Evening star., 1945-04-20
B. the Associated Press.

b. the Associated Press.
LONDON, April 20.-A Berlin
military spokesman today said
Russian spearheadS have pene-
trated Hangelsberg Forest be-
tween 7 and IL miles east of
Berlin.
The town of Hangelsberg is in the
center OF the forest. The spokesman
said this area north of Fuersten-
walde was one of the main zones of
the fighting.
Earlier, the German high COM
mand announced that the Russians
had smashed miles into Berlins
outer defenses to within 1872 miles
of the city's limits on the northeast
and is miles on the east.
In an advance from captured
Wriezen. the German war bulletin
said, the Russians reached the area
of Proetzel and Strenebeck on the
northeast.
In similar lunge southwest of
Muencheberg Russian tanks and in
fantry were reported to have fought
to the area of Templeberg and
Buchholz, Is miles east of the cap
ital.
Confusion Over Names.
Two towns named Buchholz on
the outskirts of Berlin caused tenn
porary confusion in reports of the
Russian successes. One is 7 miles
north-northeast of the capital. but
the context OF the German COM
munique indicated the other Buch-
holz was meant.
Southeast of the capital. Marshal
Ivan konev's 1st Ukranian Army
scored a similar success, pushing
forward 16 miles from Cottbus on
the Spree and breaking into Calau,
43 miles from Berlin and SO miles
from American lst Army siege lines
at WurtZen.
Farther south, German broad
casts said, Konevs forces rolled even
deeper toward the American lines,
reaching Hoyerswerda, S. miles or
less from a union with Gen. Eisen-
hower's forces
The wedge driven to Proetzel men,
aced Bernau. miles northeast of
the capital. as we'll as Werneuchen,
miles northeast, and Strausberg,
10 miles east of the city.
Reserves Thrown In.
The Germans central reserves
have now been thrown into the
"murderous battle at the gates of
Berlin" enemy radio accounts said.
konev's campaign southeast of
Berlin broke through the Spree
River defenses as we'll as the Neisse
line farther east and outhanked the
Spree Wald, region of lakes and
forests along the Spree which had
promised to be the most formidable
defenses of the capital in that direc-
ton.
At Calau the Russians were only
about miles from Hitler's last
north-south autobahn-the one run
ming from Berlin to Dresden and
the mountain strongholds of Bo-
hemia and Bavaria-and only IL
miles northeast of Finsterwalde, a
junction on one of the last two main
railways running south from Berlin.
However. this line. veering SOUTH
east through Hoyerswerda and
Bautzen, may already have been cut
The second line, running through
Jueterbog, Elsterwerda and Dresden,
is Is miles farther west
Remaining Forces Thrown In.
Virtually turning their backs on
the American forces poised along the
Elbe As miles west of Berlin. the
Germans said they were throwing
remaining forces conserved for dire
emergency into the hell of fire, steel
and blood raging along the outer
detenses of Eastern Berlin.
premier Stain last night con-
firmed that Soviet bridgeheads had
been established on the west side of
the Oder and Neisse Rivers.
The Germans said they had
started counterattacks, mainly south
of Frankfurt and on both sides of
Seelow and below Wriezen. The
Germans previously had reported
the two latter towns-on an arc
within 20 miles of Berlin-in Rus
sian hands.
German counter measures in the
Neisse sector are directed against
the flank of wedge in the Cottbus,
Spreeburg, Weiswasser area, the
Nazi account said.