FIERCE FIGHTING

Waikato Times, Volume 195, Issue 22513, 23 November 1944, Page 5

FIERCE FIGHTING

STRUGGLE FOR BUDAPEST HARD AND FAST BLOWS PRESSURE BY RUSSIANS (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. CopyrlgDt. (Received Nov. 23, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 22 Fighting has been resumed on the approaches to Budapest, where the Germans are reported to be blowing up the main buildings of the city, states Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. Sandbag and machine-gun posts are being established in the streets in readiness for house-to-house fighting after the Russians burst in. Marshal Malinovsky is hitting hard and fast. The Red Star says his advance is directly threatening the Germans’ major military and economic bases in the south-east of Europe. The Izvestia reports that the Germans on the East Prussian front are engaged in a partial re-grouping of their forces. Russian Stormoviks are ranging over the roads of East Prussia, smashing against the Germans’ transport columns. The paper points out that the capture of Osel Island will unlock the southern entrance to the port of Riga as another invaluable Russian base at the approaches to Germany. The Moscow correspondent of the American Press says that the German garrison of Osel is fighting in a dwindling pocket barely four miles deep against the Red Army’s annihilating blows, which are supported by the Red Fleet and the Red Air Force. The complete liquidation of the enemy in Osel is believed to be a matter of days. Fierce fighting is proceeding on the Latvian mainland. The Germans trapped in western Latvia counterattacked 40 times south-west of Jelgava in the past 24 hours. The Russians have co-ordinated the battle in this sector with the final phases of the offensive on Osel Island. The German news agency commentator, von Hammer, reports that the Germans have abandoned Tokaj, a railway junction north of Budapest, and says that heavy fighting is progressing in the Hatvan area. 73 PLANES SHOT DOWN ATTACK ON RAIL CENTRE LONDON, Nov. 22 Royal Air Force bombers, out in very great strength last night, attacked the important rail centre of Aschaffenburg, 25 miles south-east of Frankfurt. Two synthetic oil plants in the Ruhr were also bombed. Fighters shot down 73 of over 250 interceptors, mostly in the Merseburg area near Leipzig, during the attack against oil targets yesterday, says a United States Army Air Force communique. Six other enemy aircraft were destroyed on the ground. Ships Left on Fire | Royal Air Force rocket and cannon-firing Beaufighters on TuesI day night attacked shipping off the ! Friesians and in the German inland water of the Weser Estuary. Two j N-Class minesweepers and two j coasters were seriously damaged and ■ left on fire and enveloped in smoke, j One Beaufighter is missing, j Yesterday afternoon and soon after l dark the Royal Air Force despatched j over 1500 bombers to attack Ger- ! many. In daylight Lancasters, es- | corted by Spitfires and Mustangs, 1 made a concentrated attack on a synthetic oil plant in Homberg, in the Ruhr. Large fires were seen and the smoke rose 10,000 feet. By night Halifaxqs and Lancasters attacked two more synthetic oil plants in the Ruhr, at Sterkrade and • Sastrop-Rauxel. Large oil fires were ! observed. S Objectives in Hanover, Stuttgart and Wurms were also attacked and mines were laid in enemy waters. Fifteen bombers are missing.