MOSELLE RIVER FRONT

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24371, 25 September 1944, Page 5

MOSELLE RIVER FRONT

Street Fighting In Epinal COUNTERATTACKS REPULSED (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11.15 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 24. A correspondent at Supreme, Headquarters reports street fighting in Epinal (south-east of Nancy and 50 miles west of the German frontier). Our troops have alpo reached Remiremont (on the Moseile, 12 miles south-east of Epinal). and there is street fighting in the outskirts of the town. French troops have taken over the Col de la Pelouse, which they previously abandoned. The British United Press correspondent with the United States 3rd Army says the Germans lost at least 60 tanks in futile counter-attacks against the 3rd Army front in the last 24 hours. Our losses were considerably smaller. The German pocket north of Nancy has been cleaned up and many prisoners have been taken. In the toughest fighting of their campaign, Lieu-tenant-General Patch’s men are forcing the Germans from their Moselle river crossings, and the enemy is not believed to have one complete division to meet the steadily grinding pressure from American and French forces, which is now being brought to bear all the way from the Swiss frontier to Epinal. “The Germans, forced from fortifications along the Moselle below Metz, have made a new major resistance line on the river Seille fcetween Metz end Nomeny, 17 miles south of Metz,” says Reuter’s correspondent with the 3rd Army. "The Germans have fallen back five miles to prepared positions on the east bank of the Seille. The great seven dsys’ struggle between American and German armour east of Nancy has ended in a definite defeat for the enemy’s crack panzer formatidns. The struggle cost the Germans a total of more than- 300 tanks. “Strong concentrations of German armour, attempting to delay Lieuten-ant-General Patton’s advance, hit advanced American units and pushed them back. Then reinforcements arrived and the German army found itself fighting the biggest tank battle to date. American tanks, artillery, tank destroyers, and bazookas, aided by dive-bombing Thunderbolts, took heavy toll of the enemy. The panzers made a last desperate bid on Friday, and the battle continued into the night. The cleaning up of the German pocket north of Nancy has considerably strengthened the 3rd Army’s positions on the southern end of the Moselle Another correspondent with the 3rd Army reports that abortive German counter-attacks north-west of the Geilenkirchen and Busbach area cost the enemy two out of every five thrown in. The Americans are still meeting stubborn resistance m the forest of Huertgen. south-east of Stolberg. Allied patrols dre'” fire from the outskirts of Aachen, indicating that the city is still well defended. CIVILIAN PERSONNEL IN FORWARD ZONE GENERAL EISENHOWER’S INSTRUCTIONS (Rec.'B p.m.) LONDON. Sept 23. General Eisenhower has directed that transportation of British, American, and other United Nations’ civilian personnel to places ?t present in the forward zone for th: purpose of opening offices for various private enterprises will not be authorised. Responsible agencies of the Pritish and United States Governments have been advised that Supreme Allied Headquarters will accept and provide transportation for. and otherwise care for, any civilians who are accr - ited by the service Ministries of either country or by President Roosevelt or Mr Churchill. When the forward zone ceases to be a military area the question of authorisation for transportation of civilian personnel, and their subsequent supervision, will not'be a milltary concGrn, but one for representstives of the various Governments Personnel and material for private enterprises will not be transported into the forward zone in France or into Belgium. Holland. Denmark, Norway, and Luxemburg, during the first phase of the administration of these counannouncement adds that allegations that the above stated policy ,is being violated will be thoroughly investigated. German Commander at Brest In Britain,—General Bernard Ramcke, the commander of the German garrison in Brest, has arrived in Britain by air as a prisoner of war. The Americans who captured him turned him over to British custody,—London, September 22.