Evening star., 1944-03-19
: War Review
Nazis Facing Disaster
in Ukraine Area
BY Ho,card p. Bailey.

within a few miles of the prewal
Rumanian border.
Some reports, not so far entirely
confirmed, declare that the Ger.
mans at several points have faller
back across the Dniester River Il
prepare a stand on the Besserabiar
side of that border-f fixing stream.
The Nazis, in their retreat, which
n many cases has approached &
hout, are said to have abandoned
equipment in quantity not hereto
fore encountered In the war. 1t i;
believed that the last pools of re.
eerves have been exhausted and that
the Nazis must quit the lower
Ukraine speedily or face the loss OF
barge bodies of troops now in i'm
rninent danger Of entrapment.
The week opened badly for the
Nazis last Sunday when the Russians
began to put on the pressure in the
direction Of Kherson, Black Sea port
at the outlet of the Dnieper River
At least 5000 Nazis were reported
killed, bringing to $4,000 the number
losing their lives during the first
eight days of the new offensive in
the lower Ukraine. From Tarnopol
In Poland, at the upper end of the
southern line, to Berislav near Kher-
son, the entire front was alive with
Russian pressure massive at many
points.
In Tarnopol the fighting was
bitter in the extreme, the Nazis
fighting from house to house as they
slowly gave way before the drive
which has as its objective the
Carpathian Mountains, foothold In
which would definitely split the
Nazis and make more difficult the
escape of the lower armies, which
then would be forced to funnel into
Rumania through a relatively mar
row escape corridor.
Only Odessa Left.
Acutely aware of their danger the
Nazis by Tuesday were retreating
rapidly toward Odessa where a con-
centration of ships of all kinds in
dicated preparations for a Dun
kerque. Fall of Kherson, which
came late Monday night, left only
Nikolaev and Odessa as escape ports
for the Nazis and Nikolaev fell on
Wednesday.
Adding to the Nazis troubles was
the seyering of the main rail line
leading northwestward from Odessa,
leaving only a single-track road
back into Besserabia in Nazi hands.
Over this inadequate line, supplies
for 100000 men believed in the
Odessa area must move and when
the final retreat comes this same
line must provide escape, obviously
q task beyond the capacities of the
road which explains the concen-
tration of shipping at Odessa.
AS the week ended. a survey indi-
Gated that some $4,000 Nazis, en-
trapped near Nikolaev, had been ex-
terminated and that the pressure
was on at four points. One Red
force was moving ahead from Nova
Odessa on the Bug River toward
Odessa, rs miles away. Another is
pushing down the Cherkassy- Odessa
rail line. A third, moving forward
from recently captured Uman is
nearing the Dniester River and the
fourth striking out from below
Tarnopol which is the scene of fierce
resistance by the desperately bracing
Nazis is aimed at the bend in the
Dniester where 1t lies closest to the
Prut River marking what Russia
now considers the border of
Rumania.
Up on the Finnish front where
there are new signs of increased
hostility following the rejection of
the Russian armistice terms by the
Finnish government it was re-
ported that Russian paratroopers
had landed behind the northern
flank of the Finnish line.
Diplomatic pressure is still being
applied to the Firms to get out of
the war but her statesmen are ap-
prehensive over their country's
future fearing that to yield now will
mean incorporation of their state
within the Russian system.
Casino Eliminated.
The receding floods in the Casino
sector of the Gustave Line in
Southern Italy spelled the doom of
that strong anchor of the Nazis
positions for, the time having ar
rived for renewal of the Allied
advance toward Rome, American
flyers turned loose the most con-
centrated load of bombs ever to
have been dropped on a given area,
completely eliminating Casino,
leaving such an impossible pile of
rubble that Allied troops, taking the
offensive, were badly delayed by the
wreckage from behind which dazed
Nazis continued to fight
At least $500 tons of bombs were
dropped on an area of about one
square mile In a series of 5000
sorties by planes of all types, caus-
ing complete devastat ton.
Allied troops who had been with
drawn from Casino to make way
for the bombers swung into action
almost as soon as the last load of
bombs had fallen and quickly swept
into the city, where they met sharp
resistance from the Nazis who ap-
parently intend to obey Hitler's
orders to hang on at all costs.
AS the week ended, however, The
Sth Army was clear through the
city to the southern outskirts tc
which the Nazis still cling. Tht
enemy still holds the badly battered
Abbey on Mount Casino.
In the AnZio area, Allied force.
have beaten off several determined
Nazi counteroffensives and have
slightly improved their position.
which will become increasingl,
menacing II and when the 5th Arm,
moves northward from Casino.
Allied aircraft continue to pouno
the enemy's lines of communica
tons and bases TO the rear and OF
Friday one force of bombers hoppec
the Alps to bomb Vienna, tht
first time this has been accom-.
plished from Italian bases. Othel
groups have carried on raids to aic
Tito in Yugoslavia, who CONTINUES