Description

Spearhead

Issue No. 183 — 2nd Infantry Division, Belgium — Wednesday, January 17, 1945

2 pages scanned

“Soviets 30 Mi. From Reich” — the Eastern Front map dominates this issue.

Names

• Freeman, Leo A. (Pvt — sharing a tent with Pvt. Williams, disarmed his friend after waking to find him swinging a rifle at him while sleepwalking; Silver Star award context.)
• Koniev (Marshal — 1st Ukrainian Army punched within 15 miles of Czestochowa; forces got heavy guns just 10 miles outside Krakow.)
• Massey, Alton (Pvt — won jitterbug contest at Chicago Serviceman’s Center in 1942; Life magazine spread the picture nationally; later saw same picture in Nazi Illustrated.)
• Walker, Olen H. (Pfc — digging potatoes near CP found one weighing more than the rest; cleaned it and discovered it was a German anti-personnel mine; gingerly replaced it and departed.)
• Weissman (cartoonist — signed thermometer-in-snow illustration on back page.)
• Williams, Charles W. (Pvt — tent-mate of Pvt. Freeman; woke up sleepwalking with a rifle; said he was just dreaming when awakened.)
• Zhukov (Marshal — 1st White Russian Army broke loose like an avalanche from bridgeheads across the Vistula; in 2 days tore a 75-mile gap capturing over 1,300 places.)

Locations

• Baltic Sea — shown on Eastern Front map
• Berlin, Germany — shown on Eastern Front map
• Bratislava, Czechoslovakia — shown on Eastern Front map
• Breslau, Germany — shown on Eastern Front map
• Brno, Czechoslovakia — shown on Eastern Front map
• Brux, Germany — rail center 145 miles south of Berlin; over 1,200 RAF heavies bombed Magdeburg rail yards (2nd in importance to Berlin) the Krupp works there, and Brux
• Budapest, Hungary — 120 more blocks taken
• Canton, China — hit during U.S. carrier plane raids along Chinese coast Saturday, Sunday, and Monday
• Czestochowa, Poland — Marshal Koniev’s 1st Ukrainian Army punched within 15 miles of Czestochowa, itself only 15 miles from German border
• Dresden, Germany — shown on Eastern Front map
• East Prussia — fresh drives north of Poland across Narew River in East Prussia toward Interburg reported
• Frankfurt, Germany — shown on Eastern Front map
• Geilenkirchen, Germany — British 2nd Army launched limited attack against German salient between Geilenkirchen and Meuse River in vicinity of Sittard
• Graz, Austria — shown on Eastern Front map
• Grocziec, Poland — among important cities taken by Zhukov’s forces
• Hong Kong — hit during U.S. carrier plane raids along Chinese coast
• Houffalize, Belgium — Hun chased out of Houffalize and Ceram at west end of dwindling salient
• Interburg, East Prussia — fresh drives in East Prussia toward Interburg reported
• Kenigsburg (Konigsberg), East Prussia — shown on Eastern Front map
• Komarom, Hungary — shown on Eastern Front map
• Krakow, Poland — Koniev’s forces got heavy guns just 10 miles outside Krakow; shelling outskirts of this great southern city standing 40 miles from German Silesia
• Lake Balaton, Hungary — shown on Eastern Front map
• Leipzig, Germany — 600 U.S. bombers hit synthetic oil plants near Dresden and rail yards north of Leipzig
• Lodz, Poland — Radom taken, 80 miles from Lodz, 2nd most important industrial city in Poland
• Lublin, Poland — shown on Eastern Front map
• Luzon, Philippines — 6th Army troops 32 miles from beach in valley of Capiton River and 80 air miles from Manila; long-expected Japanese counterattack begun on east flank in neighborhood of Rosario; attacks repulsed
• Magdeburg, Germany — over 1,200 RAF heavies bombed Magdeburg rail yards (2nd in importance to Berlin) and Krupp works
• Manila, Philippines — 6th Army troops 80 air miles from Manila
• Meuse River, Belgium/Germany — British 2nd Army attacked German salient between Geilenkirchen and Meuse River in vicinity of Sittard
• Narew River, Poland — fresh drives north of Poland across Narew River in East Prussia toward Interburg
• Pilsen, Czechoslovakia — shown on Eastern Front map
• Poznan, Poland — shown on Eastern Front map
• Prague, Czechoslovakia — shown on Eastern Front map
• Radom, Poland — among important cities taken; 60 miles SW of Warsaw and 80 miles from Lodz
• Rosario, Philippines — Japanese counterattack begun on east flank in neighborhood of Rosario; attacks repulsed
• Ruhr, Germany — while over 1,200 RAF heavies bombed Magdeburg, RAF also bombed rail yards in Ruhr
• Silesia, Germany — Krakow stands 40 miles from German Silesia
• Sittard, Netherlands — British 2nd Army attacked in vicinity of Sittard
• Soleo, Poland — among important cities taken by Zhukov’s forces
• Stettin, Germany — shown on Eastern Front map
• Swatow, China — hit during U.S. carrier plane raids along Chinese coast
• Vienna, Austria — shown on Eastern Front map
• Vistula River, Poland — Zhukov’s forces broke from bridgeheads across Vistula tearing 75-mile gap in 2 days
• Warsaw, Poland — troops fanning out on right flank got to points just 20 miles south of Polish capitol in beginning of drive to flank Warsaw

Units

• 1st Army (U.S.) — U.S. armored and infantry units in north were last night just 5 miles from St. Vith
• 1st Ukrainian Army (Soviet) — Marshal Koniev’s army punched within 15 miles of Czestochowa; forces shelling outskirts of Krakow
• 1st White Russian Army (Soviet) — Marshal Zhukov’s army broke loose like an avalanche from Vistula bridgeheads; tore 75-mile gap; captured over 1,300 places
• 2nd Army (British) — launched limited attack against German salient between Geilenkirchen and Meuse River near Sittard; gained up to 1,000 yards against moderate resistance with air support
• 2nd Infantry Division (U.S.) — publishing unit; operating in Belgium
• 6th Army (U.S.) — troops 32 miles from beach in valley of Capiton River; repulsed Japanese counterattack near Rosario
• A.F. — over 1,200 heavies bombed Magdeburg rail yards, Krupp works, and Brux rail center