BITTER RESISTANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 69, 19 September 1944, Page 5

BITTER RESISTANCE

DEFENCE OF WEST WALL

Rec. 12.20 p.m,

LONDON, Sept. 18

From the.flat lowlands of Holland to the rugged alpine country on the French-Italian border Allied forcss are putting pressure on the German defenders of the. Reich, who are showing bitter resistance for large stretches of their West Wall, says SHAEF. Everywhere, from Aachen to the Belfort Gap and beyond, the Allied invaders of Germany are meeting with strong resistance from the Wehrmacht The Germans' strong resistance at Lure, 18 miles from Belfort, against the United States Seventh Army is regarded as part of the defence of the B££t ort Ga P by controlling the flank. The Germans in the Alps in the region of Lanslebourg are fighting for control of roads along and through the Alps, which are confining the fighting to.a narrow sector. -. ... Reuters correspondent with the Third Army says that with a break in bad weather the Allied pressure on the fortress town of Mete is increasing today, and considerable numbers of b.b. troops among the garrison are putting up a fanatical resistance. Strong units of the Third Army armour and mfantlZ are across the Moselle in strength between Pont-a-Mousson and the Charmes. The river is thus no longer a major obstacle on this part of the'front. On the extreme north of General Patton's line units are operating at the Luxemburg and German border in the area of the Remich. Keuter s correspondent with the First Army says that Americans crossed the German frontier east of Simpelveld, six miles north-west of Aachen. The German hews agency says that fierce fighting is going on at Busbach and Zweifall, six and eight miles east and south-east respectively of Aachen. Both localities have changed hands several times.

An American broadcast from Belgium stated that the Second British w^ my j?aj? P^etrated seven miles into Holland from the Escaut Canal bridge-

Reuters correspondent with the American First Army on the DutchGerman frontier says that German troops have been deserting in hundreds on the frontier. ' Thlir officSs distributed thousands of leaflets urgki| the men to continue the fight