The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-01-12
The Wor On MonyFronts
By United Press

Stiffening German resistance was reported on both the Russian and Italian fronts today while Allied day and night bombers struck a heavy blow at the main Greek supply port for the German armies in the east ern Mediterranean.
 U. s. Air Force headquarters in London was counting it's losses and those inflicted on the enemy in the air battle that ragged over the Reich yesterday as strong U. s. formations raked industrial and communica- tions targets in northwestern Ger many. The German DNB agency said 136 American planes were shot down over Germany and occupied territory.
 A heightening of German resist ance in the western Ukraine was reported following the arrival of re- serve troops to fill the gaps in the Nazi armies striving desperately to stem Soviet forces converging from three directions on Sarny, 36 miles inside pre-war Poland, and gather ing strength for a smash into Ru- mania.
 German counter measures were stepped up especially in the neigh borhood of Sarny, whose loss would split the German forces in the Ukraine from those in White Rus- sia, and northeast of Shepetovka, a five-way junction astride the ancient invasion route into southern Poland
 Sarny's Fall
 Sarny's fall. hinted in Axis dis patches yesterday, was believed as- sured by the capture of the Wilno- Rowne railway towns of Strelsk, six miles north of Sarny, and Nemo- vichi, eight miles to the south. by advance guards of Gen. Nikolai F. Vatutin's 1st Ukrainian army and guerilla units.
 Vatutin'S main column smashed westward along the Kiev-Warsaw railway, which crosses the Wilno- Rown line at Sarny, only a few miles east of their junction.
 Seventy miles southeast of Sarny, other 1st Army elements overran more than 30 towns and villages in sweeping within 12 miles of Shepe- tovka, last defense barrier before Rovno, German administrative cen- ter for the Ukraine.
 In the central Dnieper Bend, Gen Ivan $. Konev's 2nd Ukranian army advanced to roll southwestward to- ward a junction with Vatutin's columns, but Konev'S failure to re- port noteworthy action yesterday was taken to indicate he was gath ering his forces for a drive across the north-south Odessa -Lwow rail- way and over the Dniester into Ru- mania.
 As the Anglo-American Fifth army in central Italy pushed through growing German resistance toward the Na1 mountain stronghold of Cassino, a strong force of American flying fortresses hammered tn e Greek supply Port of Piraeus, rip- ping up harbor facilities and setting big fires in the port area.
 8 Out Of 38
 Lightning fighter escorts helped the fortresses' gunners shoot down eight out of 35 German fighters which rose to challenge the raiders.
 Hours later, British Wellington bombers returned by moonlight to rain new destruction on the Greek port, distribution center for German supplies and troops pouring into the Dodecanese and the invasion threatened Grecian islands.
 In the mountain ridges overlook ing Cassino in central Italy, mud clogged communications and stub- born German defenders slowed the American advance on the German stronghold, last enemy bastion blocking the inland road to Rome.
 American troops who virtually had encircled Cervaro, bristling enemy defense point before Casino, two days ago were reported by radio Rome to have broken into the enemy lines there and engaged in savage bayonet fighting inside the town.
 In Jugoslavia. strong German Panzer units seeking to smash patriot resistance prior to any Al lied invasion of the Balkans, were reported to be overwhelming out numbered partisan forces in central Bosnia.
 The Germans were reported to have driven through the ill-equipped partisan forces handicapped by deep snows and bitter cold, in the area below Ranja Luka, key communica- tions center captured by the enemy last week. T Hungarian broadcast said the Nazis had captured Jajce seat of Mrashal Josip (Tito) Brozo- vich's provisional partisan govern ment.
 The nations transit industry by applying the wartime conserva-