POSEN HEDGEHOG

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23113, 30 January 1945, Page 5

POSEN HEDGEHOG

Collapse Imminent

City Is Battered Rock By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn —-Copyright LONDON, January 28. With the collapse of the Posen hedgehog Imminent, more of the big Russian forces assembled on this front are being released for the mighty tide surging toward Berlin, states Reuter’s correspon-

dent at Berlin. Marshal Zhukov on the main road to Berlin is fighting what may well be the decisive battle for Germany. It is clear that the lines known as the Posen defence are caved in, only Posen remaining like a battered rock in the centre of the tempestuous Russian flood. Marshal Zhukov’s troops are battering their way through the blazing streets of the city, which cannot hold out long. > Marshal Zhukov’s advance is developing north-west, west and southwest of Posen, rolling up like a steam roller on both sides of the main PosenBerlin railway, along the excellent autobahn which the Germans built to connect Berlin with the captured territories. Small lakes dot the country, which is cut up by streams, but there is no serious natural obstacle before the Oder at a point only 41 miles from Berlin.

The Soviet advance has been so swift that the majority of bridges are intaet, over which a great avalanche of Russian tanks, guns and transport is rolling on.

Lodz Almost Intact

First reports from Lodz indicate that this Polish industrial centre is the sole city recaptured from the Germans practically intact. Marshal Zhukov's forces advanced at such speed that the enemy has no time to evacuate equipment or civilians, damage buildings, or remove enormous stocks of war supplies and raw materials. All the power plants, telephone systems and waterworks are in excellent order. Blinding snowstorms have grounded the Red Air Force and the brunt of the fighting is being borne by gunners who yesterday successfully countered strong attacks north-west of Allenstein, says the Moscow correspondent of the Soviet Army newspaper “Red Star’’ in East Prussia. German resistance stiffened in the Gulf of Danzig region. The Moscow radio said: “The hour is near when a hurricane from the east will strike Berlin. Nobody minimises the enemy’s strength, but complete victory is being won on the road to the Oder.”

The radio, after stating that large German forces are being transferred from the Western Front to the East, says: “In view of this, now is the time to expect an offensive on the Western Front.”

The German News Agency’s commentator. reporting a state of utmost tension along the Eastern Front from the Baltic to the Carpathians, said that the slowing down of the Russian spearheads had resulted in masses of Russian infantry closing up behind the leading armoured formations. Breslau was under heavy Russian artillery fire.

The Moscow radio quoting repprts from war correspondents with the Soviet troops fighting in East Prussia, states that the Soviet Air Force is giving great support to the advancing ground forces and is dealing powerful blows against the German troops and fortifications. At one railway station Soviet Stormoviks attacked a concentration of enemy lorries and trains. During the first attack 10 lorries were set on fire and a jam was created on the roads.

The following blows destroyed about 60 lorries, seven tanks and a number of railway waggons and guns. Another unit of the Soviet Air Force destroyed two tanks, 18 railway waggons, 46 lorries and three ammunition dumps. During an attack on an enemy aerodrome five Focke-Wulfs were destroyed and three damaged.