Evening star., 1944-10-24
Soviet Confirms
19-MiIeDrive
InEastPrussia.
All MemeI Zone
Except Port Is
Reported Taken
MAP on Page A-4.)
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Oct. 24.-Russian
penetration of German territory
to a depth of at least 10 miles
in East Prussia was proclaimed
today in the first Moscow an
nouncement of a powerful Red
Army offensive that already has
captured 400 Nazi towns and
villages.
Summarizing results of a drive
from Western Lithuania which the
Germans have been reporting for a
week, Russian communique said
Gen. Ivan D. Cherniakhovsky's Sd
White Russian Army had broken
through frontier defenses on an 81
mile front on the east.
Gen. Ivan c. Bagramian's lst
Baltic Army cleared the way to
spring into the homeland of the
Junkers from the north-and NAV
already have done so.
The Soviet bulletin announced
Gen. Bagramians troops had oc-
cupied all of Memel territory except
the port of Memel itself where the
German garrison was cut off, and
had maSsed along the Niemen River.
East Prussia's northern border. from
the Baltic to Jurbarkas in Lithuania.
Guns Salute Victory.
Twenty Salvos from each of Mos
cows 224 victory guns saluted the
achievements of the Cherniakhovsky
and Bagramian armies-disclosed on
a day that brought announcement
OF nearly / 500 towns seized by Red
armies from the Norwegian border
in the Arctic to Yugoslavia in the
south.
Gen. Cherniakhovsky's offensive,
which gave the Russians a solid
footing on German soil for the
first time, drove directly westward
On each side of the main highway
and rail routes from Kaunas, Lith-
unia, to Insterburg and Konigsberg.
InSterburg, hub of five railways
81 miles from the border, appeared
the immediate strategical prize.
Late dispatches said the Russians
were approaching Gumbinnen, on
the main westward route only Is
miles east of Insterburg and So miles
miles from Konigsberg, East Prus-
sian capital.
Nazis Report Red Gains.
BY official account. Gen. Cherni-
akhovskys forces have made their
deepest penetration of German ter
ritory at Goldap, south of the
Kaunas-Konigsberg Line. At cap
tured Walterkehnen. II miles north
of Goldap, they were only 7 miles
from Gumbinnen.
"a German broadcast last night
said the Russians now had
reached the Angerapp River, II
miles west of fallen Goldap, for
total penetration of IS miles in
side East Prussia.
Berlin declared further that
on the north, Gen. Bagramians
forces, already within shelling
range of Tilsit, had attempted to
cross the Niemen and capture
that fortress city on the. south
bank of the stream)
Intersburg, where the sound of
the Red guns already was said to be
audible. lies % miles south of Tilsit.
If Insterburg falls, the northern city
would be threatened with encircle-
ment.
With Memel effectively isolated by
land, Gen. Bagramian is moving
most of his forces southwark to East
Prussia. The Niemen, a formidable
water barrier. still is to be crossed,
but his troops already are keeping
considerable German strength COM
mitted at Tilsit.
Gen. Bagramian's army captured
500 populated points in virtually
claiming up Memel territory. a 1,099-
square mile area ceded to Germany
by Lithuania in 1899 under German
pressure.
The Rome radio said the Germans
had ordered the evacuation of Buda-
pest, capital of Hungary. Russian
troops last were reported within so
miles of the great Danubian city.