The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-08-02
BY LOUIS F. KEEAgLE Limited Press War Editorl

The American lst Army. gather ing speed in it's complete break through from the Normandy penif- suia, spread out southwest into Brittany today and east in a major flanking threat to the whole Ger man line.
 The Russians opened the battle for Warsaw and the VlstiIia river line, making the first crossings Of the last natural barrier east Of the Reich. To the north they began a battle of annihilation against perhaps 100,O GOO Germans cut off tn Latyia and Estonia.
 German resistance at the western end of the Normandy front seemed t1 melt away as the enemy fell back in too great a hurry to lay mines or destroy bridges and dams. The Americans drove southwest into the rail and highway hub of Pon- torson. l3 miles below Ayranches and 90 miles from Rennes, chief city Of Brittany.
 The advance appeared to be in- teSlded to cut off the Brittany pen- insula. with such biz ports as Brest and Lorient. The Germans were known to have greatly weakened their forces in Brittany. withdraw ing at least four infantry divisions in futile effort to bolster the hor- mandy front.
 Striking eas.gard towards the roads leading to Paris, one AmeTi- can column passed through Breeey, nine miles east of AyTanches; Mont- g0thier, eight miles southeast. and Vezsns mine miles southeast. These columns were cutting behind the German line anchored below ceen ip a dangerous flansing movement
 GsilenG
 The Americans and British toW~ ards the center of the front were engased in wiplng out the salient iron, which the Germans had mace strong eounteF.sttaeiis in an attempt to break uD the west coast drive,
 American troops reeaptured the main German strong points Of Percy and TesgyvS vSur.Vire and fought their way Into Villedleu-LessP Poeles. The British struck towards good tank fighting country with the caps ture Of Le Beny-Boeage, dlrectly north Of Wire,
 or the eastern front the Russians gere 0n the march all the way from the Baltic to the Cafpatbiafls, me viTst White Russian Army stoFWee through the eastern suburbs oi Warsaw for a frontal attack and with the Igt Ukraine Army was as- EaVlLlng the vletula line 0n Z0Dv mile front south Of Warsaw 70 hFeT koy,
 The Russians made q crossing Of the vistula on pont00p bridges, Elnall boats and even barrels and logs, It Was evidently thelg DfepE tl0n to flank Warsaw and probably byspAgs tt lD . direct drive aeFoes the Polish plain towards the fF0ns tier og the Reich, The Germans Kere reported throwing their dgiadliEg aerial reserves 70 great nuInbeTs Into the battle Of the viss tliie,
 Co The keTtb
 % the north, three Russian armies weTe tightening the moose around the Germans caught 70 tne upper Battle states and dfiysng 'iesdily on East Prussia, The lst Battle Army sprang the tFap on ule Germans by smashing 70 the oAls 0f Riga et KlapkaIls, vest of tsisa:
 Al roads of escape were closed except by sea, and the disorgan.. izs6 germans Were under navel asla aerial gupflre,
 The drive on East Prussia gained momentum with the capture Of Kaunas Co Llthuanla, Berlin radio admitted today the loss of Wllkos vlshki, li miles from the East pFns. sian border and 40 miles southwest 0f Kaunas. The 3Td White Russian Army was within artillery range of East RFusala after the capture ef Dsdvyzlai, eight miles from the boE- der.
 Tn Ttalv ihe British Eighth Army was engaged along . 20"mile front