RUSSIAN PUSH

Grey River Argus, 21 April 1945, Page 5

RUSSIAN PUSH

TOWARDS BERLIN ' ______ i Tremendous Pressure GERMANS POCKETED IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA (Rec. 6.30) LONDON April 19 A Reuter correspondent in Moscow stated: There is a vast new German pocket developing in Czechoslovakia. Towns at each end of the pocket, Brno and Moravskaostrava are being encircled. Red Army forces in the centre are striking across the Brno-Jihlva railway which is the main potential German escape line back to Prague. Squadrons of Soviet planes are striking hard against roads and railways, while heavy guns are blasting a way through outer defences of the two towns which already are outflanked from the west. Malinovsky’s troops on this front are seen as a Red Army spearhead destined to keep a renclevous with Allied forces somewhere in Czechoslovakia. They are waiting for the fall of Brno to make a big lunge westward. A Soviet commentator said: “The junction of the two fronts is approaching reality. It will be a great triumph for military plans decided at Yalta.” Malinovsky and Tolbukhin are thrusting out prongs aimed at Prague and the Bavarian border and German communication lines with northern Italy. Troops of the Third Ukrainian Front and elements of the American Seventh Army, moving towards each other, are threatening to upset Hitler’s plan for a stand in the Alpine regions. All these moves are part of a pattern for a total destruction of the German army. It would not be wise to say that the German line in the east is now crumbling or is ready to crack up along its entire length. The Germans are taking terrific punishment, as shown by high tank and Thursday night’s Soviet communique stated: Bridgeheads were established over the Oder River west of Kustrin and over the Neisse in the direction of Dresden. The Russians captured Muskau, Weisswasser and Forst. For the past three days, in the area of the central grouping of our troops, there has been reconnaissance activity which increased to full scale battles for the establishment and widening of bridgeheads over the Rivers Oder and- Neisse. As a result of these battles our troops in the Dresden direction crossed the Neisse and captured Muskau, Weisswasser and Forst. Troops of the 2nd Polish Army captured Gothenburg. West of Kustrin, our troops established a bridgehead over the Oder and widened it. The Polish Command issued the following order of the day: “Units of the First Polish Army last Monday, went over to the offensive and accomplished the historic crossing of the River Oder carrying the battle across the frontiers of the re-born Polish State into German territory, and winning appreciation and love of the entire nation.” The order recalled the crossing of the Bug and Vistula, and the liberation to Warsaw, and added: “In recognition of your merits, Marshal Zhukov granted you the distinction of participating in the assault against Berlin.” The order also recorded that the same units on the same day crossed the Neisse and captured Rothenburg. “You were the first Poles to enter Germany under arms.” A German High Comamnd communique says: Russians, in the third great battle for Berlin, threw in men and material on a scale hitherto unknown. The Germans frustrated all attempts to break through. The German News Agency stated: Russians advanced some distance beyond Wriezen towards Strausberg, which is ten miles from the outskirts of Berlin, and twenty-four miles from the centre of the capital. Russians to the south were nine miles east of Bautzen. “There have been repeated crises in the Oder bend north and south of Kustrin, but the German defence and the bringing up of fresh reserves prevented a decisive break through. However the scene of grim fighting moved nearer Berlin.”

Berlin radio said: Russians entered the eastern and northern suburbs of Bautzen, but the inner part of the town was still in German hands. Paris radio said: Berlin is Under the fire of Russian artilley. Von Hammer stated that 16 Russian armies were attacking on the front along the Oder and Neisse. He also said that the German Air Force was adopting the Japanese suicide technique on tire Oder front. “Pilots, ready to sacrifice their lives with their bomb loads, threw themselves on the Russian bridges over the Oder, and thus destroyed three crossings.” The German News Agency said: Russians advanced seven miles from Seelow along the road to Berlin and reached a point three miles east ot Muncherberg. They also captured Wriezen Germans evacuated rhe bridgehead at Frankfurt, on the east bank of the Oder River. The Russians captured Forst. A German commentator said: “'the Russian successes were inevitable in view of Soviet superiority in material. The Germans destroyed about eight hundred Soviet tanks, which was about half the number thus rar employed, but the Russians have still more formations ready. It is toe task of the German defenders in cne next few days to maintain their coherent front line and paralyse the enemy’s driving power by inflicting heavy losses on his forces. Deep penetrations between Kottbus and Spremburg and between Goerluz and Bartzen show clearly that Koniev wants to outflank Berlin frorn the south, and link up with the Americans somewhere in the Dresden area. It has become apparent that the Russian High Command Is out for a decision all along the eastern front. The situation south ol Brno lias become more acute, ine only sector not yet involved is along the lower Oder, but the start " ing between Orebruch and will be scarcely more than a mattei \ German war correspondent, in a message broadcast from Berlin says that Russian tanks reached the gates of Hoyerswerda, thirty-three miles north-east of Dresden (and only sixty-five miles from General lat ton’s troops at Wurzen), A Soviet communique stated, m Czechoslovakia ,north-west ana nortli of Hodonin, our troops offensive battles and captured seveia places. We also occupied seveia places north of Vienna On <■ fronts yesterday we disabled or des troyed 96 German tanks and snot down 115 planes.