GROWING ENEMY DISASTER

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 239, 6 July 1944, Page 5

GROWING ENEMY DISASTER

Russians Breach Tiger Line MENACE WIDENS Spearheads Believed Far Ahead

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.)

(Received July 5, 11.20 p.m.) LONDON, July 5. The capture of Polotsk, the by-passed bastion north-west of Minsk, was announced last night by Marshal Stalin in an order of the day. With this centre in their hands after a heavy battle in the streets in which they took many prisoners, the Russians have unhinged what the Germans called their “Tiger Line.” . The Germans in the Baltic States right up to the Gulf of Finland are now beginning to find themselves in a dangerous salient as the Red Army pushes on toward the communication centres of Dvinsk and Vilna.

Berlin today says the Germans have withdrawn from the “Kovel salient” south of the Pripet Marshes. Kovel is an important junction in the area of the deepest Red Army penetration into Poland made last spring. In what is perhaps the greatest offensive of all time, the Red Army has practically cleared the Germans from Soviet territory. With the capture of Minsk and Polotsk no Russian town of any importance remains in German hands. Since the offensive began on June 22 the Russians have surged forward about 200 miles—more than one-quarter of the total distance to Berlin.? The Red Army’s advanced units were last night just 110 miles from the border of East Prussia. On the previous day they were reported to be 140 miles away. The Germans are surrendering in battalions and whole regiments as the Red Army drives on non-stop beyond Minsk, says Reuter's Moscow correspondent. “The most abject scenes of surrender since Stalingrad are occurring on the roads of White Russia. Long columns of unescorted prisoners are tramping to assembly points to which they are directed by Soviet officers.”

The Moscow correspondent of the British. United Press reports that fast-moving cavalry and tanks of Chernyakhov’s Third White Russian Army, which broke through north of Minsk, are the most advanced units driving toward East Prussia. But the Russians’ progress generally has been surprisingly fast. Their tanks have travelled as much as 25 miles in one day, with their infantry averaging from 12 to 15 miles a day. The Red Army artillery has kept up witli this headlong advance, ami is already in action against the Germans far to the west pf Minsk. A wall of Soviet troops, tanks, and artillery is bearing down on the routed Germans beyond Minsk, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. Many enemy units are completely out ,of touch with their command and certain of only two tilings—constant onslaughts from the air and the Red Army’s irresistible and enyeloping advance. To Keep Nazis Off Balance. The Russians are chasing the Germans as fast as possible, hoping to prevent 1 hem from reorganizing and standing along any natural barrier before they 1 reach the main line running between Dvinsk, Vilna, Grodno, Bialystock and Brest-Litovsk, says the British United Press correspondent in Moscow. The correspondent adds that it is most likely the Germans will choose this line on which to make a last big stand before being pushed into Germany. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says fresh columns of Red Army tanks and infantry are streaming westward through the great gap at Minsk, which the Russian commentators are now calling “the gate Io Berlin.” The spearheads are heading for Dvinsk, Vilna, and Grodno, all of which are vital communications centres on the main railway between Leningrad and Warsaw. According to reports from Stockholm, thousands of Russian partisan troops are assembling in the region of Vilna, preparing to assist the advancing Red Army. Most of these troops were dropped by parachute, while others infiltrated through the German lines. Morley Richards, the “Daily Express’ military writer, says that by wheeling north toward Vilna the Russians may be able to reach the Baltic through East. Prussia. He adds that this would cut off from their home base between SO and 00 German divisions.

Emergency Defence Line. Polotsk, which fell yesterday, is a railway town which the Germans had built up into a key-point of an emergency defence line to cover the Baltic Slates in case they lost Vitebsk itself. The Russians cut the escape railway and pushed on. They were last reported about -40 miles from the Latvian.town of Dvinsk, on the road io Riga.

Marshal Stalin’s order of the day last night was addressed to General Bagramyan. It said that troops of the First Baltic Front, developing the offensive, .stormed and captured the town and important junction of Polotsk, powerful fortified stronghold covering the road to Dvinsk. Moscow saluted the victory with 20 salvoes from 22-1 guns. The fall of Polotsk, which has* been The scene of many battles and wag partly destroyed in the Napoleonic campaign of IS] 2. removes a major obstacle on the road to Dvinsk and Riga.

The Soviet communique, after repeating the order of the day announcing the capture of Polotsk, added that the Russians hereabouts occupied 300 places, including Miory. 15 miles west of Polotsk. Troops of the Third White. Russian Front continued their offensive and cautured 350 places. Troops of the First. White Russian Front continued* to advance in the direction of Baranowicze ■and captured over 200 places. Russians mopping up north-west of Bobruisk capfund 60 German officers, including Lieutenant-General Luctzow. rommander of the 35th German Army Corps.

This is the twenty-second German general to be rantiircd or killed by the Allies in three weeks. A Russian air communique says that Soviet bombers attacked the Vilna railway station, destroying three German troop trains and starting 15 fires.