The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-07-29
ARMIES ONLY 20
MILES FROM GOAL
Plunge To Within so Miles
OF Riga; Take South /.
ern Strongholds
By w. w. HERCHER

BY w. w. HERCHER
LONDON, Saturday, July
29 -P)- Russian troops
swept across flat grainfields
to within 20 miles of the Pc.
fish capital of Warsaw yes
terday and also captured
Brest Litovsk and trapped
three German divisions Of
perhaps 10000 men near that
Bug river stronghold, Mos
COW announced early today.
In the north other Soviet units oe
Gen. Ivan C. Ragramian's first
Baltic army plunged to within 5000
miles of Riga, c,osing steadily on
an even richer prize-the German
Baltic army of possibly 300, 900 men
iInperilled in Estonia and Latvia
now that the main axis rail routs
to German east Prussia has been
81 apped.
STRONGHOLD Fell t.
Far to the south the German
strongholds of Jaroslaw and Pre-.
nlysl fell to Russian Ukraine for
ces striking westward toward Kra-
kow on the main trunk railway to
Germany. Red Army troops also
began ascending the Carpathian
mountain roads toward nearby
Czecho-Slovakia.
With the battle of Warsaw likely
to begin in the next "a hours, 4
midnight Moscow bulletin a1nounc-
ed that everywhere "a battered
ard beaten enemy is rolling west
ward" with Red armies in hot pur-
suit.
German units were being hurled
back into Praga, eastern suburb
Of Warsaw which is across the
Vistua river on the west bank, Mos
COW dispatches said. The Russians
were racing toward the city along
broad highway, and during yes
terday's operations they seized
Kolbiel, 20 miles southeast Of War
saw.
Polish underground warriors al
ready are fighting the Germans
inside Warsaw, dispatches said.
and the great city was almost with
in artillery range of Soviet guns.
Other Towns Taken
Besides Kolbiel, the Russians
also seized Siennica, six miles east
Of Kolbiel; Cegiow, 10 miles north
east of Kolbiel and 80 miles east.
southeast of Warsaw on the rail.
way to Siedlce The latter town
was being mopoed up by Russians
who broke into the city Thursday.
The Russians now hold about an
80 mile stretch of the east bank
the Vistula southeast of Warsaw
in the Kazimerz-FulaWy-Debli:1 Sec
tors, and Marshal Konstantin K.
Rokossovsky's troops are expected
shortly to crosy the Visual in .
thanking movement on Warsaw.
The three German divisions 81
near fallen Brest Lito-
vsF, lis miles east Of Warsaw, APP
psrently had waited too long be.
fore trying to retreat to the Wis.,
tula. The midnight Moscow bull
letin said the Germans had SUI
fered 1000 dea1 during the day,
5000 of these falling at the his
toric fortress city of Brest Litovsk.
The encricled divisions are west
Of the city, and the communicate
said that in an attempt to break
out of the Soviet trap the Ger
mans marched like a solid wall
towards our positions. Soviet ar
and mortar gunners
showered the enemy with hurri-
cane of fire.
No Line
On the tabletop land outside War
saw there still was no sign of 4
,ixed German line of defelse, Mos
cow dispatches said. Some believed
he Germans might give up War
Jaw and begin another long re-
reat westward across the open
plains to Germany, 21O miles
away.
South and southwest of Stanisla.
Fcw the Russians swept to within
my few miles of the Czech
order on 30-lnile front, striking
Or the Carpathlan mountain passes
eading into Czechoslovakia and
Hungary. Moscow dispatches sale
he Germans were retreatiag
across the frontier.
Gaping another black day for
he Germans, the Soviet forces
'ver-ran $50 towns and villages in
addition to the major strongholds
# Brest Litovsk, Przemysl and
Iaroslaw.
In northern Lithuania the Rus.
'ians plunged to within so miles
Riga, Latvian capital on the Baltic
With the capture Of Joniskis. q
niles north of Siauliai, rail iunc.
ion whose capture on Thursday
on Pare Tue. cny On