AMERICAN OFFENSIVE

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 November 1944, Page 5

AMERICAN OFFENSIVE

MORE TOWNS CAPTURED

POLES TAKE MOERDIJK

WALCHEREN ALL CLEARED

LONDON, November 9.

The American 3rd Army is continuing its attack in the Moselle gap beyond Nancy in appalling weather, but’ good headway has been made in the valley of the river Seille, which flows into the Moselle at Metz. More than a dozen small towns have been liberated, and the Americans are reported to be across the Seille at several points. The Official German News Agencysaid yesterday that the United States 3rd Army, reinforced by formations from the 7th Army, had launched a major offensive aimed against the Saar basin, with the by-passing and encirclement of the Metz bridgehead as the first objective. About 50 miles south-east of Nancy the 7th Army has made headway through the forest area towards St. Die. c ‘ , 21 . In the Aachen sector the American Ist Army is gaining ground slowly near Vossenack, about 14 miles southeast of Aachen. Snow and sleet are now falling in the Hurtgen forest (south-east of Aachen) where furious German coun-ter-attacks are forcing the Americans back,” reported a British United Press correspondent yesterday. The Exchange Telegraph Agency’s correspondent said that American infantry were forced to withdraw from Konnerscheidt. TWO NEW BRIDGEHEADS (Rec. 10.20 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 9. The Americans, to-day, threw two new bridgeheads across the Moselle River, north of Metz. Infantry in a dawn attack crossed the Seille River and took Cheminot, 10 miles south ol Metz, on the eastern bank of the Seille. Reuter’s correspondent with the American Third Army says that General Patton has thrown three more infantry divisions into the Third Army attack. Small gains were made north of Metz, in addition to those south of the city. Americans fighting in a newlyfallen blanket of snow are continuing their savage battle in the vicinity of Vossenack, says Reuter’s correspondent with the American First Army. Vossenack is held partly by the enemy and partly by the Allies. We, generally speaking, held the entire front to-day with some small gains in the Hurtgen area. THOUSAND PRISONERS RUGBY, November 9. American troops operating in the Seille Valley between Nancy and Metz have now liberated 15 villages, and yesterday took a thousand prisoners, says a correspondent at SHAEF. Since the attack started no enemy counter-attacks are reported. The troops have not encountered armoured units, but had no further gains to report this afternoon. AERIAL SUPPORT. (Rec. 11.50) LONDON, Nov. 9. Nine more towns fell, to General Patton’s armour and infantry surge in the Metz area to-day, says Reuter’s correspondent with the American 3rd Army. Tanks to-night were fighting in the vicinity of Delme on the road linking Metz with the Nancy-Stras-bourg highway. Over 1300 Fortresses and Liberators to-day turned the crushing weight of their bombardment against targets in the Metz area in tactical support of General Patton’s drive, which has now extended to points along a 50-mile front both north of Metz. The only previous occasions on which Tactical air support was used in such strength were those preceding the attacks against Saint Lo, Caen and Le Havre.

American Headquarters states that over 500 Mustangs escorted the heavies, which also attacked marshalling yards at Saarbrucken. Two hundred Mustangs and Thunderbolls strafed and dive-bombed transportation targets around Saarbrucken and Stuttgart. Another 50 Mustangs patrolled regions under attack, making a total of over 2000 planes engaged. Fighter pilots reported destroying or damaging 61 locomotives, 227 rail-cars, and 65 motor vehicles. No enemy planes were encountered. A Swiss communique stated that American planes to-day violated the northern frontier of Switzerland. A bridge over the Rhine near Diessenhoffen was heavily damaged and a railbridge near Rheinsf'elden was destroyed by bombs. OFFICIAL SUMMARY LONDON, Nov. 9. To-day’s communique from Allied Supreme Headquarters says: Only a few pockets of resistance are holding out on Walcheren Island. Moppingup continues. There has been bitter lighting for the Moerdijk bridge approaches. We penetrated concrete defences, and made some advance in the face of fierce opposition. We have driven out the enemy forces from an area east of the town.

Our forces in the Hurtgen Forest sector are attacking against strong enemy pressure, and gaining ground slowly in an area south of Vossenack. We made gains south-east of the town of Hurtgen against very heavy resistance. West of Schmidt we are mopping up enemy pockets. Our units in Seille Valley have made gains north-east of Nancy, after an artillery preparation yesterday morning. They have freed the towns of Aulnois, Maills, Fresnes, Malaucourt, Jalaucourt, Mancourt and Bezang, in an arc 13 to 15 miles northeast and east of Nancy. We cleared enemy forces from Migneville, six miles north of Baccarat. We made gains in a wooded area west of Saint Die. Several enemy counterattacks were repulsed in the Vosges Mountains, south-west of Gerardmer.

MOERDIJK AND WALCHEREN

(Rec. 10 a.m.) LONDON, November 9

The Allies, to-day, smashed German resistance. at Moerdijk alter a vicious ten hour battle, says Reuter’s correspondent in Holland. The Allies cleared the town of Moerdijk but the Germans are still fighting around the bridge approaches. It is announced at Twenty-first Army Group Headquarters that all resistance ceased on Walcheren. Allied armies on the northern Dutch front, experienced one of the quietest days since D Day. The weather has turned colder with sleet and snow.

Montgomery’s armies hold an unbroken line along the south bank of the Maas, says Reuter’s correspondent at 21st Army Group Headquarters. The Poles to-day wiped out the last enemy pocket around Moerdijk bridge and took 350 German prisoners. Two German groups in the centre of Walcheren want to surrender but cannot because they 'are marooned by floods. The remainder of the British-Canadian front is quiet.

POLES’ COURAGE (Rec. 11.0) LONDON, Noy. 9. Polish troops captured Moerdijk after a three days’ assault, which was one of the most bitter of the campaign says the Associated Press correspondent in Holland. They had to blast their way through a ring of concrete blocks, pill-boxes and bunkers where a suicide garrison was holding out. The Poles, who were under continuous and merciless shellfire from the German guns in the pocket and from the north bank of the Maas, ran guns and tanks up to within 20 feet of the concrete walls protecting the pocket to fire from point-blank range. They blew two gaps in the wall and pushed tanks and infantry through. Then they closed with the Germans inside the fortress, charging the enemy guns and storming pill-boxes and bunkers. The Germans fired every weapon they had into the gaps, but the Poles advanced yard by yard, their guns, tanks and infantry slamming back shells and bullets. Reserve troops following up the tanks burst into the inner perimeter and finally overcame the resistance. WANTON DESTRUCTION. RUGBY, November 9. Mr. Attlee, in the Commons, replying to a question, said the whole world was shocked by the wanton destruction. and devastation wrought m Holland by the Germans. _ “As tar as the British Government is concerned, all just claims for territorial compensation at the expense of Germany which the Netherlands Government may eventually decide to put forward, will be energetically supported.”