Evening star., 1945-02-04
War Review
Germany Rapidly Nears
Showdown Battles
By H0ward p. Bailey

The Nazi armies continued to give
ground last week rapidly before \the
Russians. who have advanced at some
points to the Oder River, last natural
barrier before Berlin in the east and
more slowly in the west, where the
American 1st and Sd Armies have en-
tered the outer fringe Of the Siegfried
Line and the French have taken the
pressure OF Strasbourg. Speculation
has grown that 1 tlnal stand win be
made in restricted area lying between
the Oder in the east and the Rhine In
the west.
In the Pacific the most gratifying
news of many weeks was the report of
the freeing of more than 500 survivors
of Bataan by a sensational raid carried
out in the dark some Is miles behind
the Jap lines on Luzon by 400 members
of the 9Th Ranger Battalion with the
aid of Filipino guerrillas. Manila, as
the week ends, is rapidly approaching
release from japanese control.
The high lights of the week were:
Sunday: Red Army forces capture
Dabrowa coal fields in Silesia, depriv-
ing Nazis of one-fifth of their coal re-
sources. Reds advance 16 miles to stand
100 miles from Berlin. Memel, on Bal
tic, seized by Russians. Travelling back
over path of Nazi December offensive,
American 1st Army drives through rag
ing blizzard to reach point S miles from
German border near st. With. Snow
drifted feet deep fails to halt the
Yanks. The Sd Army, mopping up NaA
guards in Luxembourg, swing to support
of 1st Army's south flank. American
7th probes Nad lines in Alsace and
American eth and British I'd gather
power for blow at Ruhr gateway. Amer
leans advance to outskirts of San Fer
nando on Luzon to point SO miles from
Manila Fort Stotsenburg reported en-
tered.
Monday: Nazis reported moving gov
ernment Offices from Berlin. Kreuz,
Prussian town 103 miles from Berlin,
captured. Schneidemuhl, important rail
center on Berlin-Danzig route seized.
American 1st only mile from Germany,
approaching outer works Of Siegfried
Line. Third Army at German-Luxem-
bourg border along Our River. Planes
blast communications behind West Wall.
French LIST Army moves in slowly on
both sides OF Colmar pocket near Stras-
bourg. Americans beating back Jap
anese counterattack, seize Rosario and
near control Of road, forks Of which lead
to Manila and Bataan.
Tuesday: Russians push IL miles into
Brandenburg Province, now only 30
miles from Berlin and nearing Oder
River. Ukrainian troops, exploiting
bridgehead over Oder in Silesia, strike
westward toward Berlin. Huge pincers
movement under way from Pomerania In
west to Silesia in east. American 1st
Army, moving through waist-deep snow,
penetrates 8 miles into Germany In
Monschau Forest, taking 3 miles OF
Siegfried Line Notifications; Sd Army.
expanding bridgehead over Our River.
moves mile into Germany. >Nazs
start withdrawing troops from Holland
and planes have field day among them.
Americans. capturing San Fernando,
drive on past toward Manila, IS miles
away. Jap casualties on Luxon set at
$4,000, American 4,254. Japs capture
Kukong, provisional capital Of Kwang-
tung Province in China, now control all
but 20 miles Of important rail line In
HLnan.
Wednesday: Reds capture Landsberg.
important rail- junction on Berlin-Dan-
zig line. zhukov's troops push spear
head to soldin, IS miles from Berlin and
zielenMg, 81 miles due east of capital
Hitler, marking 18th anniversary %
Fuehrer, urges Germany 10 accept
boundless misery - priCe Of continued
resistance. American lit Army white-t
fOAn A2EYFEy0 AaWa n-l