towards Lwow. Last night Soviet aircraft attacked the railway junction at Lwow, bomo ing a mass ol troops and supply trains. They started about 4U fires, and the blaze could be seen for nearly 100 miles away. In Bessarabia, the Russians have improved their positions in the bridgeheads across tne lower Dniester where they are threatening to outflank Kishinev. In the Crimea, Red Army troops have captured several stivug-poinis in the defences of bebasiopu.. xaie Red Army is forcing the German an x , Rumanian troops pinned oown nere to fall back not only into the city, out literally into the sea off the high cliffs near Balaclava. Other Axis troops trying to get ' away in power oarges from tne beaches nave been drowned. The wnole port of Sebastopol is cov- | ered by Soviet artillery, ana warsnips i are lying off shore to intercept vessels, while overhead bombers and assault planes are raining down death on the beleaguered remnants of the enemy. British and American correspondents w’ho have just returned from a week’s visit to the Second Ukraine Front at Odessa, have observed that the Germans failed to touch the lower Ukraine as they did in northern Russia. Already, some sections of indus- | tries are functioning. Many dwellings i were spared from flames as the Germans fled too fast to fire them. The Mayor of Odessa, M. Boris Davidanko told correspondents that the Rumanians proved an even greater evil than the Germans and subjected the people to sadistic tortures with greater readiness than their German masters. TURKS DETAIN TWO RUMANIAN SHIPS Recd. 8 p.m. London, April 20. The Turkish Government has detained two 7000-ton Rumanian liners, the Transylvania and Bessarabia, i about to leave for the Black Sea, reports The Times' Istanbul correspondent. Guards were placed aboard the ships and parts of the engines were.removed to prevent escape. The detention has been justified on the ground that the ships were about to be used as military transports, thereby acquiring the status of auxiliary ships, whose passage through the Straits was prohibited by the j Montreaux Convention. I It is believed Rumanians intended i to use them to attempt to rescue remnants of forces trapped jn Sebastopol. The ships have been lying in Istanbul harbour since German aggression against Russia in 1941.