The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-03-28
German Held Naval Base
at Mkolayeu Expected to
Fall to Strong Red Force
Invasion
Of Balkans
Planned

(By International News Service
Nikolayev. site OF an important
German,held naval base. is c1pe.t.
ed 10 fall shortly before powerful
Russian forces engaging the enemy
today In streetAghtlng within that
Black Sea port
Bayonet. welding Red Army n
fantrymen aud tommygunners
smashed their way into Nlkolayev,
frontlne dispatches said today.
while Other Soviet legions were
preparing TO launch a large.scals
invasion OF the Balkans Already
one Russian spearhead was well
into Bucoyina having reached
point but three miles from the stra-
tegic Cernauii railroad junction:
these tank and infantry forces
were expected to begin the about
battle for that railway hub which
Is considered the key TO the Balk-
ans.
Army Poised
To the southeast another nigh.
" Russian Army poised along Jl-
mile stretch of the Prut River for
leap across that stream into am
cient Rumanla, These Soviet
troops were within ~ miles OF the
railroad junction OF Jassy. capture
OF which would present great
threat TO Nazi forces In the lower
half Of BeGgarabia and southern
Russia
German troops in southern Rus
sla were already menaced by tho
beaiegers OF Nikolaycy. as well ~
1 Russian columns 'yancing on a
50 mile front southwest OF capture
ed PeIvomaisk
Thousands OF other enemy sol
diers faced possible encirclemen1
as two Red Army Columns converge
cd from captured kamenets-Poto-
lsk and Buzovitsy 81 latest re-
port, these spearheads were but 20
miles apart and steadily narrowing
the escape corridor left open to the
Nazis south OF Prosquroy.
- New Blows Fall
That new daylight blows were be-
ing dealt western portions OF
! Europe by British. based Allied
hombers was indicated by the Sill
cnce OF the Luxembourg radio.
which often hints et-tAa approach
OF Angola raiders In thus
manner, Should either I. 5. or
British aircraft be over the cont'n-
ent. the enemy viii have AZ fewer
planes for interrogation than they
had q hours earlier
Spokesman At headquarters oc
the L. S. strategic air forces re-
veuled that at least this many Nazt
planes were destroyed IN aerial
combat yesterday. At that time
strong formations OF American
heavy bombers blasted nine air
dromes in central and southern
France. az well as the big rSIroad
marshalling yards at Tours.
From these operations. six Z. s.
bombers and 10 fighter escorts
were listed as missing.
During the night. the Royal Mir
Force followed up the isnN raids
when swift wooden Mosquito bomb
ers hammered unspecihed targets
I in the industrial Ruhr Valley With
out losing plane.
Stand Firm
In Italy. Allied infantrymen stood
Arm before four enemy assaults
along the Fifth Army front near
/ Casino and On the beachhead OF
Rome. Gen Sir Henry Maitland
Wilson's Headquarters announced
that three German thrusts against
the Anzio beachhead lines we're re-
pulsed without the Nazis gaining
a single yard Of ground; the fourth
drive was launched against French
positions outside Casino, and a.so
achieved no success.
Supporting the Allied infantry
men were Fifth Army artillery.
which dueled with the big guns or
the AXIS. as we'll as bombers and
fighters OF the Mediterranean air
force. The Allied a'rmen flew
400 sorties Monday. blasting sup.
ply areas and communications art.
cries behind the lines.
Support Invasion
In the racine Wal. AlhSTl'dh
warships turned their guns on key
I Japanese positions in the Admiral
/ tv Islands 10 support the advance
OF American invasion forces. Tons
OF hot steel were poured into enc
my installations at NATHAN and
Lonlu. on Manus Island. while
speedy destroyers also wiped OUT
a third enemy outpost on Rambu-
I tyo Island
Gen Douglas MacArthur's air
men supported the push by the
Yanks southwark from captured
+ Lorengau on Manus Isle. and gave
Rabaul and Wewak in the New
Brltain-New Guinea area their daily
bombardment.
On the Burmese-lndian frontier.
the Japs pressed their fourth inva'
sion thrust into India. driving to-
ward Kohima after three other
Nas A