STORMED ON RAFTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21632, 8 February 1945, Page 5

STORMED ON RAFTS

CROSSINGOF ODER HEROISM OF SAPPERS SIX CENTRES CAPTURED (10 am.) • LONDON, Feb 7. The crossing >of the Oder southeast of Breslau was accomplished under enormous difficulties, says a supplementary' communique issued by the Soviet High Command. The Oder here is about 500 yards wide and the Germans had concentrated large forces along the western bank. Soviet advance detachments first crossed the river on improvised rafts while sappers worked heroically under heavy enemy fire to enlarge the crossings over which the Red Army’s main forces poured to attack and capture Ohlau. Other units enlarged the bridgehead , north-west of Oppeln. Having massed large forces over the Oder Soviet troops struck out from the Ohlau bridgehead in a southerly direction and joined hands southwest of Brieg, which they stormed and captured after violent street fighting. Advancing rapidly in a southerly direction, Soviet tanks broke into Grottkau from two sides, routing the garrison. A large amount of booty was captured, including 37 heavy guns and 70 tanks. The full text of Marshal Stalin’s Order of the Day reveals that the other three “large junctions of communication lines, and powerful strongholds ’of enemy resistance” which were captured in addition to Ohlau, Brieg and Grottkau were Thomaskirch, Loewen and Schurgast.