The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-03-13
Naziis Place
Soviiets West
Of Oder Line
Six Divisions Reported To
Be Plunging Toward
Reich Capital

LONDON, March IL Up Kues-
4rin principal strongpoint in the
oder river defenses SO miles north
east Of Berlin, fe today to Mar
sbal Zbukov's First White Russian
ARMY and German broadcastS said
sy Soviet divisions were thrusting
toward the capital from bridge
heads west of the river.
Announcement of the capture OF
Kuestrin after a week of bitter
street fighting was made by Pre-
mier Stain in an order of the day
which was the first Russian con-
frmation of smash toward Ber-
lin.
The regular Soviet communioue
from Moscow repeated announce
ment of the fall of Kuestrin and
disclosed advances within nine
miles northwest of Danzig, which
left only small isolated pockets OF
Nazis to be mopped up in north
eastern Pomerania.
The Germans, usually well in ad-
vance of the Russians in announce
ment of developments on the east
ern front, Jagged behind Moscow
in reporting capture of Kuestrin.
The Nazi defenders had to- be
blasted out of the citadel city on
the Oder's east bank where the
Oder and Warthe rivers meet.
Much of Kuetrin was destroyed,
block by block, by Soviet dive
bombers, artillery, mortars and
tlamethroWers.
Berlin commentators insisted
that the Russian attacks south OF
Kuestria and west Of the Oder were
not yet drive on Berlin itself but
we're aimed at extension OF the
Russian oridgeheads and getting
the Oder crossings out of range OF
German artillery"
They said separate Soviet thrusts
from the bridgeheads had been
merged Into a single attack on a
broad front" and were supported
by strong air formations.
Our troops" said War Reporter
HUGO Morero in broadcast, "have
10 face hurricane of fire from ~
batteries and incessant bombing.
The enemy attacked Is times in
regiment strength with tank sup
port and, although he preached our
lines here and there, he did not
succeed in breaking through"
Moscow did not confirm west
ward attacks from the Oder bridge
heads.
With the fall of Kuestrin, which
had pre-war population OF o.
600, Zhukov's forces were arrayed
along 40 miles of the Oder's east
bank form Crossen, IS miles south
east of Berlin, to the Stettiner Half,
The lagoon into which the river
emptieS north of the besieged port
Of Stettin.
Meanwhile the Russians pressed
Aelr heavy attacks on Stettln,
Danzig and Gdynia.
In an earlier order of the day.
staAn announced the capture OF
lczeW }Dirschau), 10 miles SOUTH
east of ilanzig on the west bank
Of o. the Vistula river; Neustadt (We-
lheroWo', l3 miles northeast Of
uoynla, and Putzig (Puck), a coast
town u miles northwest of Gdynia
'nd 10 northeast OF Neustadt.
me communique from Moscow
disclosed that Marshal Rokossov-
my forces northwest of Danzig
;sv'ually had sliced that territory
,ll O small sectors and had pushed
. Ml'lilh eight miles of Gdynia with
ue capture of Kolletschau, south
west west Of the port, and Reschke, di-
's Ty west of Gdynai.
Ihese forces also speared north
. sa'o 10 topple Karwen on the Bal
w coast if miles north of Neus-
n.t 49, and captured Quaschin, nine
''', .1 northwest of Danzig.
,, n!So taken was Sellistrau, three
th ,ties south Of Putzig and two from
t be Day Of Danzig coast. This left
c cce Nazls only strip along the
e eysss eight to nine miles wide and
tr ~,ehalhg q miles southeastward
tba - Sellistrau through Gdynia to
"'T Ts cage Of Danzig.
pa mus Rokossovsky's Army and
d ,ru Army units moving north
loo mn Doth banks of the Vistula
s vUped the moose still tighter
around 0tl Danzig.
o, Deillh'S Baltic port of stettin re-
da sp-'lfo under battering siege to-
of of' t. oqt there was no fresh news
FnsnJlns there from Moscow.
nv r " reports said the Red Ar
di r was attacking stettin from two
ian trli0as with at least four in
4iS armies and supporting ar