GRIM FIGHTING

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20918, 19 October 1942, Page 3

GRIM FIGHTING

YUGOSLAV PATRIOTS HEAVY TOLL OF NAZIS BATTLES IN MOUNTAINS (10.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, Oct. 13. The Istanbul correspondent of The Times reports that General Mihailovitch’s forces, aided by Moslem guerrillas, have inflicted heavy losses, including 4000 killed, against a German motorised division with headquarters ’at Serajevo and Croat Ustashi forces who are garrisoning five towns in south-western Bosnia during five weeks’ fierce fighting, according to an eye-witness who has arrived from Serajevo.

During the second week in September, the Chetniks attacked Bugojno, 65 kilometres north-west of Serajevo, wiping out the Ustashi garrison of 500 troops. The fighting spread to Livnoduvno and reached a climax at Kupres when a German division speeding from Serajevo clashed in a three days’ battle in the Kupres Pass with 5500 Chetniks. The Germans forced an entry into Kupres, using armoured cars, dive-bombing and heavy shelling. The Chetniks clashed in hand-to-hand fighting at Livnoduvno with the Germans attacking General Mihailovitch’s positions <m a sheer mountainside, where dive-bombing was impossible. Heavy losses were sustained bv both sides, but the Germans were beaten off after 12 hours. The Chetniks last week still held Livnoduvno and the approaches to Bogolno and the heights above Kupres. according to the eye-witness who saw truckloads of German dead and wounded transported towards Serajevo. He watched the Germans hauling in badly-battered transport vehicles and armoured cars to the repair shops. .