The Wilmington morning star., 1945-03-14
Berlin Says
Reds Are 3
Mics Away
Three Soviet Armies Ex-
pected To Make Final
Drive On City

LONDON, Wednesday, March IA
-,P-Marshal Zhukov, achieving
breakthrough in a frontal assault
inward Berlin, has pushed nearly
100000 Russian troops across the
oder river between Frankfurt and
nev]v.captured Kuestrin and has
conf spearheads within 80 miles of
The Reich capital, the Germans said
last night.
The German DNB agency con-
tended the breakthrough was only
temporary but said nine Russian
divisions now were fighting on the
west side of the river on the 16-
mile wide, Kuestrin Frankfurt
front.
While the broadcast Soviet COM
munique made no mention of any
crossings in that critical area, Mos
COW dispatches told of preparatory
artillery fire by heavy Russian
guns wheeled into position in bat
tered Kuestrin. Reports from the
Russian capital indicated that
three Russian armies were expect
ed to make the massive assault on
Eerlin.
According to the Germans, Rus.
sian task forces are attempting to
force open the forefield defenses of
Berlin in these three areas:
Westward from Kitz on the
0der's west bank opposite Kues-
trin
In the bridgehead opposite Co.
eritz, six miles below Kuestrin.
In the Lebus bridgehead, six
miles north of Frankfurt.
The Russians breakthrough was
secured in the Lebus bridgehead
area, Nazi commentator said, adj
ding that fighting on the high
ground commanding the Frankfurt
Berlin highway was heavy and fluc-
tuating
Sixty miles north of Kuestrin,
zhukov's armored and storm units
steadily whitfield down German po-
s:tions east of the Oder in Stettin S
eastern suburbs of Altdamm, Fin
kenwalde and Podjuch. The Ger
mans claimed that counterattacks
mad thrown the Russians back near
Grellenhagen. II miles south OF
Stettn.
The Second White Russian Army
on the Bay of Danzig frightened
Its siege ring around the ports Of
Danzig and Gdynia. Midnight So
vet supplementary communique
declared fierce fighting was rag
ing On the rim of that fortified
area.
Northwest of Gdynia, the Rus
Sans cleaned out a l4-mile coastal
area from the road junction OF
MEGA, four miles east Of Wejhero-
%o 'NeustadD, northWard to Ch-
iapau, Moscow announced in a
broadcast communique.
capture of Chlapau put the Rus
vans at the base of the 'Zatoka
lpcNa narrow neck of land jut-
ulis out q miles into Danzig Bay
"oI'h Of both Gdynia and DanZig.
advances of up to five miles
aefe scored by the Russians in
uiS operation, but no new gains
were reported in the frontal drive
vi 1dynla which already has car.
nea 10 within eight miles of that
FUlsn Baltic port.
below Danzig in the canal-cut
ee''a area east OF the Vistula riv
w. 'ne Russians occupied seven
.O"ns including Neukirch, IA miles
SSvulheast Of the former free city
" WV 81 units previously had driven
~ Within nine miles northwest
nm NJ southwest of Danzig.
t.I MORE than 1000 prisoners were
i iaAeA by the Russians in the fight
: III the Gdynia-Danzig area.
W.; russians units which took Kues-
so NJ, monday captured more than
ino1,, herman officers and men,
m slua ng Col. Gen. Kruger, com
tba e-I rn OF the Kuestrin fortress,
ID AS YET Moscow has not report.
M roja onlhcially any crossings of the
Fro aula Oder in the Kuestrin'
ms anhqrt sector east of . Berlin
al St ts3e from the Soviet CAPT
r "a s0i S Of Russian artillery bar
K sSe hurled across the river from
ma, S.flh and said the Soviet com
cal I'l Si. was woking out the tacti
S'i situation for a Berlin offensive
continued on Page Three; Col. l.