Evening star., 1944-04-02
War Review
Axis Suffers Heavily
in Balkans, Pacific
By Hoyard p. Bailey.

an INVASION OF Rumanla across the
Prut River and of Hungary ano
Czechoslovakia through the JabIonics
Pass southwest of Czernowitz, capi-
tai of Bucovina, which fell to the
Reds on Thursday.
In imminent danger of annihila.
ton or surrender also are those
Nazi elements still holding Odessa
and the area surrounding that Black
Sea port. Yesterday it was an
nounced that the Reds were driving
on Tiraspol, to cut the last rail line
leading out of Odessa toward Ru-
mania and force the Nazis to fal
back overland or attempt to emu
late the British retreat from Dun
ouerque, using the great fleet OF
vessels of all types reported now
concentrated at Odessa.
Two powerful Russian armies are
moving down on Odessa, one from
recently captured Nikolaev and the
other from near Tiraspol. There were
reports that a Red amphibious force
had been landed or is about to lanc
near Odessa to put fanking pres
sure on the Nazis.
Just as the capture of Tiraspol
would sever the line between Odessa
and Iasi, so did the capture of Ger
nowitz cut the railroad line running
from Bucharest to Berlin by way OF
Lwow, thus threatening complete
separation of the southeastern from
the Polish front as the Reds moved
through the foothills of the Car
pathiaIs for Japlonica Pass. If the
pass is reached and the Reds are
able to exploit that victory by pour
ing troops out onto the plain west
of the Carpathians, new threat
will be made against the German
positions throughout the Balkans.
170 Miles From Ploesti.
AS matters stood at the END of the
week, the Russians were around Ito
miles from the Ploesti Oil field in Ru-
mania which is within easy bomb
ing range, but which so far has
escaped air attack, the Reds per-
haps feeling that its possession by
their forces is not too distantly in
the future.
There were reports that the COL
lapse of successive Axis defense
lines is occurring on an accelerating
scale and that Rumanian troops in
particular are eager to surrender.
AS further warning of things to
come if they continue in the war the
Bulgars were given another taste
of Allied air might with the
bombing of the capital, Sofia, an
attack which was carried on almost
leisurely by many waves of bombers
which passed over the city over a
span of several hours.
Further progress was made toward
Lwow in Poland, Red troops on that
front now being about $50 miles
from what is left of Berlin.
A German report yesterday, so
far not confirmed, declared that
several Russian divisions near Narva
In Estonia had been surrounded and
annihilated.
Finland last week summoned all
available men to the colors while
diplomatic contact with Russia was
again attempted. There were some
who interpreted this move as an in
dication of desire on the part of
the Firms to carry out Russian peace
demands which require that all
Germans in Finland be disarmed
and interned.
Failure at Casino.
Secretary of War Stimson ad-
mitted on Thursday what has been
evident for some time, that the
Allies have failed in their effort to
capture Casino after the most con-
centrated bombing of history.
Explaining why the failure oc-
CURED, Mr.. Stimson declared that
the Nazis, who have proven them
selves expert and stubborn fighters
when ordered to hold at all costs,
had fallen back to positions in the
hills, where caves and tunnels pro-
vided excellent positions for artil-
lery commanding the plain below,
on which Casino is situated Even
the rubble left by the air raids
served the enemy efficiently as
cover, Mr.. Stimson said, while rains
which followed the bombing made
morass of the ground around the
ruined city, seriously impeding the
tanks which were not able to oper-
ate as planned.
Throughout the week the Allies
gradually withdrew from advance
positions which had reached into
the lower sections of the Casino
hills and the fighting shifted from
infantry operations into heavy ar
tillery action. Many efforts by the
Nazis to launch counterattacks
were broken up by the big guns.
On the Anzio-Netunno beach
head, there was some sharp fight
ing, but again, as during the week
previous, no change in position
Throughout the week Allied air.
craft kept up a constant harass-
ment of the enemy's lines of COM
munication and suppl ybases to the
rear. The Nazis retaliated, most
spectacular raid being one on hos
pital area at Anzio, during which
65 Allied casualties occurred.
Worst British Air Loss.
The British air force suffered Its
worst loss of the war Thursday
night when 96 planes out of a bomb
er force of 900 which raided Nuern-
berg were shot down. The previous
high loss occurred on February 1e
when 79 planes failed to return from
raid on Leipzig.
During the course of Thursday
nights raid the British dropped
2240 tons of bombs on Nuremberg
which is one of Germany's most
important railroad and manufac-
turing centers. 1t is the home oi
the Diesel engine works and also
has other important war products
such as searchlights, tanks, airplane
parts and other essentials.
The weeks bombing began with
. 2,000-ton assault on rebuilt Essen
nome OF the Krupp works, which wa.
carried on by the British SUNDAY
night. Heavy American bombers
attacked airfelds in France on Mon.
day, their 2lst mission in the first
27 days of March. Monday the
British hit various targets in the
Ruhr and Tuesday between $50 ant