Evening star., 1944-04-16
War Review
Reds Clear Path for
Drive on Romania
BY Hoiuard p Bailey.

Romanian troops operating in
Southern Russia last week when the
Red Armies just about completed
all the preliminaries to a full-scale
invasion of Romania, which may
take that unhappy nation, or most
of it, out of the war in the near fu-
ture.
With amazing speed, the Russians
captured Odessa and then swept
swiftly onto the Crimean Peninsula
from two directions, the mainland
and the Kerch Peninsula. AS the
week closed only the naval base at
Sevastopol and narrow strip of
land from Sudak to Yevpatoriya re-
manned in German hands.
Just how many troops the enemy
had on the peninsula at the start of
the week is not known definitely,
but the estimate ran to about 100,-
600. Already $1,000 prisoners have
been taken. Two Romanian divisions
have been routed and one German
of about $4,000 men has been ami
hilated. Whether the Romanians are
numbered among the $1,000 prison.
ers is not at once made clear.
Now poised within sight of Sevas-
topol two Russian armies stand
merged for the final strike against
the city which the Germans seized
about two and a half years ago at
a loss of some 100000 men killed
Transports Are Sunk.
Escape by the sea only remains
for those of the enemy still in the
Crimea. One effort by the Nazis
to emulate the British at Dun
querque ended in death of hundreds
of troops who went down with four
transports sunk by the Russian
Black Sea fleet.
The Reds pushing toward Ro-
mania from Odessa now stand only
20 miles from the 1899 border which
the Nazis crossed with such con-
fidence and speed in their eager
drive for the Caucasian oil fields
Now the Nazis with equal speed but
no confidence at all are fleeing back,
abandoning equipment of all sorts
even to the extent of throwing away
their overcoats and gas masks, &C
cording to Russian dispatches.
German and Romanian generals
are reported to have abandoned
their troops on the Crimea, leaving
by plane as the Reds advance.
All of the east bank of the Dnestr
Estuary has now been cleared
of the enemy and only the lower
fringes of the Ukraine below the
Pripet Marshes remain of the Nazi
conquest of that vast Soviet terri
tory.
Yesterday Tarnapol. Polish bas-
ton, fell to the victorious Reds.
Little Change in Italy.
There was some action of rather
more than usual intensity on the
Italian front but for another week
nothing of great Importance took
place Monday New Zealand troops
attacked with some force against
two German positions south of
Casino and the Nazis in turn sub
jected the Allies in that ruined city
to heavy artillery fire.
There was some movement of
German troops behind the lines
observed and it was reported that
Marshal Kesserling, in command
in Italy, is expecting new Allied
landing attempts, one on the Gulf
nf h1 Nf
head of the Adriatic where any
serious expedition co-ordinated
with Russian drive from the
north would present serious prob
lem jeopardizing the entire Ger
man position in the Balkans.
Tuesday more than 500 sorties
were flown against Naz lines of
communications without loss of a
plane.
Wednesday, at about the time
King Victor Emmanuel announced
his intention to abdicate the throne
Of Italy in favor of his son, Prince
Humbert, 500 American bombers
few deep into Austria from Italian
bases to blast the Messerschmitt
plant at Wiener Neustadt. Other
Italian-based planes bombed Tag
reb, capital of Croatia and the port
of Split. The damage was consid-
cred satisfactory.
Wednesday night, British planes
from Italy dropped 2-ton block
busters with very good effect on the
rail yards of Budapest through
which vital supplies to the Axis
Balkan forces must pass. The raid
was followed by a daylight raid by
American planes Thursday against
aircraft and railroad equipment fac
tories near Budapest.
Yesterday the Ploesti oilfeld and
Bucharest were heavily bombed.
Allied Planes Hit Heavily.
Germany and the occupied areas
of Western Europe underwent one
OF the heaviest weeks of air raids of
the war during which unusually
large numbers of enemy planes
were shot down.
Sunday, the second straight day of
powerful blows against German
plane production facilities. saw es-
adjustments in Poland, East Prus-
sia and Northeast Germany hit and
90 German planes were either shot
down or destroyed on the ground.
Monday between 1000 and 1900
American bombers and fighters
spread destruction among plane
factories and airfelds in Belgium
and France.
Monday night British planes
dropped 1000 tons of bombs on rail
targets in France and Belgium, and
1000 Liberators and Flying For
tresses escorted by Thunderbolts,
Mustangs and Lightnings attacked
the aircraft factories at Oschersle-
ben and Bernburg on Tuesday. The
Tuesday raid rounded out so straight
hours of bombing, during which T.
600 tons were dropped on % Nazi
airplane factories, rail centers and
eirdrcmes.
Tuesday the British hit Aachen
and Hanover, the latter the center
Of Germanys synthetic rubber in
duStry. 1t was announced Wednes-
day that since the first OF the year