UPPER SILESIA

Waikato Times, Volume 196, Issue 22568, 23 March 1945, Page 3

UPPER SILESIA

RUSSIAN BREAK-THROUGH GERMAN ARMIES ROUTED 15,000 PRISONERS TAKEN (United Press Assn.—Eleo. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 23, 1 p.m.) LONDON, March 22 Marshal Koniev has achieved A break-through in Upper Silesia. Forces advanced west and south of Oppein and linked after progressing 25 miles. The Russians captured 400 places and took 15,000 prisoners. They encircled and routed the German armies south-west of Oppein. Marshal Koniev’s drive cleans up a comer of Upper Silesia where mines and industries are situated. It also consolidates his left flank, which is now based on the Sudeten Mountains (Neustadt lies in the foothills), and strengthens his position as regards the Moravian gap into Czechoslovakia, states Reuter’s military correspondent. His thrust has given him a number of places along the railway which from Katowice cuts across the southern tip of Upper Silesia. Capture of Oppein Big Russian gains in Upper Silesia, including the capture of the road and rail centre and industrial town of Oppein, are announced in the following order of the day by Marshal Stalin: “Troops of the first Ukrainian Front having broken into the enemy’s defences west and south of Oppein advanced 25 miles in each direction and ousted the German Army grouping in the area southwest of Oppein. As the result of this fighting the troops on this front have j captured up to 15,000 Germans, 464 i guns and a great quantity of other weapons and war material. In the course of the ’offensive the troops captured in Silesia the towns of Neustadt, Cosel, Steinau, Zuelz, Krapitz, Ober-Glogau and Falkenberg, as well as 400 other inhabited localities.” Russian troops have smashed a big new breach through the German lines covering Austria, says a British United Press correspondent. Reuter points out that at least GO per cent of Germany’s war production is now concentrated in areas in Ailstria and Czechoslovakia which the Russian i offensives in Hungary and Upper Silesia are now directly threatening. I The Moscow radio emphasised that I the Soviet offensive in Upper Silesia, j Czechoslovakia and Hungary is I threatening the Germans’ largest munitions concerns—the Hermann Goering Works which are situated in Austria and Czechoslovakia. List of Soviet Booty The Soviet communique states that in Czecho-Slovakia north-east and east of Zvolen troops operating in wooded mountainous territory of the Carpathians took over 40 inhabited places. The Germans in the area of the lower reaches of the River Drava north-west of Orasje forced the river in two places and attempted to extend their bridgeheads. Bulgarian and Yugoslav troops fighting with the Soviet forces routed the German units which crossed the river in a determined counter-attack and threw back the remnants to the southern bank of the Drava.

Yesterday along the front we destroyed or disabled 89 tanks and selfpropelled guns and shot down 51 planes. Besides 15,000 prisoners, the Germans lost over 30,000 killed. Troops of the First Ukrainian front in this offensive took 57 tanks and self-propelled guns, over 1000 machine-guns, over 13,000 rifles, 3000 lorries, 27 locomotives, 1520 railway trucks, 5000 horses and 75 ammunition dumps, and shot down 21 planes.