The Wilmington morning star., 1945-04-21
Soviet Tanks
Drive For A
U.S.. Junction
Red, Burst 80 Miles Across
Capitals Southern
Escape Route

LONDON. Saturday, April 81
Red Army tanks, racing west
ward for a link-up with American
armies. nave burst 80 miles across
Berlins dwindling southern escape
corridor. Moscow revealed last
night as the bomb-torn and fam
imp German capital disclosed that
Russian armor was only seven
miles from its city limits.
The Russians were at the very
gates" of Berlin and had breaches
its inner defense ring in a yard
by.yard nell of fire, steel and
blood" the enemy said as peace
riots repeatedly broke out and the
rumble of approaching Russian
guns added to the terror caused by
round the clock Allied bombing
which vert on through the night.
Moscow revealed that a swift,
Soviet breakthrough south of the
capital had reached within Is miles
Of Dresden, carrying the only re-
manning railroad out of Berlin to
the Nazis national redoubt." The
Russians sweeping German resls-
lance before them like an avalan-
che, were 54 miles from the Amer
leans by Berlin's account.
With the rail line torn up by
repeated American bombing and
with Russian Stormooviks savagely
machine cunning enemy transport
within and below Berlin, the Ger
mans admitted that the great Red
Army offensive was deciding the
war. A Berlin broadcast said the
front is very near and the rumble
of guns can be heard in the center
of the city, but out of 1000, 600
people, 100000 still are here"
Moscows communicates announc-
ed that Russian forces, advancing
Oh Berlin and Dresden on a 100
mile front. had seized eight major
strongholds while wave after wave
of Russian armor Tapped at a doz-
en- other fortified towns and vii
lagos within Berlin's shattered de-
Tense ring east of the city.
South ard southeast of the blaz-
ing central front, Russian troops
IN Austria hammered within five
miles of the key Austrian rail juno
ton of Laa, and in northern Czech
oslovakia drove to points two and
seven miles of Opava (Troppau)
and Moravska-Ostrava.
In the Tiery battle before Ber-
ms eastern approaches-possibly
lhe greatest armored struggle in
hStory--the Germans, said masses
OF Russian tanks, infantry and big
guns still were pouring into the
gray against Nazi soldiers who had
not slept for $50 hours. The enemy
CLAIMED that 1900 Red army tanks
mad been knocked out and said the
Russians were 20 miles beyond
me Oder at .Kuestrin after five
Gays Of fighting.
The decision of the war is being
bought III an inferno of flames,
seafchllgAts and the most hellish
NOISE ever heard" said state.
lneht issued in the Wilhalmstrasse
a An OF The attacking Russians
ooV U. 5. Flying Fortresses pound.
Gu Key functions in the Berlin area
y MOSCOW announced that Marsha.
gregory K, Zhukov's First White
stn1y had captured the strongholds
eo BAD FHeienwalde and Wreizen
40 ana "A miles northeast of Berlin
al. ana mao driven ten miles beyond
a.. .ie ooer, capturing the road june.
'.oil Oh S-etoW, Is miles east of the
x, While I.cbus on the Oder, five
nlles no:th Of embattled Frankfurt
e p 1eli the Germans said the
p russians We're smashing towart
oelnh S Suburbs on a 32-mile arc
+ho nao reached Hanglesberg ano
ne area of Observation-Disclosures
. rli,es east and seven and a hal
'" VI. northeast of the capital
-, "erenuehen, is miles southwes
oa, captured Fad Freienwalde, i.
p eniy 10 miles from the center O
n neiilh AMI an advance to this are;
r n.eaht that the Russians had out
-'1 W 'h3 city's eastern limits
,,i H7angeIsherg on the east is ?;
'it s from mid-city.
v aou1h Of Berlin, Marshal Ivan S
sOnn, First Unkrainian Arm,
+n nuIeo . massive breakthroug 81
IT. the Neisse river at Muska,l
tioIs ' aou9'e drive aimed at a junc
. uoh with American forces and an
clrcling Berlin. ' anu eli
, from Muskau, the Russian
Cd g. .. westward Is miles and seiz
eu sspermberg on Berlin's own riv
er Spree. AT the same time eve ot Ius
continued on Page Two; Col. l