Description

Spearhead

Issue No. 186 — 2nd Infantry Division, Belgium — Saturday, January 20, 1945

2 pages scanned

“Russians Reach Germany” — the evening edition headline says it all.

Names

• Cherniakovsky (Marshal — 3rd White Russian Army now off the secret list; on offensive since Mon. on 35-mile front; drove 30 miles, neared Tilsit, 15 miles from Insterburg.)
• Conn, Billy (boxer — gave Louis his toughest fight; was leading on points until 13th round when he got careless; Louis will give Conn one crack at the title after the war.)
• Crisler, Norman K. (S/Sgt — tank commanded by him was hit by flame thrower but liquid failed to ignite; terrible odor put tank out of commission; labeled ‘stinky’ and ordered to keep to themselves.)
• Dreilling, Adolph (S/Sgt — jumped into a 70-man garrison, waved a tommy gun around, demanded surrender; later commended for capturing so many without firing a shot; gun was empty.)
• Hagg, Gundar (referenced — distance runner whom Bill Halsey would run against since Dobbs is retiring.)
• Halsey, Bill (S/Sgt ex-NYU distance ace — from Miami; said he would be happy to run against Gundar Hagg since Dobbs is retiring; needs a couple of weeks to get in shape and permission of the Navy.)
• Howard, Charles (horse racing — hoping racing ban will be lifted before Kentucky Derby; ordered trainers to keep 6 sons of Seabiscuit in shape for the race; Derby scheduled May 13.)
• Koniev (Marshal — 1st Ukrainian Army took top news; took Praszka on German border; chased Boche out of Krakow seat of German Provisional Polish Govt., 40 miles from German border.)
• Krist, Howie (Card pitcher — received Purple Heart for wounds received in France; recovering in hospital in England; believed to be first Major League player wounded in this war.)
• Louis, Joe (S/Sgt — confirmed retirement when he spoke to newshawks at Camp Shanks; will give Billy Conn one crack at title after war; thinks earliest possible time is 1946; turns 31 on May 13; has not defended his title since March 1942.)
• Malinowsky (Marshal — 2nd Ukrainian Army on Petrov’s left flank holds line thru east Czechoslovakia along Danube to Lucenec and Komarom; in final stages of clearing Budapest.)
• Padgett, Ernest O. (Sgt — just destroyed a Panther tank when a 2d Division doughfoot motioned him around a corner; wheeled and found himself looking at back of a Mark V Tiger; poured 6 rounds of armor piercing into it then destroyed crew with high explosive shell.)
• Petrov (Marshal — 4th Ukrainian Army has been driving along northern Carpathians and burst 30 miles west of San River; linked up with Koniev, took Jaslo, Tarnow, and Gorlice.)
• Rokossovsky (Marshal — 2nd White Russian Army driving for Danzig; Mlawa 110 miles from the big port; closed on Prussia; freed Plonsk 40 miles NW of Warsaw.)
• Stalin (referenced — 30,000 rounds fired to celebrate his announcement of capture of Praszka, fall of Lodz and Krakow; reported ‘This is only the beginning — our armies know only one battle cry, On To Germany!’)
• Tolbukhin (Marshal — 3rd Ukrainian Army in Hungary held big Hun tank-infantry attacks between Szekesfehervar and Lake Balaton aimed to keep any projected Soviet attack in key sector off balance.)
• Weissman (cartoonist — signed illustration of soldiers digging on back page.)
• Zhukov (Marshal — 1st White Russian Army captured Lodz; raced thru Kutno headed for Poznan; last big Polish city left 105 miles away.)

