POWERFUL ALLIED DIVISIONS MOVING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 76, 31 March 1945, Page 5

POWERFUL ALLIED DIVISIONS MOVING

PRISONERS POUR IN.

No Organised Government

In Germany

: N.Z. Press Association— Copyright Rec. 1.30 p.m. LONDON, March 30.

Although the security black-out on the latest Allied advances in Germany has not been relaxed, correspondents to-night are permitted to say that First Army forces have reached Paderborn, and southward, entered Fritzlar, 15 miles •"south-west of Kassel and about 190 ' ifliles from Berlin, while the British reached the outskirts of Dulmen, •but' these " reports from leading elaments are running at least eight and a half hours behind the actual "advances. A German news agency commentator stated that Eisenhower was •obviously planning to close the pincers around the Ruhr in Paderborn, • -Munster, Kassel area. There ■only 60 air miles between the British thrusting toward Munster ana the Americans" advancing beyond ■Bad Wildungen. _, ... . "The German Command will throw in all available forces to. stem and frustrate Eisenhower's intentions," "the commentator added. • Many miles along the Munster road, one of. Montgomery's spearheads ran into the first prepared ' defences this morning, says the Associated' Press correspondent witn the British armour east-of-Hal tern. •The Germans, manning hastily-dug '•hojes in the ground and supported ■by artillery, are not expected to delay the Second Army column for long. Divisions Almost Unopposed . Elsewhere Allied forces forged ahead almost at will. Reuters correspondent with the British says that • General Dempsey. has three armoured divisions driving north-east almost unopposed. The Germans' morale is ■dropping still lower as they realise inability even to cbtain supplies of ammunition for heavy 'macWne-guns and mortars. 'Because of the desperate trans■port situation they cannot even get >to Dortmund for ammunition. The 'German- Command has not yet 'br.ought up one fully qualified formation to meet the acute and growing ithreat ■ The British United Press correspondent at Montgomery's Headquar"te'rs says there is considerable evidence that British armoured spear•fceads have speeded up in the past •24. hours. , .*e The Associated. Press correspondtehtfat Ninth Army Headquarters ■ '--says that small bridges, wrecked by the Germans, caused the Ninth Army more trouble than the themselves to-day. RepairHng Hie bridges slowed down their advance, but it is expected they will resume at full speed shocily.

It was the Third Armoured Division which reached Paderborn, say correspondents with the-First Army. Latest reports put the- tanks jm. Paderborn at 9.30 a.m. to-day and driving on with virtually nothing to Armoured Division jumping off at 5 a.m., advanced 25 Sand reached a poi £l * eSS Jh\ch a mile from the Eder Dam, which R.A.F. dam-busters, under the late Wing-Commander Guy Gibson, V.C., eained 23 miles and reached BorKen. 27 miles norm-east of Marburg. - "No tine Between You and Berlin Thp Third Armv, continuing operatic™ north penetrated within 10 miles south-west of Fulda. Reuters correspondent with So Tonge/ organised Government in Armoured Division, advancfns 21 miles in about four hours reachel a point 55 miles north-east Other elementss of th£ division, following Berlin autobahn, made a 15 miles advance north-eastward and reached Alsfeld The FourthJArmoured Division? also 55 miles .north-east of 13 and 25 averaged 6500 prisoners rtailv A few panzer divisions are and other miscellaneous units. . "It Isn't War—Just a Circus The British United- correspondent with the Third Army The £&£*£« isn't war any/more. It is oust a bann;: shouting and waving, a f n %| p r that the war' is really over and tr. x all that is needed isa huge mopsoldiers killed in any one f aysmce the drive into Germany started Was J& o^?S O kT^d!ia°n n d a Iftackinf on 'the trans-Rhine penmeter of over 250 miles.