STRUGGLE IN BUDAPEST

Waikato Times, Volume 196, Issue 22548, 5 January 1945, Page 3

STRUGGLE IN BUDAPEST

BLOCKS-or BUILDINGS TAKEN ENEMY TANKS DESTROYED (Received Jan. 5, 1 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 4 A Soviet communique says : The Russians in the Budapest area, continuing the battles lor the clearance of the city, captured 277 blocks of buildings. The Red Army simultaneously north-west of Budapest repelled large infantry and tank attacks from forces which, despite heavy losses, are continuing to attemnt to aid the encircled garrison of Budapest. The Russians in yesterday’s battle north-west of Budapest destroyed 78 German tanks and captured 1162 Germans and Hungarians. The Russians in Czecho-Slovakia are reported to be fighting at the approaches to Lucenec, on which they are advancing from two directions. Annihilation of Germans An indication of the manner in which full realisation of its plight is being kept from the Budapest garrison is the fact that Hungarians captured yesterday discovered that the city was surrounded only wheh they had laid down their arms. The free Hungarian radio declared: In addition to pitched battles around Parliament Building there are also struggles raging' around the Stock Exchange and the High Court of Justice, all of which are situated in the centre of Pest. The radio added that only a small part of Budapest remained in German hands. The Moscow radio declared: “The final annihilation of the German forces in the Budapest cauldron is a matter of days. The Germans in the battles for Budapest have lost more than 10,000 killed, 30,000 wounded and 1429 captured.