Evening star., 1945-01-16
MAP on Page Al
By the Associated Press.

man high command today an
nounced the fall of SchloSsberg,
13 miles inside East Prussia, as
Russian armies tore gaping holes
in Nazi defenses along 600 miles
of front and seriously threatened
one of the main rear communi-
cation lines of Warsaw.
Nazi broadcasts said major pene-
trationS" had been made by the
Soviets in the Vistula-B Bug triangle
north of Warsaw and from the
Narew bridgeheads south of East
Prussia. They declared Premier
Stains winter offensive was in
tended to be the deciding battle of
the war.
Marshal Ivan Konev's 1St Ukrain-
ian Army, pounding westward toward
Krakow in Southrn Poland. fought
its way into the outer salients of
defense of the Nazis' Krakow War
saw railway line, reputed to be one
of the strongest German fortified
zones in Southeastern Europe.
Major Supply Artery.
This railway. connecting the Po-
lish capital with Silesias coal min
ing and munitions industries, is one
of Warsaw's chief arteries of sup
ply.
Marshal Konevs steamroller al
ready was in possession of Kielce on
the Warsaw-Krakow line and only
about 49 miles from the border of
German Silesia.
Showing westward without sup
port of aviation because of foas,
sleet and snow, Marshal Konev ap-
peared to be heading straight for
the Warsaw-Silesian line on Sec
tor 20 miles wide.
The Berlin radio declared the
Russians had sprung new offen-
sive IN the Jaslo area of Southern
Poland, about IS miles southeast OF
Kielce, and TO east of Krakow.
This apparently was intended to
guard the left flank of the drive
into the Warsaw-Krakow line.
This drive into the Warsaw
Krakow line was meeting the first
mass Of German reserves NOW, how
ever, and progress may be slowed
If the Russians interfere with traffic
over the trunk railway southwest
of Warsaw. they would strike one
of the biggest blows to Nazi hopes
Iof holding the Polish capital.
A Moscow communique said Mar
shall Konev's army oyerran 400
towns yesterday in its greatest one
day victory since showing off west
of the Vistula River last Friday,
Effort Apparently Growing.
The Russian effort apparently
still was growing. Berlin announced
that Red Armies were on the move
in 10 key sectors from the Baltic
to Yugoslavia.
Moscow's long silent victory guns
sounded off in volume again for the
capture of Kielce, announced by
Premier Stain in an order of the
day. Kielce, six-way road juno
ton, lies SO miles southwest of War
saw and 80 miles east of the German
frontier.
The Konev forces also seized
Jedrzejow and Wodzislaw, junction
points on the way to Krakow and
zlotniki, II miles southwest of
Kielce. Then, plunging across the
Warsaw-Krakow highway west of
Jedrzejow, they captured the village
OF Trzcheniec in 16-mile advance.
81 Miles Above Krakow.
On the southern flank the fall of
Palecznica placed the Russians only
81 miles northeast of Krakow, a key
point in the enemys Polish defense
line and guardian of the route to
Silesia. Capture of Glogowiany, %
miles north of Krakoy, brought the
Konev forces within so miles of the
frontier.
Berlin proclaimed the opening of
new Russian offensives both north
and south of Warsaw. Enemy
broadcasts announced deep pene-
trations' of German lines at Warka
and Pulawy, 80 and IS miles south
east OF Warsaw, in the BugzVistula
triangle Immediately north of the
Polish capital, and along the Narew
River, 80 miles to the north.
The Soviet command maintained
silence concerning any moves in
these areas as well as in East Prus-
sia, where Berlin has been reporting
activity since Saturday.