Evening star., 1944-07-30
War Review
Hard Hit Nazis Give
Ground on All Fronts
BY Hoipard p. Bailey.

on all fronts in Europe struck heavy
blows at the Nazis which lent con-
siderable additional weight to the
argument of those who believe that
the end in Europe at least is not too
far distant.
On the Russian front where on
Monday the Red Armies were so
miles from Warsaw and on the
wrong side of the Wisla River Line
yesterday the Russians had ad-
vanced to a point where their
artillery was reaching out to smash
at Germans who had fallen back in
considerable disorder into the
suburbs of the Polish capital.
The Wisla Line, last strong de-
fensive position between the Rus
slams and Germany itself, while still
holding at most points, is under
heavy attack over long front. the
outer bastions of which fell in a
steady succession of Russian VIC
tories throughout the week. The
several Russian armies in action in
Central Poland carrying on the "by-
pass and surround tactics" which
have been successful repeatedly
since Russia assumed the offensive,
have taken heavy toll of the
Nazis. By Moscow's count, % Ger
man generals have been captured,
so out of $50 divisions on the east
ern front have been knocked out
and Nazi casualties pushed to the
tremendous total of 100000 in about
two months.
SiedIce Falls.
Monday Siedlce, an important
railroad center only 365 miles from
Berlin was captured and fighting
within Lwow, which had been
pocketed the previous week, was
underway. To the north, after the
capture of Pskov, at the Estonian
border, the Russians moved on west
ward toward the coast. This was
the forerunner of even more i'm
portant action which followed on
Friday when the Russians captured
Siauliai and Kaunas in Lithuania.
rail centers through which passes
the only rail line over which the
Nazi Baltic Army could withdraw to
East Prussia The isolated Nazis
now can escape only by sea and the
Russian Baltic fleet is waiting hope
fully for such an effort to be made.
Tuesday the rapily moving Reds
split the German forces in Central
Poland by capturing Lublin and
Lukow. BY Thursday the Reds had
broken into Brest-Litovsk, vital
strong point which shortly after
ward was claimed captured. Bialy-
stok and Przemysl also were seized
during the week and to the south
StanlslawoW, gateway to the Car
pathlan, passes into Czechoslovakia
was seized as the Hungarian and
other satellite forces retreated into
the foothills under steady pressure.
The entire front was aflame as
the week ended and Hitler must soon
make a decision as to which of the
Allies he most desires to keep out
of Germany proper. Berlin is only
3l5 miles from the most advanced
Russian positions in the area around
PrzemySl.
McNair Killed at Front.
In Normandy, where American
forces were saddened by the death
of 1t. Gen. Leslie McNair, who
was killed by enemy gunfire while
inspecting front-line troops trained
under the methods he devised, the
Americans struck with renewed
fury which by Friday had brought
about capture of Coutances, vital
rail junction on the escape route
for some 10000 Germans caught
in a pocket along the coast. BY
yesterday the Americans had moved
ahead to point only 2l2 miles from
the coast and full German Army
corps was placed in a seemingly
hopeless position.
The break-through came when
powerful tank units led. it was
limited, by 1t. Gen. Patton, fore
most tank expert in the American
Army, penetrated German defenses
beyond st. Lo to a depth of II
miles and then famed out over
front of Is miles behind the Ger
man positions.
AS some units of the entrapped
Germans attempted to escape they
encountered a 30-mile American
mechanized front and while caught
in the trap met murde"ouS attack
from American bombers.
Yesterday it was stated that the
Nazis are completely cleared out
Of all but 30-mile triangle on the
Normandy Peninsula, and 1t. Gen.
BradleyS douehboys are going eff
ciently about the business of mop
ping up the triangle.
On the British end of the line,
where the country is more rugged
and where somewhat stiffer opposi-
ton is being met, the British and
Canadians secured their hold on
both sides of the Orne River below
Caens despite fierce tank attacks
by the Nazis, which were beaten off.
HedFy Drive opened.
The most powerful concerted drive
since D-day was opened along the
100-mile front on Tuesday supported
by 1000 planes which smashed at
German lines as the ground forces
moved forward. The British and
Canadian tank units advanced about
mile in the initial assault toward
open tank country despite a spirited
defense by two SIS divisions. Break
ing the outer crust of the German
lines, the British ran into sturdy
antitank defenses and scores of Ger
man tanks which were credited with
being heavier armored and more
powerfully gunned than the Allied
tanks attacking them.
The British sector Of the line
quickly became relatively quiet and
there were some indications that
Rommel, who according to one re-
port has been badly wounded and
may have died, might gamble by
moving some of his divisions from
the Caen area in an effort to halt
the Americans.
Berlin reports that the Allies now
have about so divisions in Nor
mandy and somewhere in the neigh