The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-04-18
The War On
Many Fronts
BY LOUIS F. KEEMLE
United Press War Editor

Germany tenSely Watcneo mount
ing signs of Allied invasion inten-
tons today while the air offensive
against her European stronghold
continued undated and the Rus
slams Stormed the last defenseS of
Sevastopol in the Crimea.
Axis radio broadcaStS, predicting
the imminence of invasion, betray-
ed nervousness over the possibility
that it might come at an unexpect-
ed time or place, despite utmost
German efforts against surprise.
Tht feeling was shown in a broad
cast by Martin Hallensleben, mill
tary commentator of the official
DNB news agency. he said precau-
lions were being taken to antici-
pate any possible Allied move, since
surprise was essential to the sue
cess of an amphivious landing.
German uneasil OesS undoubtedly
was heightened by the unprece-
denied British move in sealing off
all possible diplomatic leaks by i'm
muring foreign diplomats behind
wall of secrecy in the British Isles.
The air offensive meanwhile gave
the Germans more tangible evil
dence of Allied intentions as it
smashed from two sides at the Nazi
stronghold.
Cologne Hit
Twin-engined British bombers
struck during the night at Cologne,
Rhineland industrial city, and the
German radio reported today that
Allied bomber formations were over
northern and northwestern Ger
many.
British bombers from Italy car
ried on the war against enemy COM
municationS in the Balkans with
pre-daWn attack on the railroad
yards at Plovtiv, Bulgaria, 80 miles
southwest of Sofia. It followed
blows by strong forces of heavy
American bombers yesterday on the
yards at Sofia and Belgrade, cap
ital of Yugoslavia.
The seige of SevaStopol neared its
climax as the southern column of
the Russian forces broke through
the hills to the level ground below
the city, which was in flames from
the Russian bombardment and
demolitions set off by the defenders.
To the north and northeast, the
Russians made slower progress
through the strongly fortified
heights and water defenses. Within
the city survivors of tn Axis Crimean
garrison of about 100000 crowded
the docks in efforts to escape by
sea, but their transports and barges
were being crippled in large num-
bers by Soviet airplanes.
..4~ Bessarabia
In Bessarabia, the second Ukraine
army pushed ahead in its drive be-
yond Odessa, steadily widening its
hold ON the western bank of the
Dniester.
On the Italian front, German
patrols took the initiative with
strong thrusts in the principal bat
tie areas. An Allied communique
said they were repulsed in bitter
skirmishing. Allied airplanes joined
in the fighting and maintained their
activity against rear communication
lines leading to the front.
In the Pacific, Allied planes
pounded at Japanese bases in the
Carolines, the Bismarck Archipelago
an dthe New Guinea coast area.
Truk and its outpoSts in the Caro-
lines were hit in triple attack from
the central and south Pacific over
the weekend. Six enemy ships were
sunk and three damaged in the New
Guinea area and off Timor in the
Dutch East Indies.
British imperial forces in north
western India continued their coun-
ter1attacks agains THE encroaching
Japanese in the Imphal- Kohima
area, but fighting was heavy and
still undecisive.