Americans Cross River

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 134, 4 December 1944, Page 5

Americans Cross River

NEW BRITISH PUSH TO THE MAAS

. ■"..-,•■ LONDON, December 3. Troops of the-American Third Army have crossed the River Saar where it runs through Saarlautern (Saarlouis) and captured a, bridge intact. They are now fighting' in the eastern part of this important German-town. ..

At the .northern end of the front British troops and tanks launched a new local attack today towards Venlo, the important communications centre over the Maas, arid by night had entered a suburb on the western bank and were little more than half a mile from the river opposite the main part of the town.

Troops of the Ninth Army now hold the west bank of, the Roer River along, the complete, five-mile stretch between. Julich and Linnieh. Men of the Ninth Army have taken three small towns on the way to Duren. . .

The Americans' brilliant feat in crossing the Saar—the first crossing yet made of this formidable German river—w^s carried out by means of a co-ordinated night attack.

One group of American troops crossed the river in assault boats under cover..of- darkness and seized the eastern end of a bridge which connects the east and west parts of Saarlautern. Other Americans seized the western end of the bridge. The two forces met in the centre of the bridge and cleared away the demolition charges before the Germans could set them off; The enemy was taken completely by surprise, and not a shot was fired' at the Americans. Tank destroyers and troops are now battling at the Siegfried- Line zone on the eastern side of the river.

■-■- The western and major part of Saarlautern, which was entered by the Americans yesterday,;has already been practically cleared of organised resistance. Only a few snipers are now holding out. Correspondents say that, this; part' of the town is a mass of smoke. ' '.

A few miles to the north other Third Army forces now hold a 16-mile stretch of the west bank of the Saar

Eiver opposite the Siegfried Line town of Merzig., Correspondents say that. the Third Arriiy forces in this area have come up against the Volkssturm (German;. Home Guard) and that, some of them have already been taken prisoner. FLAIL TANKS CLEAR WAY. % . British guns opened up on the enemy an front of Venlo this morning. Churchill tanks provided cover for flail tanks, which beat down the wire barricades and cleared a way through the minefields as far as the anti-tank ditch. Bridging materials were brought up, and: the sappers soon had bridges , across this 25-foot ditch. By this time the Germans: were reacting, shelling and mortaring heavily, but' the flail tanks crossed the ditch and cleared a pathway. They were followed by troopcarriers packed with infantry. Some got stuck in the mud, but most of them got their men through the belt ;of enemy machine-gun. fire, and did snot ..stop until they were well into the streets. Then the infantry dismounted and began to engage • the enemy defenders at close range; They were last reported almost up to the river bank. x . British Mitchells and Bostons .operating from.Belgium blasted cross-roads •near Venlo to prevent reinforcements arriving. .