FREE YUGOSLAVIA

Waikato Times, Volume 194, Issue 22245, 14 January 1944, Page 4

FREE YUGOSLAVIA

PARTISANS’ GREAT WORK

DEFEAT OF GERMANS WOMEN IN BATTLE (United Press Assn.—Eire. Tel. Copyright) (Received Jan. 14. 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, .Tan. 13 Thirty-six German and satellite divisions are doing their utmost on seven fronts to crush the partisan armies of Yugoslavia, says Lieu- j tcna'nt-Colonol Vladimir Dedier. who has been attached to Marshal BrozTito’s staff for two and a half years. Lieutenant-Colonel Dedier is now recuperating in Cairo from severe head injuries. In a special article distributed by the American Press be asserts that more German divisions are engaged in Yugoslavia than on any fropt • except Russia. “Although the partisans are fighting without heavy artillery, antiaircraft guns and tanks,” he said, “we have carried out the offensive even against German main bases. On January 1 this year we broke through the German defences at the Ban Jaluka headquarters of the Second German Armoured Corps. This German base has been liquidated, 2000 Germans killed and several hundred captured. When their task was accomplished the partisans withdrew, as the town could not be defended against the new German tank divisions. “This victory was achieved entirely with armaments captured from the enemy. When the people rose three years ago against Hitler only every tenth man had a shotgun or out-dated rifle. Women in Forces “There were many fighting women in the front line in the assault against Ban Jaluka. some of whom were expert with hand grenades. Women also hold certain commands. Our liberated territory is now more than half of Yugoslavia. Our army has increased from 100,000 to 300,000. “Our peoples—Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Macedonians and Montene- j grins—at the finish of our war of in- ! dependence will form a free demo- j catic federal state in accordance with the Atlantic Charter, allowing j all free people the right to choose j their own form of government at j free elections. For this principle our people have spilled rivers of blood and are still fighting today.”