Evening star., 1945-01-14
Russia
Continued From First Paae.)

ern edge Of the Rominten Forest
"a miles southwest of Schlossberg.
Russian troops last were reported
20 miles inside East Prussia in the
Goldap area before their offensive
slackened last October.
Berlin said the Russian objec-
tive In East Prussia was the pro-
v1ncial capital of Konigsberg,
simultaneously constituting q
threat to the rear of German troops
standing at the Memel River" on
the northern side Of East Prussia.
The third offensive" which Ber-
lin said got underway Saturday
morning In Czechoslovakia, was
launched on 75-mile front between
LoSonc Gucenec) and Kassa
Kosice). Seven or eight divisions
were thrown into this attack north
east Of beleaguered Budapest, Ber-
lin said.
Paratreops Reported Dropped.
Soviet parachute troops from
Omsk In Siberia have descended
In slovakia. another NaH broad
cast said, without naming the exact
area. This indicated that the Rus-
SLAMS had dropped air warriors into
the mountainous interior of the
Axis puppet state to link up with
Czechoslovak patriots and harass
the rear Of German troops holding
the dangerously exposed salient.
While Moscow was silent about
the slovakian and East Prussian
sectors, 4 late Berlin report said
the Russians massed 1000 guns in
the schlossberg area of East Prus-
sia and that several hundred Rus
sian aircraft are operating from 40
air11elds" along the front.
Inside wrecked Budapest Soviet
shock battahons captured another
o. blocks, the Soviet communicate
said. That put almost $500 OF the
capitals estimated $500 blocks in
Russian hands, and the annihila-
ton Of the remaining Axis garrison
seemed near.
In Poland the Russians tore out
two German north south communi-
cation lines with the capture Of
Szydlow, Stopnica, Chmielnik and
Busko. The bulletin disclosed for
the first time that Szydlow and
Stopnica had been lost to German
counterattacks since last August
when the Russians first took those
two towns. SD
Near Trunk Rail Line.
At the north end of the expanding
Soviet-Polish front the Russians
captured Skrzelczyce, II miles south
southeast Of Kielce, midway bastion
Of the Germans Warsaw-Krakow
defense line, and reached 4 point
only Z miles from the Warsaw-Kra-
kow trunk railway.
Driving miles west of the Chmi-
elnik-Busko highway at the center
Of the front, other Soviet troops cap
tured Pasturka, SO miles from Ger
man Silesia. At Pasturka the Rus
slams were only miles southeast
Of the important road junction of
Ptnczow on the Nida River.
Reaching the Nida, a Vistula trib-
utary, on q 12-mile front, the Rus
slams seized Zagosc, 6 miles south
east of Pasturka, and Wislica,
another miles to the southeast. At
the latter point the Russians were
only IS miles from German Silesia
and 36 miles northeast of Krakow,
major German base in Southern Po-
land and gateway to the Reich.
At the lower end of the front the
Russians took Brzostkow, on the
vistula River 10 miles east of Wis
Eca, indicating that the Russians
had been pushed back 4 miles
since August 4 when they captured
Nowy Korczyn, farther upstream.
Nazis Show Alarm.
The Germans reflected consider
able alarm over the new offensive
in an area which is the shortest
route to Central Germany. A late
Berlin report said the Russians were
hurting from so to 100 tanks in
constant waves" against the Ger.
man lines, and acknowledged deep
Red Army penetrations.
Thus far the direction Of the Rus
sian drive was westward toward
Germany, bat Marshall Konev's
troops also were in a position to
turn northward in q decisive out
fianking raaneuver against Warsaw,
and also southwark through Kra-
kow into Czechoslovakia. Other
Soviet forces operating in the Los
ono area Of Southern Slovakia were
only ITO miles south Of Krakow.
In support OF the growing Russian