The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-01-31
Soviets Dash
Along Netze
Valley
Stolzenberg Is Captured; },
Drive Menaces Vital
City OF Kustrin

LONDON, Wednesday, Jan. 81.
(P)-The First White Russian Ar"
my thrust within 70 miles OF Ber-
lin yesterday when 1t captured
the Brandenburg province town OF
Stolzenberg in a 20-mile dash
down the valley Of the Netze river
from Driesen.
The capture of Stolzenberg was
announced in the regular nightly
communique broadcast from Mos.
COW, which made no point OF the
fact that it represented the Russ
slams closest approach to tho
Nazi capital.
Early today, the Moscow radio
announced that the Red Army was
less than so miles from Stettin.
Berlin's port on the Baltic. Stol-
zenberg is So miles southeast OF
Stettin.
German accounts Of fighting on
the East Front Tuesday stressed
Marshal Gregory K. Zhukovs
gains on his front farther south
in the area west Of Poznan and
directly east of Berlin. In this sec
tor, the Germans said, ZhukoV
had come within 80 miles of Ber-
lin.
The Nazi broadcasts said that
Kustrin, an important rail center
Al miles east of Berlin was threat
ened by the Soviet frontal drive
from the east. With the pentra-
ton farther north, Kustrin also is
in danger Of being outflanked from
the northeast.
The plunge to Stolzenberg was
made along the Netze's right bank
through comparatively open coun-
try.
1t seemed clear that Zhukov
aimed to cut off Pomerania from
the rest of Germany. deprive Ber-
lin of the port facilities Of Stettin
and thrust around the capital from
the north.
1.-The capture Of Stettin," said
Robert Magidoff, NBC commen-
tator broadcasting from Moscow,
would expose Berlin to the da1fA
ger of sweeping outflanking ma
neuver which would create crack
more gigantic and of far-reaching
consequences for the Germanx
than even the cauldron Of East
Prussia.
1.-THE entire Polish corridor and
practically all Of Pomerania
would be in the bag and, with
them, fresh scores of Hitler's rap.
idly vanishing divisions
The Soviet communique showed
also that Zhukov's front in north.
eastern Germany had been exc
tended at both ends to width Of
100 miles, the days gains reach
ing 48 miles northeast of previous
points to Linde in Pomerania, and
eight miles southwark to Unrr.
stadt, just west of the Polish bore
der.
In their advances west Of Poe.
nan Tuesday, the Soviets captured
more than 200 towns, including
Betsche, Tirstiegel, Bomst and
Unrugstadt, all just west Of the
border on a front about 28 miles
long.
A German Transocean agency
broadcast said, without confirma.
ton, that Zhukovs forces had
reached a line extending through
Zullichau, SchWeibus, and Meser-
itz, all west of the Obra river and
approximately 80 miles east Of
Berlin.
Tuesday was the first day since
January IA that Marshal Stain is
sued no orders of the day pro-
claiming Russian victories. The
only announcement of Red Army
progress issued in Moscow was
the regular communique.
1t indicated that Konigsberg had
been closely encircled, stating
that Metgethen, three miles west,
and Heyde-Waldburg, five miles
southwest, had been captured; de-
clared German troops attempting
to break through to Elbing, East
Prussian Baltic port, had been re-
pulsed; announced capture of Ma
or the Vistula estuary
near the western border Of East
Prussia, and told of further ad-
vances northeast Of ScheidemuhI
in Pomerania.
There was no news of the fight
ing in Breslau or any other sector
Of Silesia in the communique, op-
in that sector being cloak
ed in security silence.
In the Carpathian mountains in
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