Evening star., 1945-02-15
Russians Across
Neisse River,
Germans Soy
MAP on Page ALL
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON. Feb. 15.--A German
military spokesman today sale
Russian tank and cavalry forces
smashing ahead II miles in "a
hours. had crossed the Neisse
River in an area only IS miles
from Berlin in the drive on the
German capital from the south
east.
Other spearheads, Moscow dis
patches said, had raced 20 miles
in the offensive west of Breslau
and reached Goerlitz on the Neisse,
only SO miles east of Dresden, and
were now battling for bridgeheadS
In Southern Germany.
A Tass broadcast from Moscow
later said the Russians had reached
a point only As miles from Dresden.
Marshal Ivan Konev'ss steadily re-
inforced blows fell with speed and
success which suggested that Ger
man resistance had been almost
paralyzed.
Military Highways Reached.
The Berlin military spokesman
said Marshal Konev's free wheeling
columns had reached the autobahns,
or military highways, both north
west and southwest of Forst, IS miles
from Berlin.
Forst is on the west side Of the
Neisse, IL miles east Of Cottbus
and 40 miles north of Goerlitz.
The town is II miles west of Som
merfeld, which the Germans said
the Russians reached yesterday.
The Germans said Marshal Konev
In this area had established loose
connection" with Marshal Gregory
zhukov's forces fighting east OF Ber-
lin, where they have established
bridgeheads over the Oder south of
Fuerstenberg. Fuerstenberg is u
miles north of Forst.
To the south Marshal Konev ap-
parently had bypassed the important
railway junction and stronghold of
Kohlfurt in his 22-mile jump from
Bunzlau to Goerlitz on the NeiSse.
The Neisse is the last natural bar
rier before Dresden.
Kohlfurt, II miles northeast of
Goerlitz, is q five-point trunk rail-
way center.
Last Big Water Barrier.
Frayda first announced the Koney
thrust to the Neisse. Its correspond
ent said whole groups of German
towns had been captured, by-passed
or sealed of In 4 spectacular new
advance.
The speed Of the drive indicated
Nazi resistance In that sector was
crumbling.
The Russians were reported bat
ting for a bridgehead across the
Neisse in their drive toward Dresden,
the city of $4,000 which Hitler once
had to planned to make the artistic
capital of the Reich.
Marshal Konev's northern wing
spreading just below the Oder was
coming up through the lake re-
gion southeast of Berlin with Stor-
kow as its central objective Stor-
kow is Is miles southeast of Berlin.
Reds Reported at Sommerfeld.
The German high command said
the Russians had reached Gruen-
berg, 10 miles southeast of Storkow,
and other German broadcasts re-
ported the Russians even closer-at
Sommerfeld, so miles southeast OF
Storkow.
Gutenberg is at the bottom Of a
60-mile deep pocket formed by the
zhukov forces along the Oder and
the Konev troops who yesterday
captured Freystadt and repeatedly
reached Sorau and Sommerfeld, to
the south, southeast and west of
Gutenberg.
1t was recognized that the lake
district southeast of Berlin, includ-
ing the chain of water barriers
linked by the many channels of the
meandering Spree River, was a nat
ural defense line, but it was prob
able the Germans would be COM
PEELED to shift. heavy new forces to
meet this threat.
II they did so they would be In
danger Of weakening their defenses
along the Oder directly east of Ber-
lin where Marshal Zhukov was en-
gagged In large-scale maneuvering
behind a smoke screen and a ter
rife bombardment Of the fortresses
of Frankfurt and Kuerstin.
Bridgeheads Across Oder.
BY German account, the Russians
still had bridgeheads across the Oder
in this area. The German high
command named two Of these at
Wiesenau and Ziltendorf between
Frankfurt and Kuerstenberg. zil-
tendorf is miles north Of Kuersten-
berg and Is miles from Berlin.
Soviet correspondents told Of Rus
sian troops moving into German
towns Astounding" with German
soldier as well as civilians who had
been unable to get out of the way
of the speedy advance toward
Dresden.
Scenes Of panic were described in
many such towns.
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