Evening star., 1945-02-13
Two Red Armies
Only II Miles
From Junction
MAP on Page A-5.J

LONDON, Feb. 13.- Russian
troops smashing the Germans
Bober River line have driven to
within 10 miles of Dresden. and
farther north are hammering to-
ward Sommerfeld, only II miles
from a junction with Marshal
Gregory Zhukov's army fighting
before Berlin, German broad
casts declared today.
The new Soviet advances in
creased the rapidly developing
threat to Berlin.
A DNB broadcast said troops of
Marshal Ivan Konev north of Sagan
on the Bober River were beating
toward Sommerfeld. IT miles below
the Oder Rivers southern bank,
where Marshal Zhukov's 1st White
Russian Army is fighting. Sommer-
field is 10 miles southeast of Berlin.
The German high command COM
munique said Marshal Konev's
troops farther south had burst over
the Bober and reached the Queis
River sector, S to 10 miles beyond.
Reds 10 Miles From Dresden.
The Queis is miles west of the
Bober at Bunzlau, captured by the
Russians, and spreads 10 miles from
the Bober farther north before join
ing it just south of Sagan, 27 miles
northwest of Bunzlau. Southwest
of Bunzlau the Queis courses within
81 miles of Dresden.
Although the German command
did not specify where the Queis was
reached, it appeared Marshal Ko-
news fast-wheeling 1st Ukranian
Army now was only 10 miles from
Dresden.
Dresden is almost halfway from
the eastern tip Of Silesia to the
Rhine. Bunzlau is "A miles from
that important Nazi arsenal city.
DNB declared the Russians had
crossed the Bober above Sagan,
a small bridgehead.
The Soviets attacked toward Som
1t added, but asserted Ger
man forces were repulsing all the
thrusts pointed in that direction.
Russians Near Starkard.
Another German broadcast said
the Zllukov forces in Pomerania
of Berlin were being held
or Z miles from Stargard, 20 miles
southeast of the port Of Stettin.
In East Prussia, the German COM
said, the Russians attacked
anew with tank support at Frauen-
berg on each side Of the military
between Elbing and Koen-
igsberg, but without being able to
score an attempted breakthrough."
No news was given OF Marshal
Zhukov's front along the Oder 80 to
40 miles east of Berlin.
Bunzlau, a 12-way road hub, was
captured by the Russians yesterday
at the climax of q swift 15-mile
drive Giessmannsdorf, Is miles to
the north, also fell.
About Is miles ahead OF the Bober
River lies the Niesse River, by some
reports almost as strongly fortified
as the Oder The Niesse, like the
Bober, is a tributary of the Oder.
An even greater f1anking threat
to Berlin than this thrust toward
Dresden was the column that the
Germans declared Marshal Konev
had sent into the Sommerfield area.
Sommerfield is about 10 miles west
of Naumberg.
Naumburg lies on the east bank
Of the Bober River and south and
west of the big bend the Oder River
makes before turning north through
Frankfurt and past Berlin.
Breslau Garrison in Peril.
Marshal Konev's westward thrust
across Northern Silesia put the Ger
man garrison at Breslau in ever
increasing peril.
Col. Gen. Ivan Petrov's 4th Ukrai-
nian Army, thrusting through the
southwestern tip of Poland in a new
offensive, speared within 20 miles of
MoravSka Ostrava, Czechoslovakia' s
third city and known as that coun-
trys Pittsburgh, by capturing Stru-
mien in 7-n1ile advance.
BY German account, other Rus
(See RUSSIA, Page A-5D