The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-12
Push Nearing
Saxony Line;
|Liegnitz Falls
Breslau Nearly Encircled
By Smashing New Soviet
Offensive

LONDON, Feb. IL R The
Red Army in an explosive smash
across southern Germany has al
most encircled Breslau, captured
the big industrial center of Lieg-
nitz, IS miles west of that Silesian
capital, and advanced up to 81
miles in four days on a 99-mile
front in a still-rolling drive nearing
the Saxony frontier, Premier Sta
lin announced tonight.
Berlin acknowledged the fall of
Liegnitz and said the Russians had
reached-and were trying to cross
the Bober river on a 22-mile
front between Bunzlau, IS miles
west of imperilled Breslau, and
Sprottau, 100 miles southeast OF
Berlin.
Bunzlau is only 28 miles from the
Saxony frontier, IA miles east of
Dresden, Saxony capital, and SO
miles northeast OF Prague, Czecho-
slovakian capital.
Five important German strong
holds besides Liegnitz fell in the
swift onrush of Marshal Konev's
hard-hitting First Ukraine Army,
which coiled around northwest Of
that city Of 630,000-the largest
German city yet within the grasp
of any Allied army.
Only a 15-mile escape gap for
the Axis garrison in Breslau was
left as Konev's mobile units slash
ed it's last direct communications
with Berlin and Dresden. Two Sec
ondary railways running south OF
the city were the only supply
routes left to the garrison and
these were under Soviet artillery
fire.
Among the strongholds swept up
in the big drive, first announced
by Berlin three days ago, were:
Steinau, 80 miles northwest OF
Breslau.
Lueben, 10 miles west of Steinau.
Neumarkt, 16 miles west Of Bres.
lau.
Liegnitz, a 13-way road and rail
junction controlling Berlin's com.
munications with Upper Silesia. 1t
is big mining and manufa cturing
center of $4,000.
Haynau, 10 miles northwest OF
Liegnitz.
Kanth, only 10 miles southwest Of
Breslau.
Soviet forces which previously
had smashed across the Oder riv.
err southwest of Breslau hold pc.
sitions at Kurtsch, II miles south
of Breslau, and the German garri-
sons only escape route or supply
corridor is between Kurtsch and
newly captured Kanth.
At Haynau the Russians were
within two miles of the Berlin
Breslau autobahn, or superhighway
and Berlin reports indicated that
this great military trafficway al
ready had been cut in the smash
to Bunzlau on the Bober river Is
miles west Of Haynau.
Az hdIllI,. OH DlCSldu . illilllCdN
ate southwestern approaches, 9TH
err Soviet units were also only two
miles from the superhighWsy. The
road already had been cut at sew
eral places in its course southwest
If Breslau to Russian-held Beuth-
en- en- the Polish Silesian frontier.
The size of the swelling Soviet
apparently aimed at out
thanking Berlin on the south and
cutting between the Reich capital
and imprisoned Czechoslovakia,
could be gagged by Stalin's com.
OF SIS generals, includ.
ng % commanders Of infantry
carnations and Is artillery leaders
Who distinguished themselves in
he break-through.
One Berlin commentator said the
russians had surprisingly concen.
rated a stable part of their as.
ault armies" in the Steinau area
orthWest of Breslau for the pow.
rful blow.
With his offensive a month old,
.onev has driven $50 miles from
he Vistula river since January
2 and penetrated 80 miles inside
ilesia.
Among the 500 towns and villages
aptured during the day were
three miles southeast
Glogau, Oder river stronghold
miles northwest Of Breslau:
.uaritz, nine miles southwest Of
Ilogau; and Primkenau, II miles
outheast Of the Bober river cross.
e town Of Sprottau.
Fierce fighting ragged In the