LATEST WAR NEWS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 13739, 24 April 1945, Page 3

LATEST WAR NEWS

SMASHING THROUGH BERLIN RED ARMY’S GREAT ONSLAUGHT Confusion in German Capital Nazi Troops Fired On From Windows London, April 33. AlagtTiai Stalin to-night announced a big swcgp by Marshal Zhukov through the deep defences covering- Berlin from the east. Tlie Russian onslaught has* broken into Berlin and has captured several towns on each side of it. One of them is Oranienburg across the little river Havel, 15 miles north-west of Berlin. Another is well to the south on the load to Potsdam. It is at Oranisnbr.rg- that the Germans Ifave one of their worst and biggest concentration camps daring from the early days of the Hitler regime. Another Stalin order says that linked with this offensive was one by Koniev’s forces, which broke into the south after sweeping up more than 50 miles from the south-east and capturing many towns. With Berlin in deadly peril, Goebbels has announced that Hitler has taken over command o’f the capital’s defence. Goebbels said Hitler had decided to remain there to encourage his people at a time when the fighting line ran right through their city. There is every indication that this encouragement is badly needed. German radio spokesmen have given warnings that German troops who retreat commit treason and will be dealt with mercilessly. The Berliners are promised that troops from the west are makingforced marches to the capital. One German radio report said tonight that in the northern suburbs of Berlin German soldiers have been fired on from houses by what the German radio called “anti-social traitors.” .Quoting Swedish correspondents in Berlin one reporter says from Stockholm to-night that gangs of German deserters and foreign workers have been terrorising bombed areas in the north and east and the Nazis fear them as a potential Fifth Column.

He speaks of the confusion in the city, the lack of properly-kept food and the appalling hygienic conditions. Pie says thousands of Berliners hide in shelters instead of manning the barricades and many others are continuing to flee from the. city. In- spite of appeals by Goebbels, to keep all roads free for military traffic, the rush of refugees westward has been enormous. East Bank of Elbe Reached Marshal Koniev’s armies surging forward along a front of more than GO miles, have reached the east bank of the Elbe, somewhere between Dresden and Dessau, the town cleared to-day by the American First Army. Marshal Satlin has not yet made it clear at which point the Russians have reached the Elbe but along a 60-mile front nowhere are they more than seven , miles from the river. On the upper reaches of the Elbe the Russians are on the east bank or close to it. Then there is a 20mile stretch where the Germans hold both banks. Then on the middle Elbe from Dessau for 10,0 miles downstream the American First and Ninth Armies are firmly established on the west bank. There is another small gap and for the remaining 50 miles downstream to opposite Plamburg the British Second Army is in firm control. Hamburg Encircled

At the mouth of the Elbe British

troops, to-day encircled the industrial suburb of Harburg across the river from Hamburg. O2 1 . the fringes of the other great German port of Bremen British troops are now fighting inside defences five miles from the city’s centre. The battle, helped yesterday, last night and this morning 'by powerful blows from British bombers, has been fought out over difficult country in wgather which grew steadily worse and deprived our troops of air support. The going was hard but this evening, against massed German guns, British troops were still going forward. , / Drive to Munich In southern Germany the American Third Army, in a sudden change of direction, have reached the Danube near Regensburg in a striking advance towards Munich. Seventh Army column's on their right flank are also converging towards Munich, one of the bastions of Hitler’s mountain fortress. Break-through in Italy In Italy forces of the Fifth and Eighth Armies have broken through to the River To at several places. These places are not named in tonight’s communique from Allied headquarters. On the right flank, forces of the British Eighth Army are in fierce fighting-around Ferrara, three miles from the River Po. British troops are fighting for the airport. They have beaten back counter-attacks and are reported to have forced the German rearguard back to the outskirts of Ferrara.