MOSELLE FRONT

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24369, 22 September 1944, Page 5

MOSELLE FRONT

Heavy Opposition To U.S. Thrusts

BREACHES HELD IN SIEGFRIED LINE

(N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 20. The British United Press correspondent with the United States 3rd Army, reported on Wednesday: “Two spearheads of American and French infantry and armour continued their stubborn push north-eastward from the Moselle. One spearhead is near the Baccarat area and is thrusting towards the Saar against heavy opposition. The second is north-east of Nancy, in. the general area of Dieuze (25 miles northeast of Nancy). “Panzer grenadiers who are opposing both thrusts include German veterans from Italy and .Africa. They are using tanks, mines, and road blocks, and are battling steadily backwards through thick woods. Fourteen German tanks were destroyed in the Dieuze area on Tuesday. “Fighting in the Metz area is still stiff, with the Americans gaining ground. French Forces of the Interior are fighting with the Americans on the Moselle front for the first time.”

Another correspondent says that United States troops have liberated the town of Luneville (2D miles southeast of Nancy) and another town four miles to the north. Many German tanks have been knocked out in increasingly fierce battles. Fighting in Siegfried Line

The correspondent of the Associated Press with the Ist Army says: “The Americans' are stoutly retaining their hold on the breaches in the Siegfried Line.’ The Germans are endeavouring to check the Allied threat to Germany by throwing in reserves. They are fighting desperately and with more coordination of their savage but abortive thrusts against the Americans’ armoured spearheads "The Americans in one sector knocked out 28 of 41 tanks which the Germans hurled against the troops holding a breach in the Siegfried Line, The Americans in ■ another sector of ■ the Siegfried Line destroy«d_ eight German tanks during two fruitless attacks which the Germans launched after an artillery preparation. The Germans are undoubtedly making a major stand on the Siegfried Line.” Reuter's correspondent with the Ist United States Army says: "A middleaged German who escaped to the Allied lines after 48 hours in no-man’s-land said that four-fifths of Aachen was destroyed. He had seen thousands .of members of the Wehrmacht reach 'Aachen, weary and .without equipment after trudging from Mons and other sectors. Thirtv thousand people had refused to obev the orders to evacuate' Aachen, in spite of threats.” • The correspondent of the British United Press with the United States Ist Army says: “A fierce battle reminiscent of Cassino is raging at Stolberg, seven miles east of the German town of Aachen, with the Americans moving through the towji’s buildings from room to room. The Germans m_ this sector counter-attacked several times, sometimes with flame-throwers. There are widespread demolitions in Aachen.”

CANADIANS HOLD BOULOGNE

GERMAN DEFENCES IN

RUINS

“ONE OF TOUGHEST JOBS

OF WAR”

(Rec. 7 p.m.) ■ LONDON, Sept. 20. “Boulogne is in Allied hands, On Wednesday night the enemy defences were still holding out south-east of the town. Our forces inside Boulogne are subject to shelling.” says a Bri-, tish United Press correspondent. A correspondent of “The Times” says; “Canadian infantry and British and Canadian armour entering Boulogne were confronted by a grim scene of desolation. There was no uproarious welcome. Only half a dozen civilians were seen in two hours. “The Germans drove out the civil population two or three days before the Canadian assault. They were given only a few hours’ notice to vacate. “Progress into the town was slow because all the roads, even farm tracks, were heavily mined and booby-trapped. Mont Lambert bore terrible evidence of the ferocity and accuracy of the Royal Air Force bombing and the qrtillery’s shelling. Many pillboxes wefe reduced to rubble and twisted wire. The perimeter defences were blasted to pieces. Bodies of men and horses lie everywhere. “The enemy’s escape route was blocked by several big craters into some of which tanks had fallen. Cars and lorries were thrown in all directions. ■“The Cathedral of Notre Dame at’ first glance appeared undamaged, but a great hole can be seen in the roof above the altar. Huge pieces of masonry littered the floor.” The correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says: “The reduction of the Boulogne fortress was one of the toughest jobs of the war. The area contains probably the most strongly defended strip of coast in Europ?. Reconnaissance before the attack showed that the Germans had built concrete forts 10 and 15 feet thick from which anv but the heaviest shells bounced off.

“Details of the fortnight of land, sea, and air battles for Boulogne, from September 1 to September 14, reveal that the Germans were shelled by big guns from the English coast, by Canadian artillery from France, and by little ships from the sea. British' coastal guns had a success on the night of September 1, when an evacuation of Boulogne by sea was attempted. Two groups of enemy shipping assembled outside Boulogne and moved north to Cap Gris Nez. The Dover artillery opened up with every available gun at 11.30 p.m. against the group which contained most- of the larger vessels. The action continued until our light naval forces attacked, when the fire from Dover was switched to the second group of vessels. Enemy batteries opened fire against the British guns. “All the enemy shipping had passed oi.. of range of our guns by 1 o.m. on September 2, but the action against the enemy batteries continued until 2.15 a.m. Five trawler-sized vessels were sunk in the first enemy group, and six ships of various sizes from the second. Our guns fired about 220 rounds, and the enemy fired 120.”

BISHOP’S CRITICISM OF THE VATICAN

LONDON, Sept, 20. Attacking the Pope’s recent utterances, that Londoners should show the Christian sentiments of charity, forgiveness, and mere to the Germans, the Bishop of Chelmsford (Dr. Henry Wilson), writing in the “Diocesan Chronicle,” says; “It is difficult to remember a single word from the Pope in condemnation of the Nazis when they swept London with -destruction. The plain fact is that Vatican politics are anli-demo-cratic. and the best interests of the Church, according to the Rpman view, are served by a government approximating a' dictatorship, particularly if, as in Spain, the dictatpr is a Roman Catholic.' "Tlaere is widespread uneasine?s. rightly pr wrpngly, lest the Vatican' authorities shpuld succeed in having a say in the peace settlement. Several recent incidents have roused these fears. One of the surest ways to lose the peace would be'to permit the dubious counsels of Vatican diplomatists to have any hand in the business.”