Evening star., 1944-08-20
Only 50 Nazi Divisions
Now Holding Balkans,
Reports Indicate
By the Associated Press.

.! tne ASsoclateo P.eSs.
BARI, italy, Aug. ia German
force of fewer than 60 divisions, most
of them far under strength, is hold
ing the Balkans, including the front
facing Russia, an examination Of
the most recent reports reaching this
listening post indicated today.
The Germans have strung out
two-thirds of this number across
600 miles between the Black Sea and
Krakow in Poland, dispersed about
q dozen divisions below the Danube
and concentrated the remainder in
Central and Northwestern Yugosla-
via.
These troops constitute the mini
mum with which Germany can hope
to retain the Balkans, it Is believed
here, and Withdrawals to help meet
the new Allied invasion are unlikely.
Transport Is Critical.
The enemy's transportation situa-
ton has become critical, principally
because of Allied bombing of the oil
installations at Ploesti.
The German air force, bolstered by
Romanian, Hungarian and Bulgarian
units, probably is able to muster 300
to 1000 fighter planes in the Bal
kans. They are based principally
in Eastern Austria, Hungary, Ro-
mania and Eastern YugoSlavia for
defense of ref1neries, freight yards
and war factories.
Most of the German divisions in
the south have been saturated with
satellite troops-Poles, Czechs, Slo-
vaks, Serbs and Armenians-a prob
able indication the Reich means to
jettison them whenever it becomes
necessary. Marshal Gen. Maxi
milan Won WEIGHS. who directs all
operations in Yugoslavia, Albania
and Greece, is believed to have no
more than five or six alderman
divisions left in his command.
Hungarians Hold Carpathians.
The burden of holding the Car
pathianS against Soviet forces be-
low Krakow. 200 miles from Vienna
and 180 miles from Budapest, has
been placed on the Hungarian Army
1t is believed to have IL of its II
or SO divisions in the line Only
three German divisions, one of them
a cavalry outfit of 10000 to 10000
men, are known to be in this region.
Romania, which already is esti-
mated to have lost 100000 men in
Russia, is believed to have II of its
80 understrength divisions on the
Soviet front. Others are maSsed in
the rear to defend the narrow gap
between Galatz and Transylvania-
also the gateway to Bucharest and
the Ploesti Oil fields.
In the southeast, Bulgaria was re-
ported to have rid herself of all but
one German division prior to Pre-
mler Ivan Bagrianov's pledge to the
National Assembly Thursday that he
would seek to take the country out
of war. Although there have been
notable mass desertions to Marshal
Tito in Serbia. Bulgaria. S full army
of Is divisions is believed the best
among the Balkan satellite nations.
YugOslavia Is Headache.
Germany's greatest headache is
Yugoslavia, held currently by about
dozen divisions and five Sizable
Quisling or collaborationist groups.
all under constant attack by Tito's
Partisans.
Only one German division, the
2e7th. remains in Albania, where
the National Liberation front now
boasts an army of 10000. Scattered
up and down the country are small
units entrusted principally with gar
risoning the most important cities
and the coastline.
OF the four better quality di-
visions reported in Greece, Crete
and the Aegean Islands, German SOL
dlers form only the core The most
exposed units of Won WEIGHS army
group. they are dependent on a
railroad running northWard through
the Tito-dominated Vardar Valley.
Because of mounting supply diff
culties some groups on the islands
OF ChioS. Samos and Mytilene have
been evacuated