The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-04-04
Bucharest Bombed us SOviefS
Continue RulnlaI1ian Invasion
Ring Tighten'
on Is NaZi
Divisions

ny International News servfes)
The quaking Balkans reeled nj
certainly today under a powerful
twoway blow by the Allies tn,
second air attack upon Budapes
within "a hours and the steady ad
vance OF an invading Russian arm,
in Rumauia.
Allied fuur.motored and two-on
ginod Dombers roared from thei
Italian bases 10 blast important in
stallations in tho hungarian capt
tai during the night an offlcIa
communlque from Gen. sir Henri,
Maitland Wilson's headquarters re
yealed. The bombing formation
followed yesterdays daylight raj,
by American heavy bombers agsins
the cIty's key railroad facilities ane
an important aircraft factory south
OF Budapest
Near Jassy
While tho heavy ard medium
bonbers struck from the west, pow
erful Russian forces rolled to With
in six miles OF the key RumaBiar
railroad junction Of Jassy, which
until recently had been Balkan
headquarters for the German high
command. In their relentless drive
into the AXIS satellite country from
bridgeheads established at several
places along the Prut River. the
Soviet tank columns Oyerran UP
wards OF 50 towns and villages. Al
ready the rail line from Jassy 10
Dorohoi, 40 miles 10 the northwest
was severed by n Red army spear
head which occupied Dangeni.
Northwest OF this invading Red
army. however, another Russian
force frightened a ring OF steel about
10 trapped enemy divisions
Soviet tanks. artillery and In
/ iantrymen blasted relentlesaly al
the Nazis. estimated to number
some 22J.O0 officers and men.
trapped IN the Skala area Repeated
desperate attempts by the enemy
| TO break out OF the Russian trap
gained no success. and the battle
| OF humiliation wrought heavy loss.
os. both In manpower and materials
upon the Germans.
Finish OF Remnants
breaking into the Germans
military positions, our tank troops
dismember them into Isolated
groups and are finishing off rem
nants OF the encircled Nazi divi.
sions,' said the official Russian
communique. Soviet tank troops
are infllctlng particularly heavy
losses on the enemy"
Indicative OF some Of the losses
which the Germans already have
suffered at the hands OF the same
| Victorious Russian army we're fig
ures released In a special Soviet
[ bulletin. Dealing with the drive OF
I Marshal Gregory Zhukovs first.
| krainian army. the announcement
said II had routed aud severely
mauled" 50 Nail divisions. split tho
/ Germans In two by thTustiug into
/ the Carpathlan foothills and forged
/ the enlightenment about the Is
other enemy divisions. More than
$4,000 Nazis we're slain or captured
and nearly 1900 tanks and mobile
artillery pieces destroyed or seized.
Artillery In Action
On the Italian front. Allied ar.
tillery roared into action stimuli
taneously. Enemy troop concentra-
tons. supply dumps. ana commune
ication lines we're particularly
hard-hlt.
In tb, D,ctftc Ap,,rt,ap artil1a~V
also was active. As a powerful bar
rage laid down by the L. S. guns
rolled forward against japanese In
vasion forces on Bougainville in the
northern SolomOus, the Japs beat a
hasty retreat. In their wake, they
left a trail OF mass graves, in addl-
ton, at least 1000 officers and
men were known to have fallen in
close-quarters combat with tough
ened lank jungle fighters.
Adding their voice 10 the roar
Of guufire were large naval rifles
OF Allied warships, which trained
their muzzles upon the badlyDat-
tered Nipponese legions. As the
enemy fell back, the American
ground forces moved forward, ex-
tending their perimeter on the En-
press Augusta Bay beachhead.
Increase Hold
Elsewhere in the Bismarck Archi-
pelago. gen. Douglas MacArthur's
forces increased their hold on for
mer Jap positions. Dsmounted u.
s. cayalrymen in the Admiralty
group occupied two more islands
Ndrllo and Korunitt meeting and
overcoming token resistance. Allied
air assaults were continued against
Rabaul and Wcwak.
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz's left
See VAR-Page 9