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The German Reinforccments

The reranants of the battered eneny forces withdrow to Vilnius. Recently formed battalions, regiments, divisions and other units \vere hastily sent up thore from Germany. A capturod German inspector of State railways in Lithuania, Sigfried Gross, statcd at interrogation:    "Thousands of officers and men arrived in Vilnius

betroen July 2nd and 8th. liost of the troop trains came from Germany."

According to other prisoncrs, a regiment of an airbome division v/as trans-ferred to Vilnius from tho 3orlin area in Junkers 52 transport planes. Another such regiment landed on an aeroarome in Kaunas and reached Yilnius by raił. A mountain infantry brigadc and heavy gun elciramts wure brought from Kocnigsberg. A tank division v^as sont to the Vilnius aro a from Stanislav via Brest, a replonishircnt infantry bat-talion came from Germany. On July 6th a regiment just forned in Danzig arrived in

Vilnius.

Soviet Tanks Inside the Town

Dislodged from the extcrnal ring of fortifications, tho Gcrmans withdrcw into the city for strcet fighting, T/hich lasted five days. The first Sovict tanks crosse-d the height and broko into the town.    Thcy drove along streets as if in narrow

gorges, vdthout cnough space for raanoeuvrj or even for turning round.

A capturod German NCO reported that a regiment consisting of members of the fnscist Youth Organisation was 3pocially dotailed for counter-attacks which were to follow in quick succo3sion. And indeed, on that dąy Soviet tankmon faccd 19 counter-attacks, They dostroyed 11 sclf-propollod guns, 15 mortars and a tank, and killed over 600 of tho enemy.

Holding the e as tern out3kirts of tho torm and iramobilising the enemy therc, the tankmen enablcd other Soviet units to concentrato and prepore for the assault. Togcthcr with the infantry 7/hich came up, the tonknen b^gan a 3truggle for other scctions of the tovm. Assault groups v.crc formed. By noon Sovict clements had taken scveral streets.

Tho Storming of tho Town

At the same timu other units investcd the town in a senicirclc. Exactly at tho fixed tiine Red Arny units bogan the assaui. Siinultancously other units tumed the town to 3urround it. Street fighting grow fiercer v/ith each hour. In some houses each floor, each room, wero contcstcd for seyoral hours.

At night a capturod German officur was brought to an observation post. He stated that on the eve of the Red Amy assault thcy reccived the order not to surrender Yilnius, no mat ter what happoned.

Ali night long fighting went on unabated. In the moraing it broke out with fresh violence, Evory building was a fortross which had to be taken by storm. But the strongpoints in the town fell one by one. Bringing nearer the fali of the entire fortress of Yilnius.

The Ring Round tho Town Closos

Meanwhile the pin cors round the town kept closing in. Red Arny troops interccpted German communication lines and thus cut the garrison off from the rear. Whilo violent fighting raged in the streets, the encirclement of the entire German defonsive force was cozplcted. The town was invested in a circlc.

Rescrros coming from the west to the relief cf the garrison encountercd Soviet troops, were flung back and partially arnihilated by the Soviet land and air forces.

The Last Air bo mc Re-inforccments

The German Co:unand persistod in the demand that the besioged garrison continue the struggle and promisod then help from the air. Bncny transport planca appeared