February 6, 1945; Soviets Breach Oder in Three Places

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1945:

WAR AT GLANCE

February 6, 1945

THE WESTERN FRONT—

U. S. troops smash completely through part of Siegfried Line amid growing signs of new offensive. French and Americans in Alsace hammer Germans fleeing Rhine bridgehead.

THE RUSSIAN FRONT—

Soviet forces mass along great stretch oder river, Germans report bridgeheads

won on west bank, call Berlin front line city."

ThE PACIFIC FRONT—

MacArthur troops liberate more than 5,000 persons in Manila from three years

internment. Airborne division drives into city from south in 35-mile overnight dash as cavalry and infantry units smash across Pasig River, barrier to heart of city.

ST. JOSEPH, MICH., TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1945.

RUSSIAN DRIVE

TAKES 500,000

NAZI CASUALS

Steinau Falls As Reds Lash

Out Anew In

Silesia

BULLETIN

LONDON, Feb. 6 (AP).—

A Moscow broadcast today said the first two weeks of the Red army's winter offensive had cost the Germans 500,000 men. It gave no breakdown of the figure.

(By Associated Press)

LONDON, Feb. 6—

The Berlin radio declared today Russian troops had thrown three bridgeheads over the Oder river east of Berlin, and the Nazi high command announced loss of Steinau, 140 miles southeast of the capital, to Soviet troops lashing out in a new offensive in Silesia.

An afternoon broadcast from Berlin said Marshal Gregory Zhukov's men had established two more bridgeheads south of Frankfurt in, the frontal assault on Berlin. A crossing 35 miles northeast of Berlin in the area northwest of Kustrin

was announced earlier.

Berlin said one of the latest crossings was at Furstenberg, on the Oder's west bank 14 miles southeast of Frankfurt and 47 miles southeast of Berlin.

ALLIES SCORE

NEW GAINS IN

ALL SECTORS

Schmidt, Schleiden, Gemund

Are Threatened

By Advances

PARIS, Feb. 6 (AP)—

Infantry of the American First Army slashed into the second concrete belt of

German fortifications today to within 1,500 yards of Gemund and 1,000 yards of Schleiden, last bastion towns of the Siegfried Line.

Just to the north, the 78th Lightning Division drove through the west wall fortifications to within 1,500 yards of Schmidt, north of the network of dams controlling headwaters of the Roer River. Two of the five dams have been captured.

Habscheid Is Captured

The Third Army, fighting seven miles deep in Germany, captured the Siegfried Line village of Habsheid, six miles southwest of the fortified communication center of Prum. Germans, however, moved back into Brandscheid, where the

Third Army had driven clear through the Siegfried Line.

TRAPPED JAPS

PUT TORCH TO

MANILA STORES

Three U. S. Forces Driving

Last Nips From

Capital City

BULLETIN

MANILA, P. I., Feb. 6 (AP).—

The business district of Manila was in flames Monday night as trapped Japanese soldiers put the torch to the Scolta district.

The Manila fire department was doing its best to halt spread of the fire but there was no water pressure and the firemen were about helpless. The Japanese blew up water pumping stations several days ago.

The Escolta, Manila's main business street, is on the north shore of the Fasis river. In prewar days it had such fine structures as the eacock Department

Store, Hamilton-Browns store and many other imposing buildings.

(By Associated Press)

MANILA, Feb. 6.—

Liberation of Manila and more than 5,000 prisoners from three years of Japanese

subjugation was proclaimed today by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who immediately took up the new war-cry  "On to Tokyo!"

The knockout blow was delivered by paratroopers of the llth Airborne

Division, who drove into Manila from the south in a 35-mile overnight dash as First Cavalry and 37th Division Yanks smashed across the Pasig river barrier in the city's heart.

Complete destruction of the Japanese defenders "is imminent," Mac- Arthur announced. Caught in a three-way trap, the enemy can only go toward Manila bay, which is constantly under American bombsights.

Head For Bataan, Corregidor

Corregidor fortress at the harbor entrance and the nearby Bataan peninsula could serve as temporary refuge. Bataan now is under American control, all its roads scaled off at the north.

WAR AT GLANCE

February 6, 1945

THE WESTERN FRONT—

U. S. troops smash completely through part of Siegfried Line amid growing signs of new offensive. French and Americans in Alsace hammer Germans fleeing Rhine bridgehead.

THE RUSSIAN FRONT—

Soviet forces mass along great stretch oder river, Germans report bridgeheads

won on west bank, call Berlin front line city."

ThE PACIFIC FRONT—

MacArthur troops liberate more than 5,000 persons in Manila from three years

internment. Airborne division drives into city from south in 35-mile overnight dash as cavalry and infantry units smash across Pasig River, barrier to heart of city.