Evening star., 1944-10-02
Reds Threaten
|Nazi Lifeline
In YugosIavia
| Soviet Planes Attack
Round the Clock;
Riga Fight Bitter
By the Associated PRESS.

By the Associated Press,
MOSCOW, Oct. a. Russian
fighter -bombers Swarmed over
Yugoslavia in round -the-clock
raids on German forces as Rus
sian ground troops gained stead
lily today along a curving, noun
famous front 10 to 100 miles
southeast of Belgrade in a drive
that is bottling up an estimated
200 900 Nazi troops in the South
ern Balkans.
The Germans were. fiercely de-
Tending their Balkan lifeline south
east of the Yugoslav capital, but
yesterday Red Army troops, with
Marshal Titos Yugoslay partisans
acting as advance scouts, dented
Nazi defenses another % miles to
within 43 miles of the Belgrade Mis-
railway. Moscow announced.
Soviet pilots today reported silenc-
ing SO enemy batteries, destroying
five military trains and knocking
out scores of trucks and tanks along
the vital escape hatch for the i'm
periled Nazis.
MOSCOW Withholds Reports.
An unconfirmed Budapest dis
patch from Turkey said other
Soviet and Romanian troops had
penetrated % miles Southeastern
Hungary in an offensive aimed at
Budapest. Magyar capital less
than 100 miles distant. Russian
gains In that sector were ON
cially acknowledged by Hungary,
but their depth was not dis
closed.
Moscow was silent about the
Hungarian drive and about the
situation at Warsaw, which was
described rs critical" by Polish
patriots as Berlin said the Naxis
were overwhelming the dwindlins
euerrillas.
Soviet progress toward the Morava
Valley route OF the Belgrade Greece
Railway was the only important ad-
vance claimed today along the en-
tire eastern front.
Aerial observation and informa-
ton from Yugoslavia Partisans pin
pointed the location of German re-
Inducements diverted to the Serbian
invasion sector, Stormoviks, aug
menting their usual role of flying
antitank guns. were sent out along
with relays of light bombers in par
alyzing assaults against these troop
movements.
Railroads Reported Burning.
Pilots said roads and spur rail-
ways east of the Morava Valley
were dotted with fires Of burning
enemy transport.
On the northern flank of the east
ern front, dispatch to Pravda de-
clared. the "hour of liberation is
near for Riga"
Pravda continued: "The battle
lof the Soviet Baltic is entering its
last conclusive stage The struggle
for Riga is becoming more furious
each day. Soviet fighters have to
break complicated enemy defense
based on natural obstacles, swamps
and forests together with steel and
concrete fortifications and mine
fields. But all these obstacles will
be overcome"
About so miles due east of Riga,
Red Army assault troops forged the
Oyer River and widened gap in
the enemy line to more than go
miles, the front-line report said
Red Infantry Attacks.
The Germans clung stubbornly to
positions in the Widen Hills west
lof Madona. Flame throwers and
machine guns failed to stop Russian
infantry attacks which methodi-
lcally cleared each fortified height
A German counterattack with q
tank division was beaten back with
heavy losses and some enemy In
Ifantry battalions were reduced to
SO men, prisoners said.
Pravda's s forecast of the quick lib
Grafton Of Riga made a strong i'm
preston in Moscow, for the Russian
press usually is ultraconservative in
discussing military prospects.
There was no confirmation in
Moscow vet that the Red Army Of
fensive against Hungary had got
past the southeastern frontier. bu,
in Northern Pennsylvania, which
the Hungarians regained by Nazj
dictate in 1910. the Russian Roman
Ian drive closely approaches the cap
lital city of Cluj.
Soviet cavalry and armor spear
headed the Cluj drive, which at
some points was less than q dozen
miles from its objective, and 4 Ro-
nanian infantry division also was
in the forefront.
A Russian correspondent in this
sector, however, warned -the closer
We come to the border Of Hungary
the sitter Is the enemy resistance. y