Evening star., 1944-06-25
War Review
Russian Attack Adds
To Nazi Problems
Bv Howard p. Bailey

OF the pattern was put In place
when the eagerly awaited Russian
summer offensive opened with a
terrific smash both above and below
Vitebsk in White Russia north of
the Pripet Marshes. In the early
phases of this operation penetra-
ton of the German positions to a
depth of nearly 10 miles in some
places was reported
Thus the NaZis now find them
selves faced with dangerous threats
from the West in Normandy. the
East in Russia and the South in
Italy, with many other paths to
Germany still unexplored but cer-
tain to be opened before the final
collapse comes.
The landing in Normandy and the
progress of the Allies toward capture
Of the port of Cherbourg at last has
awakened the Nazis to the grave
danger in that area and toward the
end of last week there were reports
that strategic reserves were at
tempting to move toward the penin-
sula to halt any further progress
toward Paris The drive on Paris,
now only about 80 miles distant
from the point of deepest penetra-
ton, has been delayed, however,
pending the mopping up of the pen
insilla and the capture of Cher
bourg for use as port of entry.
The tremendous number of men
and the enormous quantity of equip
ment and supplies already in Nor
mandy were put ashore on the
beaches. When port facilities are
available what has gone before will
be dwarfed by what follows. In
fact, the Nazts, perhaps fishing for
information, declared last week that
large numbers of American troops
have just left the United States
headed directly for France.
Escape Effort Crushed.
The fate of the Nazis pinned down
In Cherbourg is left in their own
hands. All week, as the Allies closed
in, the enemy was subjected to
flood of propaganda urging sur
render with humiliation as the only
alternative.
A serious effort to escape was
made Monday about 13 miles south
of Cherbourg but the thrust, pointed
at the American 9th Division, was
quickly halted and the Nazis were
forced to fall back. Saturday two
out of seven ships seeking to leave
Cherbourg were sunk and three were
damaged.
Advance American troops who
had driven to point about miles
from the port on Monday opened a
fierce assault on Tuesday which
carried them halfway to their goal
and Wednesday, aided by blazing
artillery support and heavy bomb
Ing, they advanced to a point with
In l mile of the principal docks.
Fighting was underway on house
to-house basis in the city proper.
BY yesterday the Germans had
Withdrawn to positions within the
city abandoning the tip of the
peninsula after some hurried efforts
at demolition of the port facilities.
According to the German radio,
1000 Allied guns of all calibers
pounded the city for "a hours with
out letup to be followed by heavy air
attacks. Then began the final phase
In the reduction of the city with Al |
lied troops pushing in from south. !
east and north. The Nazis warned
to fight to the end or be shot as
towards, are defending the city
street by street and house by house, |
but the final victory in Cherbourg
Is believed to be not many hours
away.
Air Forces Are Active.
While the fighting ragged for the
port, the Allied air forces kept up
constant pounding of German lines
OF communication, hampering if not
halting the movement of reserves
up toward the Normandy front.
The Pas de Calais area and other
sections in which the platforms for
the launching of the annoying
rocket bombs are located were heav-
lily bombed. About one-fourth CT
all the launching platforms were
captured by ground forces operating
on the Cherbourg Peninsula.)
Other Allied planes, continuing
their campaign against German
transport, struck at various airfields
and at oil refinerleS In fact, Sun
day, about 1900 American bombers
attacked refineries and oil-storage
facilities in the Hamburg area. The
long sustained drive against Ger
many's fuel supplies apparently is
having its effect, for much horse
drawn equipment has been encoun-
tered in Normandy recently.
Tuesday, refineries and synthetic
plants at Emmerich, Hanover
Hamburg, Magdeburg and Politz
were hit, and Wednesday 1000 big
bombers struck Berlin, encounter
ing only 50 fighters in defense of
the city. The Nazis reported that
many of the bombers continued on
to Russian bases in the first shuttle
raid in that area.
Rall centers at Laon and Reims
were blasted Thursday night and
yesterday, for the ninth straight
day, the rocket launching coast was
hit, though the so-called robots"
continued to land in Southern Eng
land
Double Barreled Offensive.
The Red armies are carving on q
ouble-barreled offensive at pres
ent, the first aimed at the quick
elimination of Finland and the Sc
curing Of a rail line from Muir
mansk TO Leningrad and the other
at the moment pointed toward
orlVe to the coast which will take
the Baltic states of Lithuania, Lat
VIA and Esthonia out of the war.
Viipuri. Finland's second largest
city, fell to the Russians on Tuesday
after the preaching of the Manner
helm Line destroyed the last strong
oetenseS between the advancing
Russians and the seaport. Moving
now toward Helsinki, the capital
the Russians feel confident that
FINLAND soon will sue for peace
or go down to defeat.
The new Russian offensive in the
Vltebsk region, while for the mo-
ment believed intended to clear IN