Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-02-06
REDS THROW 3 BRIDGEHEADS ACROSS ODER
Steinau Falls in Drive in SiIesia;
Trapped Japs Set Fire to Manila
Latest CROSSING
Is Reported in
Frankfurt Area
yy the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, Feb. 6.-The Berlin
radio today declared Russian
troops had thrown three bridge
heads over the Oder River cas-
of Berlin, and the Nazi high com.
mand announced the loss O.
Steinau, 140 miles southeast o.
the capital, to Soviet troop.
lashing out in a new offensive il
Silesia.
An afternoon broadcast from
Berlin said Marshal Gregory
Zukov's men had established two
more bridgeheads south of Frank
furt in the frontal assault on Berlin
A crossing IS miles northeast oil
Berlin in the area northwest Of
Kustrin was announced earlier.
Berlin said one of the latest cross
ings was at Furstenberg, on the
Oder's west bank, IA miles south
southeast of Berlin.
Soviet units won third bridge
head about miles south of Fursten-
berg, a Transocean broadcast de-
clared.
Temporary Crossing.
It added that a temporary
crossing had been made between
Frankfurt and Kustrin on line
from 38 to 40 miles from Berlin, but
that this brideghead had been
wiped out.
Eastern front operations assumed
the character of fighting for estab-
lishment and smashing of bridge
heads" the broadcast said. "Numer-
GUS Russian bridgeheads on the west
bank of the Oder already have been
narrowed down by German counter
attacks, while the enemy succeeded
in widening some Others
Red Army siege guns were batter
ing the Germans across the smoke
shrouded Oder on a 73-mile front
east of Berlin. and Moscow dis
patches indicated important news"
might soon be announced in that
sector.
A supplement to the German COM
munique said Steinau, a town of
5000 on the Oder's west bank 80
miles northwest of Breslau, had
been abandoned, with the Nazi
garrison fighting its way back to
German lines.
Heavy Attacks Reported.
Moscow has kept silent for days
on activities of Marshal Ivan Konev's
1st Ukrainian Army in Silesia, but
Berlin has told Of heavy attacks.
A push from Steinau would carry
hanking threats to both Berlin and
Breslau.
The new bridgeheads across the
Oder to the north also outflanked
Frankfurt and Kustrin.
A Moscow broadcast pointed this
out, although Moscow had not Of
ficially confirmed the establishment
of the bridgeheads.
"Kustrin and Frankfurt are being
outf1anked," said a German-l lam
guage broadcast from the Soviet
capital mo miracle can save Ber-
lin. It's fall can be delayed for only
few weeks at the most"
Zellin Captured.
The Russians captured Zellin. 80
miles from Berlin on the Oder
northwest of Kustrin, and seized
Damvorst, a suburb of Frankfurt,
farther south. A tremendous gun
duel ragged there as Soviet artillery
in Damvorst, on the east bank, laid
curtains of shells into Frankfurt.
Zhukov's artillerymen were firing
over open sights. a Moscow dispatch
said, and there was extremely heavy
fighting along approaches to Oder
bridges north and south of Frankfurt.
The night glow of battle was plain
ly visible in the Reich capital, pris-
oners told their Russian captors.
Hand-to-hand battles ragged in the
suburbs of Kustrin, and the Soviets
were only miles from the heart of
that important rail and fortress
city, it was announced by the Rus
slams.
Fight to Hold Bridge Open.
The Germans were fighting fu-
riously to hold open a highway
bridge over the Oder near Schwetig,
just south of Frankfurt. Soviet
guns shelled the road running along
the rivers west bank between
Frankfurt and Kustrin, used by the
Germans to shuttle troops.
The German high command COM
munique declared the Nazis had
blown up central Oder bridge near
Furstenberg.
The bulletin also said Konev's
ermy had enlarged its Oder bridge
head at Brieg, southeast of Breslau
The communiQue declared the
;oviets had broken into the center
If bypassed and surrounded Poznan
n Poland, where perhaps 10000
Nazi troops were holding out.
Zhukov's right wing was striking
aorthward toward Stettin, but was
maintaining radio silence on its
progress
The right flank was one of his
most important areas OF operation,
however, and Moscow dispatches
said the tank spearheads might al
ready be relatively close to Stettin
fsee RUSSIA, Page A-53
Ex-Editor of Pro-Nuzi