Evening star., 1945-01-12
Soviet Drive in Poland Reported;
NewU.S. Gains Menace Germans:
Saigon Sea-Air Battle Indicated
Offensive Begun
Toward Krakow.
Germans Say
BY the Associated Press.

by tne Associated Press.
LONDON, Jan. 12.-The Ger
man radio today said the Rus
slams had opened an offensive OF
a broad front in Southern Po
land, striking from the Vistul;
bridgehead west of Baranov
toward Krakow.
The Russians established tn,
Baranow bridgehead, 125 airlin,
miles south of Warsaw, during thu
summer, In drives across the Pc.
lish plain, they struck within 81
miles of Krakow, ancient capital oi
the Polish kings and a city oi
254 1000.
'The first attacking waves were
completely wiped out by fire from
our guns, mortars and infantry
weapons" the Germans asserted.
Succeeding columns which reached
the main battle lines were forced
back in extremely violent fighting
Bitter fighting is going on for some
penetration areas.
Russian losses in the first hours
OF the battle were extremely heavy"
so Miles From Silesia.
When the Russian offensive ground
to a stop beyond Baranow during
the summer, the Russians said they
were within 80 miles of German
Silesia, second only to the Ruhr as
German arsenal. Silesia is rich in
coal and iron and studded with war
plants.
At that time, the Russians also
said they were within 18 miles of
Kielce (58,200) and II miles of the
important Polish city of Tarnow.
The Russians have another Vis-
tula bridgehead closer to Warsaw at
Warka.
The South Polish plain over which
the Germans say the Russians
struck is a historic invasion route
and one of the easier approaches
to Berlin. The plains lie north of
the rugged Carpathian Mountains,
south of which other Russian forces
are striking through Western Hun
gary within A miles of Austria. "a
miles Of Vienna and 81 miles of the
Slovak capital of Bratislava.
Reds Gain in Budapest.
Meanwhile, the final chapter of
the siege of Budapest was being
written in narrow strip of Pest, on
the east bank of the Danube, with
the Nazis squeezed into an area ap-
proXimately 2 miles long and l mile
wide
CThe German DNB agency said
the Budapest garrison, under sin
creased enemy pressure" had
evacuated the capitals eastern
railway station and taken up
new positions on the edge of the
towns core.")
Savage German attacks on the
Soviet arc west of the Danube to
relieve the Nazi garrison failed
again. Russian Marshal Feodor
Tolbukhin was reported to have
strengthened his positions and there
appeared little likelihood of any
Oerlldu DredkJnrOuSn.
In 10 days of fighting to relieve
the Hungarian capital, the Germans
have sacrificed $4,000 men killed,
and approximately $50 tanks, on the
basis of Russian accounts.
Battle in City Rages.
Official and unofficial Russian re-
ports produced the impression the
German garrison was on the verge
of collapse. These reports stirred
hopes in the Soviet public that the
Hungarian capital, under direct as
sault since December 90, would be
fully in the Red Army's possession
in another day or two.
Russian assault guns have pene-
trated the last quarter of the city
about 3,400 blocks of which have
been cleared by Soviet shock troops.
Most of the areas north and east of
Pest have been mopped up. At sew
eral points Red storm units have
driven halfway from the railroad
station to the banks of the Danube.
Suicidal Nazi detachments were
reported rigidly enforcing orders to
shoot any German or Hungarian
soldier attempting to surrender, but
Hungarian units were quitting en-
masse, the Russians said. Some
1000 prisoners were taken in the
last "a hours.
Nazis Short of Materiel.
Red Star front dispatches said
prisoners reported German artillery
was almost out of ammunition and
machinegunners and riflemen were
running out of cartridges. They