Soviets Reported
Within 40 Miles
of Nazi Capital
Russians Mass Power
On Edge of Stream
For Final Assault
London,
Feb. 1 (UP)—
Russian
forces drove to the Oder river less than 40 miles from Berlin today, and 175
miles to th3 east captured the long-encircled Polish city of Torim, killing or
capturing the German garrison by-passed in the lightning sweep westward.
Russian and German reports agreed that powerful soviet forces were massing on the east bank of the Oder in evident
preparation for storming the last natural defense line athwart the approaches
to Berlin.
The
fall of Torun. Polish fortress city on the lower Vistula 80 miles northeast of
Poznan and 25 miles southeast of Bygoszcz, was announced in a special order of
the day by Marshal Stalin, broadcast from Moscow
The
German high command admitted that Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov's forces had swept
to the east bank of the Oder northwest of .Kustrin, 42 mües east of Berlin.
from
Kustrin the river angles northeastward to its right-angle elbow, an even 30
miles from the capital.
Third Army Units
Overrun Four
German Towns
American Divisions
Fight Into Outposts
of Siegfried Line
Paris, Feb. 1, (UP)—
American First army headquarters
today reported Signs that the Germans were withdrawing from some sections of
the Siegfried line, against which United States divisions were closing on a
40-miIe attack front in Germany,
Belgium and Luxembourg.
Paris,
Feb. 1 (UP) —
Lieutenant
General George S. Patton's Third army assault forces overran four
German
towns today and broadened their front inside the reich to four and a half
miles.
United
States First and Third army divisions were fighting flank to flank into the
outposts of the Siegfried line along a 40-mile attack front winding through
Belgium, Luxemburg, and Germany.
At
the southern end of the western front, the French First army opened a new
attack in Alsace that appeared to have broke the German threat to Strasbourg.
Commandos Dart Behind Jap Lines In
Surprise Attack
510 Prisoners Freed In
Daring Raid
Two men from Minnesota and two from
North Dakota are included in the list of American prisoners released in the
attack on the prisoner of war camp at
Cabanatnan. They include Emmet
Manson, United States navy, Worthington; Private Loren G. Fierce, Princeton;
Sergeant Edward A. Bumes, Bowman,
N. D., and Corporal John T. Reeff,
Glen Ullin, N. D.
Allied headquarters, Luzon,-Feb. 1 (UP)—
A
daring commando raid by American rangers and Filipino guerillas last night staged the first mass
rescue of allied prisoners in this war, bringing 510 captives from 25 miles behind the Japanese lines to
safety. General Douglas MacArthur announced today.
The
raiders, composed of 121 picked men from the sixth ranger battalion and 286
guerillas made the rescue in a surprise attack shortly after dark on the Japanese
prison
camp at Cabanatuan, some 70 miles north of Manila in Nueva Ecija province.
MacArthur
Jubilantly announced the rescue and said the American forces achieved complete
surprise over the Japanese guards, who were annihilated. Then the rangers and
guerillas with their column of ragged, weary liberated prisoners engaged in a
running fight with Japanese
infantry and tanks, Mac-
Arthur
declared in a special press release.
Some
of the prisoners were captured by the Japanese when Corregidor surrendered
nearly three years ago.
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