THROUGH MASSIVE DEFENCES

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 138, 8 March 1945, Page 7

THROUGH MASSIVE DEFENCES

How Zhukov Smashed Pomeranian Wall

RAPID DEPLOYMENT * (Received March 7, 8 p.m.) , LONDON, March 6.

The Moscow correspondent o£ “The Times” says additional details about Marshal Zhukov’s achievement and the smashing of the Pomeranian Wall show how formidable were the enemy’s positions. Massive forts as large as battleships, turrets bristling with ordnance, triple lines of concrete dragons’ teeth winding their way across mile upon mile of countryside, deep antitank ditches, a maze of trenches —all these lay before the Red Army. Marshal Zhukov, through sheer weight of artillery fire, punched a gap through this line, but the real achievement lies in the rapidity with which Zhukov deployed his forces after they had poured through the narrow breach and sent them hurtling forward northward, eastward and westward, to overrun Pomerania.

“The Times” correspondent continues that it is doubeful whether the Red Army’s organizing capacity ever reached such a high level as in the events of the past five days. Desperate resistance, active defence on long-prepared lines, besides mud and swollen rivers, had to be overcome. Much was demanded of junior officers taking units far afield into enemy territory, but the whole operation, has unfolded smoothly, swiftly, and with a concentration of power quite devastating for the enemy. So swift has been the pace of the advance on both Marshals Zhukov's, ,and Rokossovsky’s fronts that the civilian, population had no chance to evacuate. Though the towns nearest to the fixed defences have been abandoned, and, usually destroyed by the enemy, the majority of other places deeper in the subjugated territory, specially where armour and cavalry have been active, are intact. Life at Neustettin, for instance, is described as normal, the only irregularity being the presence in the streets of a number of liberated workers whom the Germans had indented.

RAIDED BY BOMBERS

East Prussian Island

Terminal (Received March 7, 11.55 p.m.) LONDON, March 7. A strong force of Lancasters last night attacked Sassnitz, on Rugcn Island, which is a terminal point for both tlie evacuation and supply of East Prussia. Mosquitoes all night attacked German troops and armour at Wesel. Lancasters again attacked at 5.30 a.m. today.

MORE NAZI HORRORS

Mass Murder In Latvia (Received March 7, 9 p.m.) LONDON, March 7. New atrocities have been committed by the Germans in the Libau area in Latvia, the last strip of Soviet territory still in German hands. Moscow radio said the Germans recently murdered about 4000 Soviet citizens in Libau. In two large concentration camps near Vindava hundreds are dying of exposure and torture. The settlement of Audrini, with about 2000 inhabitants before the war, has been literally razed to the ground, because some of the residents sheltered several Red Army men who escaped from a German prison camp. Thirty people were hanged and the rest of the population herded to the foot of Angupani hill, where hundreds were shot