The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-04-14

first, in which thousands Of Axis
troops were killed as they sought
to escape from Odessa.
Red Air force assault planes hoy
cred ceaslessly over the southern
ports Of the Crimea, bombing and
sinking the Axis evacuation vessels.
Field guns wheeled up within reach
Of the coast joined in the cannon
aiding Of ships offshore and the en-
envy columns streaming back into
the ports.
"a Berlin communicate tacitly
acknowledged the coastal battle by
air, sea and land in reporting that
naval escort vessels shot down three
Soviet bombers over FeadoSiya.
Stormovik assault planes were re-
ported raking the approaches to the
Crimean beaches, picking up the
trails Of fleeing Axis columns by
the dust clouds they raised, and
shattering the columns in masSed
bombing and straflng assaults.
Harried by air and by the Red
Army mobile units pounding at
their heels, the routed units were
being smashed and scattered every
where, field dispatches said.
Vanguard
The Red Army vanguard raced
down the south Crimean railroad
from captured Simferopol into the
approaches Of Sevastopol, great
naval base where the Russians held
out under siege for eight months
In 1941-42. There was no sign that
the Axis would attempt even q pale
shadow of the stand.
Already the two Red armies strik-
ing from north and east had over
run three-fourthS Of the Crimea,
and by all signs the assault on Sew
astopol was in the offing.
"Hitler wanted a blitzkrieg," said
the Communist party newspaper
Pravda in commenting on the SEN
sational Soviet success in the Cri-
mea. I'VE have given 1t to him."
A German prisoner was quoted as
telling his captors that 1.-The Rus
sian tanks turned us into a herd of
sheep"
Dispatches emphasized that the
success Of the lightning offensive
resulted largely from the fact that
the Russians concentrated their
main blows on major detectives,
leaving the secondary positions to
fall Of their own weight.
The army organ Red Star said
Soviet tank columns covered UP to
90 miles in SO hours as the Russians
stepped up the tempo Of their drive
aimed at completing the conquest Of
the Crimea within a few days.
Gen. F'edor I. Tolbulkhin'S Fourth
army Of the Ukraine was spearing
straight at Sevastopo1 while other
Soviet forces moved down the south
coast from captured Feodosiya.
600 Towns
More than 800 towns and villages,
including Simferopol, the capital.
and the Ports Of Yevpatoriya and
Feodosiya. were overrun yesterday
by the 4th army and Gen. Andrei
Yeremenko's independent coastal
army in the Swiftest advances ever
made by Soviet forces.
Pouring westward from the Kerch
Peninsula. Yeremenko'S army pene-
trated the Murym mountain range
at number of points. with one
column moving down the coastal
highway toward Yalta. only sizeable
southeast coast port remaining in
German hands, and others Surging
along high roads through the
mountains.
Both armies were rounding UP
prisoners by the thousands in their
advances. which ranged up to 81
miles yesterday. BY Wednesday,
more than 10000 Germans and Ro-
manians had been captured.
Front dispatches said Russian
tanks. guns and infantry-laden
trucks we're racing over the Cri-
mean roads In clouds Of dust whip
ped up by high winds from ground
dried by bright sunshine-weather
and terrain ideal for the mobile
campaign undertaken by the Soviets.
Tolbukhin's eth army reached to
within IS miles Of Sevastopol. where
the Russians withstood an historic
eight.month siege In l04l and l042.
after capturing SimEeropol In the
interior.
The Germans made an 18th hour
attempt to save simferopol. rushing
up units which hitherto had not
participated In battle. Cracking un-
der the weight OF Soviet attacks, the
untried troops turned and fled In
panic, only 10 be shot by special un-
Ia OF Mani field police.
even these brutal measures did
not help" tho Soviet high command
said In In midnight communique,
Tho German command did not sue.
coed In organizing any kind Of q
permanent resistance. Much booty
was captured, including 10 military
trainse with weapons, ammunition
and war material"
Other eth Army units mopping
up tho est coast captured the port
Of Ycvpntoriya IN q 3T.miile advance.
~ -. = Aan -. nna1nma4