Evening star., 1944-10-20
Red Tanks Mass
In New Areas on
Prussian Border
Russians Move Up to
Frontier South of
Eydtkou, Nozis Soy
By the Associated Press.

by lne 5SSOCldleG PTeSS.
LONDON, Oct. 20.-Berlin an
nounced today that the Russians
had moved up to another section
OF the East PrusSian frontier 20
miles south of fallen Eydtkau.
maSSlng vast tank forces in the
Rominter Heide, a favorite deer
forest of the late Kaiser Will
helm II.
Enemy broadcasts also said the
Germans had evacuated Hungary's
third city of Debrecen Q22.5l7 pop
ulation), ll6 miles east of Budapest.
The Russians at midnight an
nounced II 900 prisoners were taken
south Of the old walled town which
has become the junction of several
railroads. A great tank battle had
been raging there for two weeks
and the Germans said 418 Russian
tanks were destroyed in the fray.
Moscow said the Germans lost 528
tanks.
Possibly a decisive battle was
shaping up along the north. east
and south frontiers of East Prussia.
Berlin frankly asserted that the
twin battle for East Prussia is near
ing climax
Moscow Still Silent.
Moscow said nothing of the four
day offensive but allowed A. P. cor
respondents to radio that the Rus
slams entered Reich territory" Three
Russian Army groups are drawn up
along the borders of the province
where the Junkers generals main
tain their estates. Berlin said that
another group Yas striking toward
Danzig on the Baltic from the
Narew River above Warsaw in a
supreme bid TO cut off the entire
province of $4,000 square miles.
The Rominter Heide is a preserve
OF 81 square miles near the Rominte
River, northeast of the Prussian
town of Goldap. The Germans
acknowledged yesterday that the
Red Army had advanced several
miles into East Prussia in the direc-
ton of its great capital city of
Konigsberg.
Dispatches telephoned from Mos
COW reported chaotic conditions in
Belgrade and Budapest, where Ger
man positions were declared de-
teriorating by the hour.
The Moscow newspaper Izvestia
said heavy smoke clouds enveloped
the center of Belgrade, the Yugoslav
capital of 266,849, where street fight
ing has been in progress most of the
week. Smoke also shrouded the
northwest suburbs: shells constantly
were exploding in the streets; Ger
man SIS troops. fought from dug in
tanks in one section, Izvestia said
Russian and Yugoslav forces were
said to have captured the Sava
River railroad bridge and driven the
Germans from the port works on
the Danube, but the Nazis still held
the Alexander highway bridge. Il
vestia said large German tank
force was surrounded and wiped out
3 miles southeast of the capital.
Red Star, Russian Army news
paper, said conditions were grave in
Budapest. Many officials of various
ministries have deserted their jobs
and gone into hiding. The news
paper said scores of Hungarian rail
workers had struck and were sabo-
tagging German defense efforts.
Russian troops were reported within
so miles of the ancient capital.
BreakthrOugh Denied.
Berlin said the new Russian offer-
sive along so miles of the Narew
River between Warsaw and East
Prussia had resulted in enormous
Red Army losses. Russian break
through attempts between Suwalki
and Schirwindt on the Eastern
frontier of East Prussia were frus-
trated and the tank army in the
Kaiser's deer forest was unable ito
achieve a penetration" Berlin said
Moscow reported further large
scale successes in Czechoslovakia,
Pennsylvania, Hungary and Yugo-
slavia, but did not Immediately con-
firm the capture of Debrecen.
The fleeing Germans, running for
the Bohemian plateau, were report
ed abandoning arms and munitions.
Autumn floods, however, were i'm
peding the Russians advancing over
the Carpatho- Ukraine, or Ruthen-
ian, sector of Czechoslovakia to some
extent.