Red Army Reaches Baltic, Clears Whole Of Northern Flank

Northern Advocate, 5 March 1945, Page 3

Red Army Reaches Baltic, Clears Whole Of Northern Flank

(Rec. 1.15 p.m.) LONDON, Mar. 4, Marshal Stalin, in his second Order of the Day to Marshal Itokossovsky, states that troops of the 2nd White Russian front, developing' the offensive, reached the Baltic and captured Koslin, thus cutting off the enemy troops in Eastern Pomerania.

The mention of 61 generals, including 21 infantry, 13 artillery and 11 tank, in Marshal Stalin’s first Order of the Day, indicates the magnitude Of Marshal Zhukov’s smashing 63-mile drive to the Baltic, says Reuter’s correspondent. Marshal Zhukov, deploying a major force of at least one full army group, has driven a tremendous wedge to the Baltic and completely cleared the northern flank from the possibility of a counter-attack, a prerequisite for a resumption of his drive towards Berlin.

Marshal Rokossovsky’s capture of Koslin, an important enemy communication centre, and his break-through to the Baltic completes the double, pocketing of Guderian’s armies hemmed in along the coast. Two Russian army groups now hold the greater part of East Pomerania. Futile Defence Two localities among those captured by Marshal Zhukov are Schwendt, two miles south-east of Stargard, and Wulkow, three miles east of Stargard where there is a camp for Allied prisoners-of-war, says the British United Press. Marshal Zhukov’s forces are within 25 miles of Stettin. The vanguards are menacing Stargard, key to its defences. Other spearheads in the Kilberg area are within 30 miles of the point where Marshal Rokossovsky’s men have broken out on the Baltic. The Germans threw in large numbers of tanks, selLpropelled guns and infantry, including S.S. formations, in an endeavour to stop Marshals Zhukov and Rokossovsky, but without avail. Meanwhile, far behind the battle lines, the battle for Konigsberg continues with unabated fury. A suicide group of Germans here is tying down many Russian troops for as long as possible.

Koslin Captured ' Marshal Rokossovsky’s forces pushing toward the Baltic coast have broadened and deepened their -wedge with ...the capture of 80 places, includ-

ing Koslin, 10 miles from the coast, and Runnelsburg, further inland. A German report says that armoured spearheads have reached the coastal road further east. The Germans in the Danzig pocket are now almost cut off. Soviet guns yesterday were pounding Koslin, an important communications centre and the last link between the Germans fighting around Danzig, said Reuter’s correspondent earlier. A fierce swaying battle is going on in this area. The railway is believed to be already straddled by Soviet mobile units.

. The Associated Press Moscow correspondent says Red Army cavalry and tanks have reached positions overlooking the Baltic on many sectors of the 250-miles front between the Konigsberg salient and Koslin. Rokossovsky’s Hard-hitting vanguards are cutting their way through the last-ditch forces of the Volkssturm.

The Russian plan appears to be to isolate cities and ports one after another, thus cutting off the escape by land. The operation has been so successful that the Germans have not been able to use the coastal railway for the past three days. The Berlin radio says Zhukov's right wing swinging north on Rokossovsky’s west flank, opened a new drive to the Baltic near Kolberg, 26 miles west of Koslin.

The Red Army is fighting to close a five-miles gap separating it from the Baltic, states an agency correspondent in Moscow.

The German news agency’s military Commentator admits that a critical situation is facing the German High Command in this area. He says the Red Army is making a large-scale effort to split the German front and trap large forces. He claims that the Germans are ready to throw larger forces into the battle to stabilise the Eastern Front and later fight back.

Oder Front Blackout Marshal Rokossovsky has been in a position for some days to send forces through to the coast, but he first broadened both the base and spearhead of his wedge reaching out towards Marshal Zhukov on the left and spreading right to the Polish Corridor, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. Marshal Zhukov also broadened the base so that it could rest on Marshal Rokossovsky’s left flank in the area of Bublitz.

Danzig is now effectively isolated, and also is being threatened from the south where a Russian group has driven down the Vistula valley to Skurcz, 15 miles south-west of the former Danzig free zone. Soviet reconnaissance planes reported that the roads in the past few days have been choked with German transports harassed by roving Red Army tank columns. Soviet planes, within 48 hours, made 2500 sorties, unloading hundreds of tons of bombs on the congested highways. Reserve squadrons of Focks Wulfs and Messerschmitts vainly tried to protect the hard-pressed ground forces. The only other large-scale activity reported on the Eastern Front is going on in Silesia where, according to the German commentator (von Hammer), a heavy battle is raging between Gorlitz and Bunzlau. Considerable tank reinforcements were hurled in by both sides.

Reuter says the security blackout on the central Oder front continues, but the thunder of, guns can be heard in Berlin. The German High Command is expecting any day a fresh Soviet blow against Berlin. Let them make no mistake about it, when the blow comes it will be a stunning one. Nearing The Baltic The Russians are driving a huge wedge between Stettin and Danzig, and, while the latest official news places them 20 miles from the Baltic, the Germans say they are within eight miles and have cut the railway linking Danzig and Stettin. A break-through to the sea here would form two pockets, one of them in the huge trinagule of the Pomeranian plain north-east of Stettin, and bounded by the Russian forces reported to be fighting east of Stfcttirt, and the other containing the

Germans in the Konigsberg battle area. The Germans are trying to bring relief to these forces, but in the second half of last month the Russian Navy and Air Force sank more than 20 of their warships and. transports. There is still no confirmation from Moscow of the German announcement of a new Russian offensive south-east of Stettin, launched from a number of bridgeheads across the Inha River. The German News Agency today reports bitter fighting around two breaches in the German front. The agency claims that a link has been re-established with the northern fringe of Pyritz. The weather is growing worse, with rain and mud in some sectors alternating with frost, and snow. Marshal Stalin’s Order

Another message says the Russians have reached the Baltic near Kolberg, some 120 miles west of Danzig, thus closing all land escape of the Germans trapped in this area, and eastwards to Elbing. Marshal Stalin, in an Order of the Day. says: “Troops of the First White Russian Front, having broken through the strongly fortified German defences east of .Stargard in fou'r days of offensive fighting, ad vanced up to G2 miles, reaching the coast of the Baltic in the area of Kolberg Troops occupied Schivelbem and Haerwalde respectively 28 and 42 niiles from Kolberg, Rogenwalde, 28 miles south-south-west of Kolberg, Lades, 40 miles south-south-east of Kolberg, Wangerin, six miles soutt of Leges and Koerlin, 12 miles south-east of Kolberg.” „ ' . Soviet Communique The Soviet communique repeats Marshal Stalin’s first Order of the Day, and adds, that the Russians, in addition, captured 600 places, including one three miles eas* of Stargard. Simultaneously, south-west and south of Stargard, Soviet troops fought a way into and captured the railjunction of Pyritz. and more than 50 other inhabited localities.

, The communique repeats Marshal Sto iin’s second Order of the Day and adds that 50 other, places were taken. The Russians north-west of Grudiadz captured Skurcz and five other places. Troops north-west of Konigsberg fought battles fpr the annihilation of the East Prussian enemy group, and captured a number of inhabited localities,