Greatest Prize Control of Baltic

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 53, 6 March 1944, Page 5

Greatest Prize Control of Baltic

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Simday, 11.15 pan. LONDON, March 6. The battles on the three sectors of the northern front—Narva, Pskov and ostrov—are developing with exceptional stubbornness, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. In addition to the Soviet outflanking threat against Pskov another substantial German force concentrated between Ostrov and Pskov is threatened with encirclement hy the Russian drive against Ostrov. The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press reports that General Popov’s troops are within seven miles of the railway running southwest from Pskov to Dviusk and within eight miles of Ostrov in their drive to outflank Pskov. Further north General Govorov’s men have now almost surrounded Narva after taking more German strongholds in their fight to widen the bridgehead over the Narva River. Once Narva and Pskov fall the three great Russian armies can pour into Esthonia and Latvia, but the greatest prize will be the control of the northern half of tho Baltic. The Soviet Baltic Fleet and the Red Air Force would then be able to threaten the iron ore traffic between Sweden and Germany, also all the communications with the German divisions in Finland except via Norway.