The Wilmington morning star., 1945-03-01
Otherforces
Gain In Push
Toward Baltic
Reds Consolidating Posi-
lions In North; so Towns
Captured

LONDON. Feb. 28.- Up The
Russians seized the five-way rail-
road hub of Neustettin in Pomer-
ania today and gained five to six
miles in their drive aimed at cut
ting off the Germans in the Bal
tic coastal area of Danzig, the
Polish Corridor and northeast
Pomeranla.
Unofficial dispatches from Mos
COW said the Notwithstanding
tank spearheads of the Second
White Russian Army had reached
the coastal highway and railroad
which are the last escape routes
of the Germans, but the nightly
Soviet communique disclosed Off
ciallv no advances narrowing the
22-mile gap which remained after
Tuesdays capture of Bublitz and
DraWehn.
Instead, the communique an
nounced capture of more than 81
towns in a general line-straighten-
ing and solidfying operation along
the 4O-mile-Wide front of the ad-
vance, from Schwornigatz, II
miles north of Chojnice westward
to BublitZ.
Premier Stain announced h e
capture Of Neustettin, SO miles
northeast OF Stettin, in an order
of the day following a German
broadcast that tn e outflanked
strongpo,nt had been evacuated.
The Soviet communique added the
capture of Streitzig, Two and one.
half miles west of Neustettin, put.
ting the Russians out in the open
past Neastettin's difficult position
between the Vim and Streitzig
lakes.
The east-front spot light contin.
ued 10 beat strongly on the So.
Wet offensive in Pomerania, the
Moscow communique saying only
that on other fronts the Russians
had captured half a dozen villages
in East Prussia and took another
10 blocks and the suburb of Klein
ischank in surrounded Breslau
capital Of Lower Silesia.
The Germans also placed great.
est stress on the Pomeraniar
struggle, broadcasting that the So
Wet vanguards had reached Poll.
now, 2 miles north of Bublitz and
l6 miles from the Baltic coastal
railway. and making no secret Of
the peril posed for the defense. by
Marshal Rokossovsky's rampage
toward the sea.
The best face the Nazis succeed
ed putting on the situation was
IN the broadcast words of a Fer
I'm military spokesman who said
German alarm units were
1hroWn into this critical area and
succeeded in holding up some OF
tAe Russian infantry forces which
were closing up
Inc German communioue said
mat Rlkossovsky had advanced
Adj 70 the north" of Bublitz, his
"4ost northerly point of Tuesday.
anu SAID that Soviet tank forces
try"
Apparently the Germans had
; up trying to stop the speed
a.s tanks, their communique say.
.s 'nelr efforts were concentrat.
;n IN WI trying to check part of the
'lai'tfy following up the tanks. -
.v MOSCOW news dispatches, how.
w.a ga the German resistance
&c., as Suffering at some places
s salnst Soviet forces fighting
NJ ~ 10 complete encirclemen1
ut German forces to the east"
tb russian IS accounts emphasized
dott.s ,ie slushy terrain of forests
,sr s'ea with lakes made it neces
roads 'or tanks to stick to the
ersti s' somewhat handicapping op
Over .. hea Air Force was bus,
the eF tine. me coastal gap, supporting
reses TANKS and hampering German
's oa movements. i''
wb;4e strategic aim of the Secone
t ha4'e russian drive was to cove
me me flank OF the First Wv WIT IT, 'D p"s
for IN; on the central from
Tho n drive towards Berlin
Fret D wefmans boadcast that tn,
day ba %nile Russians during tn
On Lay "ldened their bridehead
@ = sides of Kuestrin on tn,
lin ne 80 miles east of Der