Locations

• Baltic Sea — shown on Eastern Front map
• Berlin, Germany — Berlin commentator stated ‘There’s no doubt the hour is very serious, that the most concentrated attack of the war is surging against the Reich’; 1500 Extra Berlin says Soviets at Krepno 45 miles from Breslau and 225 miles from Berlin
• Breslau, Germany — Soviets at Krepno 45 miles from Breslau; shown on Eastern Front map
• Brno, Czechoslovakia — shown on Eastern Front map
• Budapest, Hungary — in final stages of clearing; Tolbukhin held big Hun tank-infantry attacks between Szekesfehervar and Lake Balaton
• Carpathian Mountains — Marshal Petrov’s 4th Ukrainian Army driving along northern Carpathians
• Czestochowa, Poland — shown on Eastern Front map
• Danube River, Hungary/Czechoslovakia — Malinowsky’s forces hold line thru east Czechoslovakia along Danube
• Danzig, Poland — Rokossovsky’s 2nd White Russian Army driving for Danzig; Mlawa 110 miles from port
• Dietvirch, Luxembourg — 3rd Army men captured Dietvirch on north bank of Sure River
• Faniki, Philippines — 6th Army took Faniki 12 miles north of Tarlac
• Gorlice, Poland — Marshal Petrov’s forces took Gorlice
• Hagenau Forest, France — Hun linked his bridgehead to north of Strasbourg with forces in Hagenau Forest; using pontoon bridges getting more tanks across Rhine
• Hongen, Holland — British 2nd Army worked thru a dozen more villages including Hongen and surrounded an entire German unit
• Insterburg, East Prussia — Cherniakovsky’s forces 15 miles from Insterburg
• Japan — B-29 Superfort raid on Japan’s main island Honshu hit plane plant at Okasaki, 165 miles SW of Tokyo
• Jaslo, Poland — Marshal Petrov’s forces took Jaslo
• Komarom, Hungary — Malinowsky’s forces hold line to Komarom, 40 miles NW of Budapest
• Krakow, Poland — Koniev’s 1st Ukrainian Army chased Boche out of Krakow; seat of German Provisional Polish Govt.; 40 miles from German border; Krakow on Eastern Front map
• Krepno, Poland — Soviets at Krepno; 45 miles from Breslau and 225 miles from Berlin per Berlin report
• Kutno, Poland — Zhukov’s forces raced thru Kutno headed for Poznan
• Lake Balaton, Hungary — Tolbukhin’s forces held Hun tank-infantry attacks between Szekesfehervar and Lake Balaton
• Lodz, Poland — fall of Lodz announced; 30,000 rounds fired in celebration
• Lucenec, Czechoslovakia — Malinowsky’s forces hold line to Lucenec along Danube
• Luzon, Philippines — 6th Army took Faniki; threw back main Jap attack on left flank of Lingayen beachhead now better than 60 miles wide
• Manila, Philippines — Jap airbase 70 miles NW of Manila; Tarlac referenced
• Mlawa, Poland — Rokossovsky’s forces; Mlawa 110 miles from Danzig
• Narew River, Poland — shown on Eastern Front map
• Okasaki, Japan — B-29s hit plane plant at Okasaki, 165 miles SW of Tokyo
• Plonsk, Poland — Rokossovsky freed Plonsk, 40 miles NW of Warsaw
• Poznan, Poland — Zhukov headed for Poznan last big Polish city left 105 miles away
• Prague, Czechoslovakia — shown on Eastern Front map
• Praszka, Poland — Koniev took Praszka on German border; 30,000 rounds fired to celebrate
• Prussia — Rokossovsky closed on Prussia
• San River, Poland — Petrov’s forces burst 30 miles west of San River
• Vith, Belgium — 1st Army troops attacking SW along Malmedy-St. Vith road leading thru snow-swept Ardennes Mts.; got beyond Recht to point barely 4 miles from St. Vith
• Strasbourg, France — Hun linked bridgehead to north of Strasbourg; using pontoon bridges to get tanks across Rhine; their attacks against 7th Army positions may mount as they point for re-capture of Strasbourg
• Sure River, Luxembourg — 3rd Army men captured Dietvirch on north bank of Sure River
• Szekesfehervar, Hungary — Tolbukhin held big Hun attacks between Szekesfehervar and Lake Balaton
• Tarlac, Philippines — Jap airbase 70 miles NW of Manila; 6th Army took Faniki 12 miles north of Tarlac
• Tarnow, Poland — Marshal Petrov’s forces took Tarnow
• Tilsit, East Prussia — Cherniakovsky’s forces neared Tilsit, 15 miles from Insterburg
• Tokyo, Japan — Okasaki 165 miles SW of Tokyo
• Warsaw, Poland — Plonsk freed 40 miles NW of Warsaw; shown on Eastern Front map

Units

• 1st Army (U.S.) — attacking SW along Malmedy-St. Vith road; got to point barely 4 miles from St. Vith
• 1st Ukrainian Army (Soviet) — Marshal Koniev; took Praszka on German border; chased Boche out of Krakow
• 1st White Russian Army (Soviet) — Marshal Zhukov; captured Lodz; raced thru Kutno headed for Poznan
• 2nd Infantry Division (U.S.) — publishing unit; operating in Belgium; razor squad gag referenced
• 2nd Ukrainian Army (Soviet) — Marshal Malinowsky; holds line thru east Czechoslovakia along Danube; final stages of clearing Budapest
• 2nd White Russian Army (Soviet) — Marshal Rokossovsky; driving for Danzig; freed Plonsk; closed on Prussia
• 3rd Army (U.S.) — men captured Dietvirch on north bank of Sure River
• 3rd Ukrainian Army (Soviet) — Marshal Tolbukhin; held big Hun tank-infantry attacks between Szekesfehervar and Lake Balaton
• 3rd White Russian Army (Soviet) — Marshal Cherniakovsky; now off secret list; on offensive since Monday on 35-mile front; drove 30 miles, neared Tilsit
• 4th Ukrainian Army (Soviet) — Marshal Petrov; driving along northern Carpathians; linked with Koniev; took Jaslo, Tarnow, and Gorlice
• 6th Army (U.S.) — took Faniki; threw back main Jap attack; Lingayen beachhead now better than 60 miles wide
• 7th Army (U.S.) — Hun attacks against 7th Army positions may mount as they point for re-capture of Strasbourg
• British 2nd Army — worked thru dozen more villages including Hongen; surrounded entire German unit