The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-04-06
BY LOUIS F. KEEMLE
United Pre- IS War Editor

The Russians not only closed in
on the great Black Sea port Of
Odessa today but herCled tens OF
thousands of Germans into mar
rowing coastal segment east Of the
Dniester river from which there was
little chance Of escape except with
staggering losses.
AS the remnants Of the beaten
NaN armies in southern Russia
reeled back towards the Balkans,
British-American air activity was
divided between assaults on the
Germans in western Europe and
support Of the Russian front by dis
rupting the rear German commune
cation lines in Rumania and Hun
gary. The chief blow during the
night was directed at German air
craft repair plants at Toulouse in
southern France.
The third army of the Ukraine
was 10 to Is miles from Odessa on
the north and east, within heavy
artillery range. The principal rail
and highway escape route Of the
Germans was cut with the capture
of RaDdelnaya, 80 miles to the north
west, and Kuchurgan, eight miles
southwest Of Razdelnaya.
Remaining to the Germans was
the single line which runs from
Odessa into southern Bessarabia
with a five-mile gap across the
Dniester between the lagoon and the
advancing Russians in the north IS
swampy and almost impossible for
large bodies of troops.
Evacuation Limited
An attempted "Dunkirk" evacua-
ton by sea was limited by shipping
facilities and the Russian air force,
which for some time has been har-
rying enemy movements in the
waters between Odessa and the
Cirmea.
Complete enlightenment of the Ger
mans, as at Stalingrad and in several
sectors Of the Ukraine, was not pos
sible, but 1t was obvious that only
a minority could escape and that
most Of their equipment would be
lost. The Soviet midnight COM
munique reported the capture yes
terday Of much heavy artillery,
tanks, trucks and stores Of ammu-
milton, food and supplies.
The number of Germans caught
In the trap has been variously esti-
mated, but 100000 may not be too
high a figure. There we're more
than that, but thousands have been
killed or captured since the big
squeeze began and many more prob
ably have been withdrawn into BeS-
sarabia, leaving rear guard to fight
delaying action.
More NaZis Caught
Many more Germans were caught
in two other traps on the Ukraine
front. One was at Tarnopol in old
Poland, where the survivors Of a gar
riSon originally estimated at $4,000
were completely encircled. The other
was in the Kamenets Podolsk or
Skala pocket northeast Of Cernauti
in which the remnants Of is divi-
Sions were almost surrounded.
British heavy bombers resumed
their activities from England last
night for the first time since "a
were lost over Germany a week ago.
"A 4OAOC Va 0nAANN0VCAo ACW WAC ACAA6 OAA
Of France to make what was de-
Scribed as a successful attack on the
aircraft plants at Toulouse.
1t came shortly after 200 Amer
lean heavy bombers from Italy
struck railway targets and a refinery
around Ploesti in the Rumanian oil
fields. doing extensive damage. Two
railroad points in Jugoslavia also
were attacked and more than 40
enemy planes were shot down in all
operations from Italian bases. "Sev-
eral dozen" enemy planes were de-
;troyed on the ground when Amer
can fighters challenged the Luft-
vaffe without much success In q
;O0-mile flight to the Berlin and
Iunich areas.
Invasion Preparations
Preparations for the invasion Of
western Europe were stepped up
when Britain suspended telephone