DRIVE TO SAAR MEETS FIERCE OPPOSITION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 285, 1 December 1944, Page 5

DRIVE TO SAAR MEETS FIERCE OPPOSITION

UMSAWimANTRY

Third Army In Battle For Saareguemines N.Z. Press Association —Copyright Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON. Nov. 30. American Third Army forces are now fighting in Saareguemines, gates an American broadcast from France. Our drive to the Saar is meeting fierce opposition, says Reuters correspondent with the Third Army. The Germans are throwing M frequent counter-attacks with tanks and infantry and are also shellwig from east of the Saar River, possibly from Siegfried Line forts. Saarunion, the first important. Saar town to fall, has been taken by General Patton's forces, stated Paris radio to-night, quoting the French War Ministry. Saarunion is on the Saar River, about 12 miles due south of Saarguemines. Third Army Driving On ReuOers correspondent at Third Army Headquarters says the battle of the Saar is increasing in intensity hourly. The Germans, from Siegfried Lin* forts stretched out behind the River Saar, are laying a blanket °f shells on the countryside, through which General Patton's forces are advancing, but despite counter-attacks and barrages, the Third Army is driving on. The 9oth Infantry Division last" night advanced one mile, and early to-day seized hills two miles west of Saarlouis. They to-day entered the villages of St. Barbara and Oberlimberg, three and four miles respectively north-west of Saarlouis. Other forces of General Patton's Army secured heights on the west bank of the River Saar, dominating Merzig. The 90th Infantry Division encountered stubborn resistance beyond Pfarrebersviller, which is about ten miles west of Saarbrucken. Here the salient has been extended by an advance of one mile southeast along the railway into FarschviHer, nine miles south of Saarbrucken. American armoured units beat off a heavy counter-attack east of Tettingen, 11 miles north-west of Merzig. They lost some ground at first

but later regained it. The Americans pressed on to within one mile and a half of Saarlouis after beating off 10 counter-attacks on. a 10-mile front.

The American First Army captured the small town of Grosshau, one mile north of Hurtgen, and also forced the Germans to abandon Lammersdorf. According to Swiss radio French regulars and. Free French Forces, advancing along the French frontier, have reached the Rhine and forced a wedge between the Germans in the tip where the French, German and Swiss frontiers meet. French artillery has resumed heavy shelling of Huningen, one mile north of Basle. Spasmodic shelling along the line of the Maas River is the only news of ground activity on the British Second Army front to-day. In the air however, the Second Tactical Air Force had its second best day of the month. Flying over 1100 sorties, it bombed eight enemy headquarters and made 57 railway cuts. The British United Press correspondent at 21st Army Group Headquarters says Allied pressure is steadily continuing along the 100mile front between Geilenkirchen and Nijmegen, although there is little change in the ground positions.