PRESSURE MAINTAINED

Evening Star, Issue 25419, 26 February 1945, Page 5

PRESSURE MAINTAINED

PROGRESS ON OTHER FRONTS *• British heavy FIGHTING (Rec. 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 25. The Ninth Army this morning opened an attack in the direction of Welldorf and Mersch, respectively three miles north-east afld three miles north of Julich. American elements have occupied six towns since 9 p.m. yesterday. They threw the Germans from Doveren, six miles north of Linnich, after hard fighting from house ±o house. Counterattacks were thrown back this morning.

i British and Canadian forces betweeu the Maas and the Rhine Rivers were engaged in heavy fighting all yesterday, state front line correspondents. They are keeping up the pressure against the Germans throughout the area. The fighting was bitter on the Goch-Weeze road. The Germans kept up a bombardment with massed artillery and mortars. The whole area is heavily mined. British troops moved to within one mile of Weeze, capturing 250 prisoners. German counter-attacks in the Moyland, area were beaten off. United! States Third Army troops gained up to two miles at some points on the front between Saarburg and Vianden, report correspondents at Third Army headquarters. The Americans captured four towns and entered another. The two bridgeheads over the Our River joined up when elements of two groups met in the area of Obergeckler, near Neuerbiirg, which is a large communication centre. Neuerburg was among a numbers of towns captured by the forces advancing southward from the northern bridgehead. The Associated Press correspondent says 6ome gains were made across the Prum River in the Bitburg area. The Americans crossed at two places southwest' of Bitburg and drove two miles north-east, capturing Wettlingen, eight and a-half miles north of Echternach. They are fighting in Perfinger; seven miles north of Echternach. Three other towns were captured in this sector.