Evening star., 1944-07-15
kozis Plan Strong Stond
Against Reds in Key Cities

MOSCOW, July IS tP).-The Ger
man Army, facing the prospect of
imminent fighting on its own soil
in East Prussia. was preparing for
a street-by-street and building by =
building defense against the Rus
slams in at least three Of five key
cities -on the long Eastern battle
line, front dispatches said today.
The Germans were throwing up
street barricades and defenses In
buildings and houses In Grodno
Bialystok and -Litovsk, and
bracing against the steadily ad-
vancing Russians in the Baltic
cities OF Kaunas and Daugavpils
tpvinsk), the dispatches said.
The Nazi line was reported wide
open in numerous sectors from the
Velikaya River, last barrier to the
Middle Battles, to south of the
Pripet Marsh region around cap
tured Pinsk. The Germans ap-
peared unable to hold anywhere as
five Russian armies drove west
ward with growing momentum.
The British radio, in French
language broadcast to Europe
recorded by United States Gov
ernment monitors. declared the
Germans had started to dis
mount installations in the for
tress port of Konigsberg, sea-
coast capital of East Prussia)
Isolation Of Riga Threatened.
Meanwhile. Gen. Ivan Bagramiar
drove deep tank wedge into Lii
thuania, threatening to cut off the
Latvian seaport of Riga and Estonia
from the south.
Russian armored columns slashine
through the open country between
Wilno and Daugavpils reached
places 80 miles east of Panevezys ir
North Central Lithuania and 81
miles from Siaulia.
The Red Army units advanced 2:
miles along a route that may leac
to the Baltic Sea and the Port o1
Memel.
Gen. Ivan Cherniakhoysky's Sc
White Russian Army, advancing to.
ward Kaunas, widened it's front be.
fore the city and drove toward The
railway 18 miles away-the line thai
connects Germany and East Prus.
sia with Lithuania, Latvia and E.s.
tonia.
This was one of the most danger.
Gus thrusts for the Germans of tn.
whole current campaign, for Will,
the railway is not the only line lef
out of Latvia and Estonia, it is 6
main line over which virtually al
military traffic moves.
Nazis Battling Desperately.
The Germans were reported bat.
Ting desperately to hold back the
Russians from this escape route.
The Moscow communique said the
Red Army, advancing westward
along line less than 20 miles from
East Prussia, had broken the Ger
man Niemen River line southeast
of Grodno and was closing within
7 miles of that strong point. Capture
OF Verstelishki (WiercieliszkD
miles east, and Zhidomlya, 8 mile.
southeast, was announced.
Russian troops, in a fierce en-
|gagement, crossed to the west banE
of the Niemen, the communique
added.
Zmolsi, only 20 miles southeast o1
Kaunas, fell to Soviet forces, as die
Wolkowysk, 55 miles east ot
Bialystok, and Skidel, less than q
miles from Grodno. Opochka, rail.
way station "A miles east OF thu
Latvian border, was taken.
GA German broadcast last night
quoting a high command state
ment said yOpochka was a key
point in one of the barrier sys-
TENS" holding back the Russian
advance.)
Gen. Bagramian, an old cavalry
ofncer who believes in speed, was Is:
miles from Memel, and the German.
appeared unable even to slow hin
down.
One great factor in his push wa.
furnished by his aviation com.
mander. 37-year-old 1t. Gen. N. N
Papivins. whose large groups ol
Stormoviks tore up German troox
columns and communication lines