1939-01-09 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 9, 1989.

LOYALIST

FULL

IN

CENTRE RETREAT

Lerida Falls Completely Into Franco Hands

Miaja Offensive Also Making Rapid Progress

Burgos, To-day.

The offensive against the centre of the Republican line near Lerida began yesterday morning, pre- vious operations having been confined to the two flanks of the extensive Catalan front. Troops under General Moscardo crossed the Segre in the immediate vicinity of Lerida and occu- pied a new section of the city on the east side of the river as well as fortifications on which Re- publicans have been working for months.

The loyalists offered no resistance, miles from the Portuguese fron- firing having ceased two days ago tier.

when the rapid advance of the The capture of Fuente Ovejuna Nationalists on the two flanks of the is also claimed to have cut the in- front rendered the positions un-surgent road and rail communica- tenable and necessitated. a

with-tion with the famous Penarroya drawal to avoid encirclement. mines which are stated to be half

After crossing the river, the encircled.-Reuter. the Nationalists secured Lerida-Barcelona highway and continued to advance, occupying the village of Alcoletge, seven kilome- tres northeast of Lerida, and estab- lishing contact with the legionaires operating in advance positions.

the

RESISTANCE AT URGEL

Saragossa, To-day.

General Franco's major offen-

Lerida is now entirely in the hands of the nationalists, who in their further advance are encoun-sive against Catalona, now in its tering little resistance, since

third week, was driven back by cept for rearguard, the loyalists Republican resistance in the have retreated from the district. plains of Urgel, it is claimed.

ex-

.

Operations in the northern sec- Difficulties ahead in the campaign, tor of the Catalan front at the especially in the northern sector, foot of the Pyrenees is complicated have not been miscounted but it is by dense fog and no serious fight-noteworthy that General Yagues of ing occurred yesterday but the Na- the Moroccan Army Corps is using varre. Brigades advancing in the pontoon bridges flung across the southern sector made good

Ebro at Mora and has established gress, leaving the Montsant Moun-contact with the Navarrese legion- tains behind and occupying the aries. villages of Vilanova de Prades and Albarca.-Trans-Ocean.

pro-

24 MILES FROM TARRAGONA

Headquarters claim the conquest of at least 1,200 square miles and the capture of 30,000 prisoners since the start of the offensive.

More than 300,000 troops, flung by General Franco, against Cata- The insurgents have occupied Vila-lonia, have now crossed the Segre, nova de Prades, about 19 miles from which, over the greater part of a the Mediterranean and 24 miles 100 mile front, is the Republican's from Tarragona.-Reuter.

main natural defence.

Saragossa, To-day.

REPUBLICAN ADVANCE

Barcelona, To-day.

ARAGON DIVISIONS

Divisions of the Aragon Army The capture of the towns of Corps, in the early morning, filed Granjadetorre Hermosa in Badajoz across bridges thrown over the Province, la Coronada and four river above Lerida and are now villages is claimed in an important joining others in the same corps new advance by the Republicans in from Balaguer at the bridge head the Estremadura offensive-Reuter. and are. overrunning

BIG REPUBLICAN ADVANCE

Barcelona, To-day.

The Republicans in three

studded with farms.

country

Vellaneuva and Acotelge are two of the remaining Republican strong. holds which have been stormed and captured after heavy bombardment advance which by last night| carried the Corps 121⁄2 miles cast of Balaguer.

The insurgent banner, is now ad- of their surprise offensive on t the vancing to the west and straighten- Estremadura front have driven a ing up the line between Artesa and broad salient to the west, 25 miles | Borjas Blancas. The Republicans from their original positions. are stated to be in retreat” along North of Fuente Ovejuna they the Lerida-Tarragona Road under have cleared a wide loop in the close-range gunfire. river Zugar and captured the 'road junction at Peraleda and Dezaucejo in Badajoz Province only about 90

Although fog porsists in the mor thern sectors of the front there is good weather elsewhere.Reuter.

Miss Peggy Scotcher, well-known local prima ballerina, will be appearing shortly in George Goncharoff's "The Sleeping Beauty."

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