HEAVY FIGHTING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 44, 1 December 1944, Page 4

HEAVY FIGHTING

CLOSING IN ON ROER RIVER. ADVANCE BY AMERICAN FORCES. HEAVY CASUALTIES INFLICTED. (Rec. 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 30. Heavy fighting as the Allied forces are closing in on the Roer River is the feature of the news from the western front to-day. The 9th. Army this morning started a new attack from positions east of Fereonsweiler toward the villages of Roerdorf and Flosdorf, which are on the bank of the Roer River north of Barmen and just south of the important riverside town of Linnich, which is now immediately threatened, says “The Times” correspondent on the Aachen front. He says that the fall of these places would imply American possession of the west bank of the river for . a stretch of about 10 miles at this point. The attack against Beeck yesterday was a great success. The Americans made a feint movement from the east, which occupied the attention of the Germans while other American troops, making the real attack, closed in from the south. Then, just as the Germans were realising the situation, salvoes of “time on target” artillery fire hit the town. This consists of concentrated fire from many battalions, guns of various calibres being synchronised so that the shells fall simultaneously on the target. Heavy fire achieved great slaughter German dead litter the town—and before the survivors could recover their wits American infantry were in the streets. Americans withdrew at dusk in order to escape the shelling which the Germans were expected to, and did, carry on throughout the night, hut they went in this mprning without much trouble. Lindern, north-east of Linnich, was also not easily taken. The colonel of a battalion of infantry, having laid a wager that he would be in Lindern before breakfast, bypassed concrete pillboxes and had his men established on the southern outskirts of Lindern, li miles from his starting point before dawn. There, they held a position all day under heavy fire until the rest of thei American infantry and tanks fought their way up to them. The pillboxes, some

with .concrete walls six feet thick, were overcome with flame-throwers and explosives. One disgorged no fewer than 40 prisoners. The effect of the day’s operations! is to swing the left flank of the army toward the line of the river Roer, which is already held by the army on the southern half of their front. Reuter’s correspondent at the headquarters of the Ist Army says that the Americans .came out of Hurtgen Forest this afternoon within sight of the Roer River, 11 miles from the village of Maubach, east of Grosshau, and on the eastern side of the forest. Other troops of the Ist Army gained 200 yards in the area just below Merode, west of Duren, but we lost some ground fn the town of Merode. To-night, at the end of 15 days of the Ist Army’s offensive in this blackscarred area, our aggregate advance has not been more than 10 miles at the farthest point, but during the day the number of prisoners taken passed the 6000 mark and the number of enemy dead and wounded is high, but the Ist Army is paying too, and German resistance has not weakened anywhere. Saarunion, the first important town in the Saar to fall, was taken by General G. S. Patton’s forces, stated the Paris radio to-night, quoting the French War Ministry. Saarunion is on the Saar River, about 12 miles due south of Saarguemines. Reuter’s correspondent at 3rd Army Headquarters says that the battle of the Saar is increasing in intensity hourly. The Germans from the Siegfried Line forts stretched out behind the river Saar, laying a blanket of shells on the countryside through which General Patton’s forces are advancing, but despite counter-attacks and barrages the 3rd Army is driving The 95th Infantry Division last night advanced one mile and early today seized hills two miles west of Saarlouis. To-day it entered the villages of Saint Barbara and Oberlimberg, three and four miles respectively north-west of Saarlouis. Other of General Patton’s forces secured heights on the west bank of the Saar dominating Merzig. The 90th Infantry Division encountered stubborn resistance beyond Pfarrebersviller, which is about 10 miles south-west of Saarbrucken. Here the salient has been extended by an advance of one mile south-east along the railway into Farschviller, nine miles south of Saarbrucken.