The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-10-24

(Continued from Page ID Iarvi, Finnish gateway town to Nor: way, and cleared the entire vital nickel production region of north" ern Finland.
 Warshlps Report
 Salmijarvi, on the north shore ot Lake Kuotsjaervi, Is only l6 miles southeast of Kirkenes, German sub- marine and air base on the Allied Arctic convoy route. Russian war ships were reported yesterday to have sailed into Varangerfjord, of Kirkenes, in preparation for naeal and land operations in northern Norway. GA Berlin broadcast said Soviet troops had launched Q two- pronged land drive toward KIT. kenes)
 At the same time, c communique disclosed that Marshal Rodion Y. Mallnovsky's End Ukrainian army struck within eight miles of south- ern CzechosloVakia in capturing Dombrad and established Q solid 30- mile front between there and TiS. zalok on the south bank of the Tisza river. Ills forces also closed in further on satu-Mare, Seizing MartineSti and Samestil, two and three miles east and southeast re. spectlvely from the TranSylvanian rail center.
 The campaign in East Prussia, the first large-scale invasion of Ger man soil in 30 years, was the focal point, however of the Soviet opera tons along the lengthy eastern front.
 Air Umbrella
 CherniakoVsky'S powerful armored forces smashed into East Prussia under the cover of huge air ufn- brella and were driving rapidly on both sides of the Kauna -Konigsberg railroad.
 The offensive, in which Gen. Ivan 0. Bagramian's lst Baltic Army was expected to join momentarily wieh c push against TilSit in the north, threatened to develop Into e battle Of annihilatlon.
 (Berlin reported that Bagramian had reached the Niemen river on c 72-nlile front in the Memel zone and already had attempted crossings of the river for an assault on Tilsit.)
 While Cherniakovsky was accum- ulating his potent forces, tho Soviet high command carefully watched the Germans feverishly building defenSes and maSsing tank and ar. tilleFy reserves, The Nazis have an- nounced repeatedly they would fight to q finish, and the Soviets have waited and apparently are ready for just such Q battle.
 O2 Generals
 The size of CherniakhoVSky'G forces was indicated by the fact it included 62 generals the greatest number participating in any cam- paign on the eastern front. Also newspaper dispatches reported that the young general had concentrated aS many as 300 guns in c mile and c half and employed Up to 10000 guns in one operation.
 The invasion precipitated one of the greatest tank and artillery bat- ties of oil times aS the Germans fur- iously attempted to halt the Soviet drlveN which already tumbled the big town of doldap, 10 miles inside the border. The measure of Nazi resistance was obvious from the fact the Russians have been destroying more than 100 Panzers daily for the last five days.
 CherniakhovSky's troops were stretched along . front from Willu- nen, 37 miles southeast Of T1lSit in the north, to Suwalki, capital of Suwalki Province, in the south. Be- side the 800 towns in East Prussia, the White Russians also seized more than 800 in Lithuania and the former Polish territory of Suwalki.
 Big Force Poised
 (Herlin said that c force even greater than Cherniakhovsky'S was poiSed on the west bank Of the Narew river for c drive Into East Prussia from the south in the vicln- ity Of AuguStown. The Germans said this force was comprised of two armies.)
 The main portion of Cherniakhov. Sky'g army appeared to be centered south of the Kaunag-Koenig railroad, where the troops captured Walterkehfnen, 2i miles southeast Of I1steFburg and seven miles from oumbinnen, . key point on the FaiI line.
 Farther south, the units which took doldap appeared to De Sigirting the MasuFian lakes tii Q big xlank- ing drive aimed at the rear Of Konigeberg.
 Norkh of ti,a rali iisae. oti,ar eag-