Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-08-09
Reds Closing In
On Riga From
Three Sides
Nuzi Counteruttucks
Along Entire Front
Reported RepuIsed
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Aug. 9.-The Red
Army frightened a moose today
around German Baltic forces
once estimated at more than 20
divisions-between 100000 and
300 900 men-and smashed a
deeper wedge through Poland
toward German Silesia west of
the Vistula.
Three Soviet columns pressed on
Riga from the west. south and east
for possibly the biggest kill of the
summer campaign. Heavily armored
units fell back on the Latvian
capital, their offensive thrusts shat
tered by Gen. Ivan C. Bagramian S
right wing.
The Soviet high command an
nounced that enemy forces are be-
ing "bled white" and "our troops are
advancing" against Ger
man reserve divisions thrown into
desperate counterattacks in nearly
every sector of the front to keep the
Russian hordes from German soil. A
communique supplement said all
were repulsed.
CThe Red Army was reported in
a BIC broadcast heard py NBC
today to have broken into Ger
man defenses on the East Prus-
sian frontier, There were no i'm
mediate details.)
Six Mile Advance.
The Russian communiQue also an
Smile northward thrust
on the Vistula bridgehead, a drive
which may be pointed at Warsaw
from the south, and an advance to
within 80 miles of the Czechoslo-
yak border.
The Russians said that to support
their counterattacks the Germans
are hurting even road building, air.
drome and other rear detachment"
into battle. 1t was reported Is new
German divisions have reached the
front in the last three weeks-some
from the Central Germany reserves,
others from Western Poland, Italy,
Hungary and Norway.
(The Russians did not disclose
where the German counterat-
tacks have occurred, but 1t could
be assumed that at least part
were aimed at keeping the Red
Army from leaping forward the
few miles needed to reach the
soil of East Prussia.
(The Germans announced that
many new officers have taken
over on the Eastern front at this
critical juncture.')
German Thrust Broken Up.
A German southwark thrust
aimed at breaking out of the
Estonia-Latvia enlightenment was
broken up by Soviet forces several
days ago in the Birzai area in
Northern Lithuania near the
Latvian border, the Russian COM
munique said.
Since then the rolling Russian
legions in that sector have captured
more than 80 communities, includ-
ing Radviliskis, on the border 43
miles from Riga.
Along with the Birzai offensive,
the Soviet forces shot two other
spearheads into Latvia along the
Daugava River toward Riga, sweep
ing through a total Of 100 places,
including Krustpils.
Front advices said there was rea-
son to believe one of the biggest
entertainments of the summer cam
paign was gaining new momentum.
Thousands of German soldiers
strung out in the vast spaces from
the Gulf of Riga to the southern
shores of Lake Peipus were reported
driven back to the Baltic in battle
of determination.
More Towns Liberated.
A1AC ASAoSAd4l duFdliCCS Ill LIE WIS.,
tula bridgehead in Poland likewise
threatened new German disasters
The smile northward gain freed
so towns and villages west north
west of Sandomierz. Steadily WIDEN
ing the salient, the Russians also
made new strides westward toward
Kielce and edged forward slightly tc
the southwest in the Krakow direc-
ton
Once again the Russian commu-
nique made no mention of the sit.
uation before Warsaw, where Soviet
troops last were reported batterine
the eastern suburbs while the Po-
fish underground fought the Ger
mans inside the capital itself.
Toward the southern end of the
long battle line a 33-mile approach
to Czecho-Slovakia was achieved by
capture Of Chyrow in jump from
the highway-rail junction of Sam.
Dor, capture of which Moscow sa.
luted two nights ago.