14 January, 1945.
Magnuszew Bridgehead, south of Warsaw, Poland.
5 Shock Army, I Belorussian Front.
The summer 1944 campaign petered out here, on the far bank of
the Vistula River in central Poland.  Soviet resources since
then have been concentrated on the conquest of the Balkans 
and the long-drawn-out battle for Hungary.  The doomed revolt
of Warsaw passed by with total Soviet indifference.  Now, 
months of preparation and mountains of material have led to
this moment.  I Ukrainian Front burst out of the large 
Sandomierz bridgehead to the south three days ago.  German
reinforcements are even now streaming to seal off the hole
caused by 4 Panzer Army's vaporization.  Streaming by the
bridgeheads held by I Belorussian Front.  Overwhelming 
artillery has been concentrated on the thin-but-tough 
defensive rings thrown up by the Germans around Magnuszew
and Pulwany.  Two entire all-arms armies have been 
concentrated in Magnuszew bridgehead, 8 Guards Army on
a southwesterly axis, and 5 Shock Army on the westerly
axis.  301 Rifle Division's sector faces the centre of the
positions held by one of LXII Korp's infantry divisions.
Which one will not be important for long - it is expected
that it will disintergrate under the pressure of 5 Shock 
Army's assault.  There are no prepared positions between
the rear of the German defensive lines and Berlin.

C.M. Hagmaier
kyomipo@csrlink.net