The Wilmington morning star., 1945-03-23
Foe Reports
New Advance
Down Danube
Pincers Against South.
eastern Sector Appears
Likely

LONDON, March % -UH- Rus
sian troops in twin advances of %
miles have encircled and wiped out
$4,000 Germans on the edge of the
Czechoslovak arsenal area, Mos
COW reported tonight.
Berlin said four Soviet armies
had opened an offensive down the
Danube toward Vienna and as the
southern half of the front burst into
flames, It appeared that vast So
Wet pincers movement against
Germany's last ditch" fortresses
of Czechoslovakia and Austria
might be under way. '
Marshal Josef Stain announced
that two Russian columns had met
at the foot of the Sudeten noun
tains after each swept Is miles
across upper Silesia, catching 49,
900 prisoners in the trap. A sub
sequent communique reported that
10000 other Germans were killed
in the drive.
The brilliant maneuver by Mar
shall Ivan S. Konev's First Ukrain-
ian Army overran 400 Silesian
towns including the large centers
of Neustadt. Cosel, Falkenberg, Zu-
ELI, Ober Glogau, Steinau and
Krappitz, Stain revealed in an
order Of the day. Neustadt lies
only three miles from the Czech
border, 81 miles northwest Of in
dustrail Brno and 1876 miles from
Prague.
Stains order ended 33-day 81
lence on activities along Konev's
Upper Silesian flank. German
broadcasts began reporting the
present drive six days ago. Berlin
admitted today that the Germans
had withdrawn to new front west
Of Neustadt.
Perhaps signifying the opening
of great pincer movement te
forestall final German stand il
Czechoslovakia and Austria, the
Germans reported that four Rus
sian armies were hammering dowI
the Danube from Budapest, Strik
ing for the Bradshaw Gap and
Vienna.
Under mounting pressure, the
Germans abandoned EsZtergom,- 2
miles northwest of Budapest; Eel,
sogalla, "a miles due west OF the
Hungarian capital, and Tata; ~
miles northwest of Budapest and
y miles southeast of Komaron, the
key to Bratislava. Tata is Ga miles
southeast Of Bradshaw and only
"a miles from Vienna.
The new gain retrieved most Of
the territory lost by Marshal Fe-
ordor l. Tobukhin's Third Ukrain-
counter-attacks following the fall
Of Budapest two months ago.
The German commentator, Err
nest Won Hammer, reported that
russian troops had battered into
the key junction Of Saskatchewan,
81 miles southwest of Budapes,
Where German garrison was i'm
periled by the Russian advances
across its communications north.
west and west of Vienna.
Stain revealed that Konev's col.
umnS had gained % miles both
west and south Of Oppeln, Upper
slesian capital on the Oder, and
mad converged around a 500-square
mile pocket of Germans. 1t was
Indicated that the German losses
would run considerably higher
When the mop-up was completed.
"A great quantity of weapons In
Guiding 464 guns were seized In
the push, for which Stain salutec
troops under Sc generals, indicative
OF the huge forces involved.
The two First Ukrainian Army
columns linked up in the area o.
NeuStadt; % miles southwest o.
Oppeln. The southern column selz
Cd Cosel "a miles south of OppeI
and the same distance east of Neu
Stadt, while the northern grouI
reached Neustadt by way OF Fal
kenburg, IL miles west Of Oppel1
ana Stelnau, six miles north O
Neustadt. Ober Glogau, Zuelz ant
Kroppitz were Within the mop
up area.
While these new battles develop
eo on the southern end of the front
he German stand along the by
passed Baltic coast was coming II
d olSastrius end as the Russian
cut apart the garrison around 10
enlgsoerg, Danzig and Gdynia.
me battered, dazed German
southwest of Koenigsberg held O
T9salnst the coast of the Frlsche
nan Qagoon), in an area at n
point more than three miles deer