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RED THRUST FOR
BELGRADE BEGINS
Tito's Forces Help
Australian Associated Press
london Sunday. — Russian spearheads which have crossed rne
Rumanian border into eastern Jugoslavia are making steady progress
toward Belgrade, capital of Jugoslavia, according to Moscow eorre-
soondents.
The Associated Press cor
respondent says the Red
Army is less Ihan 80 miles
from tlie city and the British
United Press correspondent
says the Russians are across
the Danube in great force.
Another Moscow message
says Soviet units are moving
west up a road along the
southern bank of the broad,
winding Danube io add weight
to the drive towards Belgrade,
Budapest (Hungary), Brats-
siava (Czechoslovakia) and
Vienna.
Tonight's Moscow com
munique reports advances in
Jugoslavian territory south of
Turnu Severin (on the Dan
ube and on the Rumanian-
Jugoslav border) and the fol-
lowing captures: — Kupuziste,
15 miles south-west of Turnu
Severin; Mijallovac, seven
miles south of Brza Palanka
(on the border south-west of
Turnu Severin) ; and Prahova,
five miles north-east of Ne-
gotin (inside Jugoslavia and
26 miles south of Turnu Sev
erin).
The communique reports
that in other sectors there
was reconnaissance activity
and local fighting. Yesterday,
the Russians shot down 46
enemy planes.
Marsha) Tito's communique
says that Jugoslav forces
captured an important Ger
man strong-point at Sopot,
21 miles south of Belgrade.
Armor Massing
Russian shoek troops In' Jugo- <
slavia are being followed by ,
masses of infantry, heavy ar
tillery and armor. j
Tlie Jugoslavs are welcoming the ,
Red Ariny and volunteering to re- i
pair roads and bridges and to clear
minefields.
Marshal Tito's communique says
that Jugoslav forces south of Bel
grade, in the Rasina River sector,
routed a force of 8000 German
and Quisling troops. It adds;
"Enemy casualties were 2500 in
this battle and the enemy is be
ing pursued toward the Morava
River."
Hungary's Peril
Russian and Jugoslav forces
have increased the threat to Hun
gary's southern flank, while the
Russians in South Poland have
deepened their penetrations Into
the Carpathian passes.
'The enemy position lit northern
Transylvania has deteriorated-, as
a result of the Russian' sweep
across the Hungarian plain west
of Tlmlsoara (western Rumania),
where no natural barriers hinder
the advance.
The battle for Warsaw has
become a struggle of attrition
with both sides throwing in more
iiiu mviq iuilvsi
The Germans In the port of
Riga, Latvia, who are besieged
from three sides, continue fierce
resistance, but the Russians are
closing in their arc around the
city.
Islands Battle j
German troops evacuated from
Finland are making a desperate,
last stand with remnants of their
Baltic army on the Estonian Islands j
n ii inn mu 1 1 in i Milium I ill i in in 1 1 n i !
if Hiuma and Sarema, above the
Gulf of Riga, says a Moscow mes
sage.
German units are among the
prisoners counted on the smaller
island of Muhu which was yester
day liberated by a Soviet-Estonian
corps.
A communique from the head-
quartcrs'of Czech Partisan forces
in Czechoslovakia says that in
tlie direction of Dolny, Hamry
and Zarnovici in Slovakia, the
enemy is still attacking strongly
and the Partisan troops are
tlghting bitter, defensive battles.
In tlie upper Vah Valley, in
western Slovakia, enemy attacks
were repelled in hand-to-hand
fighting and the Germans suffered
heavy losses.
In the area of Vernar (east of
Telgart) Czech detachments car
ried out several successful assaults.
"Our air force effectively inter
vened in ground fighting." says
the communique.
Carpathians Drive
Tlie German News Agency re
ports a newi strong Russian attack
against the northern passes in the
Carpathians, -and says that fierce
fighting is raging. The Hungarian
High Command 'admits Russian
advances In the Szeged sector;
$