Evening star., 1944-12-10
! Red Columns
Nearing Heart
Of Budapest
Hungarian Regime
Has Fled Capitol,
Berlin DiscIoses
BY the Associated Press.

LONDON, Sunday, Dec. TO-
Russian troops have advanced to
within 8 miles of the heart of
Budapest at two points and
sealed off the larger part of the
city on the eastern bank Of the
Danube by breaking through to
the river at captured Vac, 13
miles above the Hungarian
capital, Moscow announced last
night.
At the same time, Russian troops
have crossed the water barrier 13
miles southwest of the city in a big
development drive, Moscow said.
Berlin disclosed that the Hun
garian government had fed to the
Austrian frontier town OF Sopron
as two big Soviet armies in a dou-
BILE flanking movement converged
on the besieged city and also sent
flying columns racing far around 1t
on the northwest toward Czecho-
slovakia and Austria. Budapest was
almost three-quarters encircled.
Nazis Hurled Back.
Premier Stain. in an order of
the day, announced that Marshal
Rodion Y. Malinovsky's I'd Ukraine
Army had advanced up to 81 miles
on a 75-mile front, hurting the
Germans back to the former Czecho-
slovakian border north of Budapest
Marshal Malinovsky's central COL
unns captured the eastern suburbs
of Rakosliget, penetrating to within
8 miles of the heart of Budapest,
while his southern wing overran
most of 30-mile-long Csepel Island
in the Danube due south of Buda-
pest. capturing Szigetszentmiklos
only miles from Budapest's mu-
nicipal boundary.
Crossing the Danube at Ercsi, IL
miles southwest Of Budapest, Mar
shall Malinoysky's units established
a solid link with Marshal Feodor +
Tolbukhin's Sd Ukraine Army push
ing up the west bank Of the river
from the south, Premier Stain said
This contact was made at Velencze
Lake, % miles southwest of Buda-
pest, and the Russians cut the Buda-
pest-Szekesfehervar railway at
Dinnyes, miles east Of imperiled
Saskatchewan. last big stronghold
below the capital.
Two Vital Towns Taken.
Marshal Tolbukhin's forces, In
their advance on Saskatchewan,
ITO miles southeast of Vienna, cap
tured Szerecseny and Seregelyes.
seven and eight miles southeast of
the stronghold, in addition to Din
nyes rail station.
The fall of Szekesfehervar would
release large part of Marshal Toll
bukhin's forces for another direct
drive through Western Hungary
while Marshal Malinovsky's troops
are engaged in twin offensive
above the Danube bend northwest
of Budapest.
Marshal Malinovsky's troops cap.
tured $50 places in their big ad.
vance. including Balassagyarmat, or
the old central Slovakian border 81
miles north of Budapest.
While some of his units turned
south along the river from Vac tc
aid in the reduction of Budapest
others pushed on miles and took
Verose, on the north bank of the
Danube beyond the bend, and only
8 miles from the former Slovak
frontier. ...
Reds Push Into Mountains.
Pushing into the foothills of the
2,700-foot Borzsony Mountains, last
big natural defense line before the
Slovakian plains, the Russians also
captured series of localities on a
9-mile front north of veroce, in.
cluding Diosjeno, IL miles north
west of fallen Vac.
Seizure of these localities put the
Russians within SO miles of Bratis-
lava, Slovak capital, and within lie
miles of Vienna, and they appeared
to be intent on a westward drive
without awaiting the fall of Buda-
pest.
Among other localities taken In
the breakthrough north and north.
east of Budapest were Aszod rail
(See RUSSIAN, Page A-10)