Evening star., 1944-07-24
Soviet Forces
NeurGermuns'
VistuIo Line
MAP on Page A-5.)
By the Associated Press.


MOSCOW, July 24.-The Ger
man Army fed in disorder
through Central Poland today
as the Russians advanced to-
ward Warsaw and fought through
the streets of Lublin only Is
miles from the Wisla (ViStula)
River line, which Hitler must
hold to stave off a direct assault
on the Reich.
(The German radio acknowl-
edged that Russian troops had
plunged within so miles of War-
saw, with Nazi troops abandon
ing Siedlce and Jaraslaw.
,Siedice is so miles due east of
the Polish capital 1t lies 1865
airline miles from Berlin. By far
the closest Allied approach 70 the
German capital.
(The Germans also reported
fighting inside the great Polish
rail center of LwoWJ
In Premier Stains juggernaut Of
fensive entering its second month
with increasing momentum, the Red
Army has captured % German gen.
erals and knocked out possibly so of
the Germans $50 divisions in the
East (perhaps 100000 or more mem
New Soviet Victories.
The battle of Poland, already as
suming catastrophe consequences
for Hitler's eastern front, was shap-
ing into struggle in the near fu-
ture for Prussia itself.
The Red Army moved deeply into
the Baltic republics and in the south
struck close to the Carpsthian de-
fenses of Hungary and Czechoslo-
vakia. but it was over the wide.
rolling Polish plains that Premier
Stains war of movement hourly
gained new decisions.
Brest-Litovsk was by-pasSed in
pocket 40 miles deep. Soviet troops
mounted frontal attack which bat
tered into that Bug River citys
suburbs.
Red Army columns spearing from
rail lines northeast and southeast
advanced as close at 20 miles from
Siedlce.
Seventy miles to the south, de-
spairing and trapped Germans were
being driven street by street from
Lublin.
Steadijy Widening Front.
Marshal K. K. Rokossovsky's van-
guard of cavalry and tanks was
within 25 miles of the Upper Wisla
River on a steadily widening front.
Red Army engineers rushed bridg-
ing materials and prepared to span
this river line as swiftly as the Bug
was crossed last week. Once the
Wisla defense zone is turned. the
way would be opened to outf1ank
Warsaw from the south.
Allied military observers marveled
at the Soviet genius in maintaining
supply services for an army that
has raced 800 miles in 81 days.
Field dispatches gave no indica-
ton that the Nazi high command
had been able to halt, or even slow
down, the rapid progress of the
Russians, who announced advances
from west of liberated Pskov, at the
Estonian border, to Galacia in the
south. Fall of Pskov was an
nounced by Premier Stain yester-
day in a special order of the day.
1,400 Towns Captured.
The manner in which the Ger
mans were crumbling was Illustrated
best by official announcements of
Russian accomplishments in the last
"A hours-more than 1400 towns
and villages captured and gains rig
istered of 80 miles and more along
the entire front.
1t appeared that any front the
Germans held in the Soviet Baltic
republics was lost after yesterdays S
great advances. and today the NaziS
were reported hurrying for Seaports
in order to escape capture or death.
South of Lublin the Russians
reached the River San across from
Jaroslaw Between this point and
Lublin they drove hard for the Low
er Wisla, arriving at Tarobin, 81
miles to the east. Massing at the
San for crossing, the Soviet forces
were lis miles from Krakow.
In the newest disaster visited on
the Germans, the Russians said they
had captured $4,000 Nazis and found
10000 dead in the encirclement at
Brody northeast of Lwow. Maj.
Gen. Beutler of the Nazi 340th In
fantry Division was reported killed,
and Maj. Gen. Lindemann of the
36lst Infantry Division was taken
prisoner.
(The Germans said 1t. Gen.
Scheller and Maj Gen. Won
(See RUSSIA, Page A-5D