Evening star., 1944-07-06
Drive Under Wuy
Toward Pinsk and
Brest-Litovsk
MAP on Page A-11.)
BY the Associated Press.

Dy tIlc hSSOClAleQ FEeSs.
MOSCOW, July 6.-The Red
Army unleashed a great new
offensive today in the direction
of Pinsk and Brest-Litovsk, while
vanguards of Gen. Ivan Cher
niakhoysky's Sd White Russian
Army were reported within As
miles of -Wilno, gateway to the
Northern Baltic republics.
Pinsk and Brest-Litovsk are IS
and 10 miles, respectively, from
KoWel, vital communications center
which the Germans said yesterday
they had abandoned.
Like the beginning Of the White
Russian campaign, the new drive
was launched with terrific artillery
barrages operating with mighty air
support. It was too early, however
to tell whether it was a general of =
fensive.
(The German communique
said fighting was revived be-
tween the Upper Dnester and
Kowel. AT Baranowicze, 81 miles
southwest of Minsk on the trunk
line to Warsaw, the Germans as
serted that ''repulsed numerous
Soviet attacks in fierce encount-
erS)
Gen. Cherniakhovsky' advance on
Wilno from the southeast carried
through Smorgonie, where his cav
airy units were only 140 miles from
the borders of East Prussia, front
dispatches said.
Mopping Up Minsk Region.
Other Soviet troops mopping up
the Minsk region proceeded with the
liquidation of the battered remnants
of the German 18th and 9th Corps
and the 39th Tank Corps.
Molodeczno, the latest ma jor point
to fall to the sweeping Russian Of
fensive, was one of the mainstays OF
the Germans 90-mile Vileika- Mes
vizh line. and a junction of the
Minsk-Vilno and Polotsk-Lida rail-
roads.
The way now appeared open for 9
simultaneous advance by Gen. Cher
niakhovsky's Sd Army and Gen. Ivar
Bagramian's 1st Baltic Army into
Lithuania and Latvia.
There was no confirmation ir
Moscow of the German report thai
Howell, which is 2l5 miles southwest
of Minsk. had been evacuated.
The Moscow radio, in broad
cast recorded by the Soviet
monitor in London, said the Ger
mans were counterattacking in
the Baranowicze area, using in
fantry, tanks and aircraft. Par
ticularly fierce fighting is going
on" the broadcast said.
lReuters quoted the Moscow
radio as saying other German
counterattacks were reported west
of Molodeczno. but declaring the
Red Army, however, is sweeping
the Germans away in its drive
to the west.')
Red Dive Bombers Active.
Great waves of Stormovik div
bombers hunted out the German
salients in the Pinsk Marshes, blast
ing them from low levels and drivin.
the Nazis along the few roads lead
ing back toward the Gorin Rive
and Pinsk.
Military observers in Moscow saw
in this new activity through tn,
difficult marshes challenge t.
Hitler's whole central position and
if coupled with the Southern Whit,
Russian offensive, believed it shoult
carry straight to Brest-Litovsk ant
Warsaw.
The Russians mighty push toware
the Berlin Warsaw -Wilno-Daugav
pils-Pskov-Leningrad railway-on,
of the main arteries of the Battles
was under pressure not only from
Gen. Bagramian's 1st Baltic Army
but also from Gen. Cherniakhovsky. ;.
cavalry and tanks.
Yesterday Gen. Bagramian was 81
to 40 miles east of the railway in thu
region of st. Myadziol. 40 mile!
north of Molodeczno, and today Gen
Cherniakhovsky approached point!
nearly the same distance away as h,
moved on from Smorgonie.
18 Miles From Baranowicze.
To the south of these two power.
full pushes, Russian troops rolling
on west of Minsk toward Barano.
wicze, in a fierce, storming fight
reached point 18 miles away, dis.
patches said.
The Red Army is crossing the
Viliya River west of Smorgonie, &C.
cording to dispatch from a Rec
Star correspondent. and numerou!
Germans are fleeing down side roads
There were numerous reports Of
the Germans fighting back fiercely
as they were being driven back to.
ward Wilno.
N