The Ypsilanti daily press., 1944-02-29
Soviet Armies Converge on
InDOrfant Railroad Center.
Allies Making
Advances i'm
Italy

tBy International News SerNice)
Russian armored columns. sweep.
ing over the frozen terrain around
Pskoy. pushed into sight OF the
enemy stronghold today hard on
the heels OF retreating German
forces.
As the Red army converged from
four sides on the city. gateway 10
the attic, their cannon-beaTing
Sitormovik diye.bombers surged
ahead blasting the Nazi troop CON
centrauons and supply lines. Ac-
cording 10 late dispatches from ths
battlefront. the enemy was retiring
In confusion under the relentless
pounding OF Soviet forces moving in
from the north. northeast. at and
southeast
In their forward sweep toward
pskoY, which has been turned into
concentration camp as well as a
fortress in order to accommodate
the large number oi German de-
seriers reported on this front. the
Russians ovorran more than 500
more towns and villages. one OF the
places seized was Toroshino. seven
miles north on the Luga railroad
line.
Unofficial dispatches indicated
that the Red army was even closer
than this 70 Pskoy, which controls
Communication lines into lower ks-
tonia and northern Latyla. The
retreat toward the rail hub vas
A Fr.v,,
to places west Of NoyosokolnikL
More than 600 additional towns
and villages were oyerrun by the
Red army west and northwest o.
Noyosokolnih where tho enemy
was abandoning arms and equip
ment In their retreat. Many prs
oners were taken by the victorious
Russians in this sector.
Fortunes Bettered
The other European land front
likewise saw bettering OF the Al!!ed
fortunes. An official communIqus
from Gen. Sir Henry Maitland VII
sons headquarters declared thai
/ Fifth Army troops on the Anz.o
beaehhead, south OF Rome. I'm
proved their positions"
A small German attack was
hurled back before Lieut.. Gen.
Mark w. Clark's force achieved
this feat.
On the eighth army front. toward
the Adriatic end Of the main Italian
battle line, British forces advanced
and in one area occupied some
high ground.
The Japanese end OF the Berlin
I Tokyo Axis came in on the recel'
/ ing end OF more powerful Allied
blows. particularly In the south
west Pacific whore Gen. Douglas
1 MacArthur's airmen continued
/ their relentless pounding OF the
once.proud base Of Rabaul In
/ nlghtand-day twin operation, the
eighth and ninth raids in a week
Of unopposed missions. the United
Nations tllers dropped more than
1854 tons OF bombs.
In ranging through the south.
west Pacific skies. MacArthur
men plastered enemy shipping aud
supported the ground advance OF
American jungle troops who cap
tured the towns OF Dagur and Sin
gor on New Guinea. In all, some
/ 400 tons 6f high explosives were
sown among the Jap positions rom
the Admiralty islands 10 the solo
mons.
pay Tribute
In one OF the most fortnight ad-
missions 10 come from the Japs
since Pearl Harbor's treachery. the
Tokyo radio paid grudging tribute
10 efficiency OF American planes
and spirit OF Yank pilots. appealing
for stepped-up war production. en-
emv broadcast said OF the new p
A. we must admit the armor and
/ fire power OF the fighter display
admirable qualities and effiency.
OF the American airmen, the Jap
transmission sad.
Owe must not underestipate their
fighting spirit"
The Japs got a crack they will
remember" also in Burma, Admirsl
Lord Louis Mountbatten said today
m congrauaing his 14th army. The
British and Indian troops destroyed
powerful enemy force OF 5000
men in three weeks fighting IN the
Arakan jungles. thus thVart.ng
%tppouese offensive pointed toward
invasion OF India.
Another enemy broadcast. BY
Domei agency. said 90 United
States planes raided Ponape Island
in the CarolInes. There was no con
frmatlon OF this claim in Allied
circles. .a.