The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-03-05

(Continued from Page D gains in the direction of Naugard, 22 miles northeast of Stettin and 20 miles from the Baltic.
 Estuary Push Looms
 Thus 1t appeared that Marshal Gregory K Zhukovs right wing was drawing in line on a broad front east of Stettin for a push against the Oder estuary. Even without Q river crossing, strong Russian forces on the lower Oder could neutralizc Stettln with point blank gunflre across the stream.
 Even while Stargard was being stormed, other units of zhukov'B First White Russian Army swept on beyond 1t to within Q dozen miles southeast of Stettin. Big guns were being wheeled up to train on the great Baltic port which is the turn table of all of Berlin'S defcnses on the northern flank.
 SpearheadS of two Russian armies already had been planted on the Baltic, chopping Pomerania into pockets for pieccmeal disposal and trapping many thousands of Ger man troops in the coastal area to the northeast.
 The Communist party newspaper Pravda reported in Moscow that nine-tenths of East Prussia had been cleared. All along the Baltic coast German resistance was col- lapsing.
 A Moscow broadcast reported un- to have completed it's preparations officially that the Red Army seemed for an all.out assault on Berlin, for which the securing of the northern flank of the Soviet offensive line was Q prerequisite.
 The entire Soviet German front is moving on Berlin" the broadcast said. This front is now only slightly more than 200 miles wide, and it's Hanks are safe, resting on the Baltic in the north and the Sud0ten mountains in the south" Nazi broadcasters took note of the gravity of the developing situation. inenator, admitted thath in the "gi- Ernst Won Hammer, a military com- gantic" battle between Stettin and DanSig. the Russians deepened their penetrations of the German defcns- es.
 A Paris broadcast said Heinrich Himmler. Gestapo chief and com- had arrived at Stettin to take mander of the German home army, measures against the rapid Soviet advance" He was said to have Ls- sued orders to all Nad officials to remain at their posts.
 Elements of the first White Rus sian army reached points l2 miles southeast of Stettin after other forces farther cast trapped 100000 or more NaiZ troops in DanZlg and northeast Pomerania with twin breakthroughs to the Baltic coast.
 Frontal Smash Looms
 The offensive rapidly was clear ing the northern flank of Russian troops massed on the east bank of the Oder river for frontal smash against Berlin, 30.odd miles to the cast.
 Berlin broadcasts said the Soviets already were probing the Oder river defenses east of the capital In preparation for an imminent full scale attack.
 Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov's First White Russian Army. fighting under 6l generals, preached Nazi defenses along 100-mile front in four-day offensive that carried to the Baltic and across the south- east approaches of Stettin, at the mouth of the Oder. Advances of up to 62 miles were reported.
 Aa tNk A1 oNSl main eastern defense outpost of Stettin, with powerful attack up the IS mile corridor between Madue Lake and the Oder. Vanguards reached within l2 miles of Stettin after toppling Babbin, l4 miles southeast of the port.
 Gienstenthal, on the west shore of Madue Lake and four miles east of Babbin, also was captured. To the southwest, the Russians seized another l0-mile stretch of the east bank of Oder from Nipperwiese, 24 miles southeast of Stettin, to Peet- zig, 36 miles northeast of Berlin.
 The advance gave the Russians control of almost the entire length of the Oder from Nipperwiese to It's Headquarters, with the possible ex. ception of tiny corner of the east bank in the big bend northeast of Berlin.
 East of Madue Lake, the Russians brought Stargard. 20 miles East of Stettin, under siege with the cap- ture of Schwendt and Wulkow, two s miles southeast and three miles east respectively.
 : Zhukov's forces broke through to the Baltic at Kolberg, 65 miles northeast of Stettin, after & four day advance of 62 miles that shat tered long prepared defenses East of Stargard.
 More than 600 towns and villages were captured by the First Army, most of them in the breakthrough to the Baltic.
 Marshal Konstantin K. Rokossov- sky's Second White Russian Army matched Zhukocs drive with c com panon breakthrough to the coast 90 7 mles farther east.
 ' Second Army forces severed both the Danzg -Stettin coast highway and railway at Koeslin. 90 miles east of Kolberg, then drive on aYi- other seven miles to the sea nera Nest-an overall advance of 2i miles.
 The Germans fought bitterly for Koeslin in an attempt to hold open their communication with forces facing entrapment in northeast Pomerania and Danzig. Stone build- ings were converted into Fortresses and numerous street barricades were erected. but to on avail.
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