ON OUTSKIRTS OF WARSAW

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 260, 31 July 1944, Page 5

ON OUTSKIRTS OF WARSAW

Advance Spearhead

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

(Received July 30, 9.25 p.m.)

LONDON, July 30.

Marshal Rokossovsky’s tanks and cavalry have reached the outskirts of Warsaw after an advance of 25 miles from Garwolin. The “Red Star” quotes a German'order to the city’s garrison which says: “Fight for every house, for every corner, for every heap of rubble.” The Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press says that so far the Russian commander has given no indication as to whether he will attempt to take the city by storm or will consolidate his forces and strengthen communications till the Second White Russian Army joins him for the final assault. A tremendous civilian army of Poles is following the Russian and Polish troops to the capital, eager to enter behind them, driv-i ing wagons and carts, riding bicycles and pushing perambulators piled high with belongings. >

On all fronts the Russians yesterday captured morfe than 1300 places. The biggest push officially recorded iu Moscow was in the north toward the Baltic coast. An advance was made to within 35 miles of Riga, which is now in imminent danger of being outflanked. The Germans counter-attacked many times during the day in an attempt to halt this advance, but Berlin itself today reports the Russians at a small town only 22 miles from Riga. . According to Reuter’s Moscow correspondent, advanced Soviet columns sweeping south-west of Saiuliai, have reached points about 50 miles from Tilsit, the nearest Russian- approach yet to that important East Prussian town. Though the German news agency on Friday stated that the Germans had evacuated Kaunas, it is asserted . this morning that the Germans are. still in the city, with the Russians six miles away, and Moscow has not claimed the capture of the city. "West of Grodno the Russians have captured a town 18 miles beyond the Nieincn in a direct advance toward East Prussia. Gains are reported on many other sectors. The town nearest to Warsaw officially reported captured by the Russians is 20 miles south-east of the capital. Marshal Stalin in an order of the day on Friday announced the capture of Brest Litovsk. Friday night's Soviet communique re-

ported that the Red Army west of Brest Litovsk had completed the encirclement of three enemy divisions and pressed them back against the Bug River, and was proceeding to annihilate them. Troops of the First Ukranian front forced the San River' and, by an outflanking manoeuvre, captured Przemysl and Jaroslav. The Russians in the course of liquidating the enemy formations at Lvov killed over 8000 men and took prisoner 3500 and captured 35 tanks and 250 guns.

STALIN AWARDED ORDER OF VICTORY

(Received July 30, 8.30 p.m.) MOSCOW. July 30. President Kalinin announced: “Stalin, Marshal of the Soviet Union, is awarded the Order of Pobeda (Order of Victory) for his exceptional l services in the organization and carrying out of the Red Army’s offensive operations, which have effected a very great defeat qn the German Army and a cardinal change in the situation on the eastern front in favour of the Red Army in the struggle against the Fascist invader.” Marshals Vassilevsky, Rokossovsky and Koniev and Generals Bagramyan, and Yeremenko are all awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Marshal Zhukov is awarded the Gold Star of. Leadership of Troops for the second time, and General Chernyakov is awarded the Gold Star for the first time.