Evening star., 1944-08-22
Russian Forces Storm
Across Buq River

MOSCOW, Aug. ~ tP).-RuSS1an
troops stormed across the Bug River
northeast Of Warsaw today in a
grave new flanking threat in the
prolonged siege of the Polish capital
and battled hastily mustered Ger
man reserves on the west bank Of
the river.
The sweep across the Bug came
a few hours after Soviet midnight
communlQue announced that the
Germans had won back a land con-
nection with two battered Baltic
armies, isolated for three weeks in
Estonia and Latvia. However. the
enemy may use the corridor for an
escape attempt to East Prussia,
rather than for reinforcement.
The forcing of the Bug, which
flows into the Vistula % miles above
Warsaw, posed threat to cross the
larger river Marshal Konstantin
Rokossovsky's regrouped and REIN
forced group of armies pushed two
Russian columns toward the con-
fuence of the streams. He pushed
ahead against furious German
counterattacks from so recaptured
villages in what appeared to be the
most serious threat to Warsaw in
nearly two weeks.
Nazis Pour in New Troops.
An Izvestia dispatch from north
east of Praga." the industrial east
ern suburb of the Polish capital,
said the Germans had introduced
a new tank division from Italy and
several divisions from other sectors,
Germany itself.
Nazi counterattacks were report
ed, strongly supported by their air
force, by large concentrations Of
artillery and by groups of 100 to
l20 tanks which came in wave
after wave, 10 or IL times a day."
Izvestia said
Another and growing threat to
Warsaw was in the Sandomierz re-
gion across the Vistula 100 to ITO
miles southeast. The survival Of
only 1850 prisoners, with the final
killing of $4,000 in the Sandomierz
trap, where three divisions were en-.
circled, was considered confirmation
of the great shrinkage in Hitlers
divisions.
Red Offensive in Romania.
(Today's German communique
said strong Russian tank and in
fantry forces were on the offen-
sive in Romania, attacking south
west of Tiraspol and between
the Prut and Sereth Rivers)
Red Star, in a dispatch datelined
"at the German border" where the
Russians last week reached the
frontier River Szeszuppe. said:
THE enemy is dislodged from his
last lines. We repulsed him beyond
the river on the other side of the
border. Scores of villages have been
burned to ashes by the Germans and
the liberation of hundreds of Soviet
citizens who escaped their captors
and hid in the forests has taken
place. Now the population moves
eastward"
There was no ofiicial announce.
ment that the Red Army actually
had crossed the East Prussian
frontier. (The Red Star dispatch.
however, strongly suggested this.)
Soviet Admits Break through.
Excellent flying weather gave
Stormovik planes and medium
bombers an excellent chance to re-
sumo large-scale operations against
numerous German tanks and artil-
!ery massed In defense Of Praga. In
this sector Marshal Rokossovsky
poses a frontal threat to Warsaw.
most Of which lies on the west side
OF the broad and swift Vistula.
The enemy's Baltic breakthrough
was announced in the Russian mid
night communique. It said that
under a hail Of German tank and
infantry attacks Gen. Ivan Bagram-
ian's troops withdrew ito more
favorable positions" after abandon
ing Tukums, where they plunged to
the sea 80 miles west Of Riga on Au-
gust l..
There was no letup, however, in
Red Army pressure on the enemy's
20 or more imperiled North Baltic
variously estimated at be.
tween 200. 900 and SOC, 900 men.
Far up in Estonia. west Of Lake
Peipus, Gen. Ivan Maslennikov's 3D.
Baltic Army, driving hard for the
railway center Of Tartu, captured 80
or more communities. Other Rus.
sian gains were reported due east Of
Riga.