“SHOT HIS BOLT”?

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 December 1944, Page 5

“SHOT HIS BOLT”?

RUNDSTEDT ON DEFENSIVE

ALLIES’ ATTACKS DEVELOPING

DECISIVE BLOW IMMINENT

LONDON, December 29. The Americans have captured ' at least half a dozen more villages on a good broad front. They have reach- : ed the Sauer River at three points east of Echternach, where the' river forms the border between Luxemburg and Germany. They have gained more ground in Belgium, southwest of Bastogne (near the BelgianLuxemburg border). The 3rd Army forces which relieved the encircled garrison of Bastogne have now pushed right into the town. About 15 miles west of Bastogne, near St. Hubert, a number of isolated German units are fighting stubbornly. Further to the north-west, where the enemy salient is nearest , to the Meuse, more Germans have been mopped up. The Americans have taken more than 1000 prisoners and much equipment, including tanks. The only German attack of any strength mentioned in the communique was near Marche (about 17 miles east of the Meuse). Here the enemy suffered heavy losses and gained no ground. The Official German News Agency announced last night: “The German spearheads both on the southern flank and in the west of the breakthrough area have been withdrawn according to plan to avoid unnecessary casualties and enable the German forces to meet the American counter-attacks with compact strength. The Allies have concentrated 24 tank divisions and heavily armed shock formations, including the 51st British Infantry Division, renowned as a crack unit after the African campaigns, which has gone into the line east of Dinant.” “Lieutenant-General Patton s ord Army is attacking the southern flank of von Runstedt’s salient on a 35-mile ; front,” said an American broadcast from the battlefront last night. At least a portion of von Runstedt s armour is on the move —going back whence it came. In the first 12 days of the enemy offensive, Allied aircraft have made 33,000 sorties over the battle area, dropping 35,000 tons of bombs. All the indications now are that von Rtmdstedt has shot his bolt, and the possibility now emerges of striking a blow against the enemy from which he may never recover, says the correspondent of ’1 he Times” at Supreme Headquarters. “The succession of Allied air onslaughts has given our field commanders time to make the necessary dispositions to contain a distinctly ugly situation. A staff officer saici that the Allied disposition of forces was now capable of coping with any new break-through attempt.” OFFICIAL SUMMARY. LONDON, December 29. To-day’s communique from Allied Supreme Headquarters says: — “Enemy patrols are still active across the Maas River in Holland “Along the northern flank of the German salient, in the Ardennes, the enemy’s pressure between Stavelot and Hotten has decreased: The Germans have made counter-attacks against Manhay, Grand Meml, Hotten and Marche. These have been repulsed with heavy losses to the Germans. “An enemy force, farther west, which was surrounded, .was mopped up, over a thousand prisoners and much equipment, including tanks and vehicles being taken. There are isolated enemy units offering stubborn resistance in the Saint Hubert area. , . , . “The Allied forces which made contact with our units at Bastogne have entered the town. To the south west we have reached the outskirts of Sibret, which is five miles from Bastogne, and to the south we have cleared Salvacourt and Hoinpre four and live miles respectively south oi Bastongne. There is heavy fighting progrossing in ci wood north of Assenois, which is four miles south-east of Bastogne. Our units continuing an. advance along the southern flank 01. the enemy salient, have taken Saint Lez Surre, Bouldaide, Baschelleiden, Bavigne and Kaundorf. “We have crossed the Sure Rivei near Esch. Between Diekirch and Echternach we have conhtinued to make gains south of the Satire River. Our patrols east of Echternach have reached the Sauer at three points including Rosport. Activity in the Wessemburg area generally has been limited to patrolling. “We have in high ground west of Colmar improved our positions. ALLIES TAKING INITIATIVE LONDON, December 29. There is no sign of the Germans trying to regain the initiative in Belgium, and the Allies are steadily taking it. A 8.8. C. announcer said that Wednesday, the latest day about which it was permissible for him to speak, was the quietest since the enemy attack began, although it was not quiet for some of the German troops. General Patton’s forces are steadily hammering the Germans back on the south of the salient, and they are widening the corridor to Bastogne in the face of enemy attacks which suggest that von Rundstedt still hopes to remove this thorn from his side. DISORGANISED_WITHDRAWAL LONDON, December 29. Reuter’s correspondent at Allied Supreme Headquarters says: General Patton’s Third American Army is widening its corridor to Bastogne in the course of a northward drive. They recaptured a number of towns and villages. . A Reuter correspondent in Belgium states: It is reported that Germans in one sector are carrying out a disorganised withdrawal with General Paton’s troops hard on their heels. MANY PRISONERS TAKEN

fßec. 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 29. More American .gains and more German losses —that is the order ol operations on the Western Front, says Reuter’s correspondent. The Germans made no gains in the past 48 hours. We have broken up the attack and won back some villages and also captured many hundreds of prisoners. Reports of decreasing German pressure on the northern flank is most significant, as this is where in the first flush of success Rundstedt massed armour and artillery. While our artillery fire has battered down the German hordes Rundstedt still has a formidable striking force. A stiff, bloody battle had to be fought for Humain. Allied forces surrounding the German group in woods around Celles took more than a hundred prisoners, and a quantity of German armoured vehicles and weapons. An attack by two German companies north-west ol' Geilenkirchen yesterday resulted in the Germans over-running two villages, which, however, the Allies immediately re-took with 70 prisoners. . The Associated Press correspondent at SHAEF says: Eye-witnesses) returning from the Third Army! front report long lines of German prisoners marching down the roads General Patton is seen personally

directing the battle, shouting orders to troops through the din of battle. It is revealed that the relieved division inside Bastogne was the American 101st air-borne division which participated in the Eindhoven landings at the end of September.

SERIES OF GAINS.

FRENCH FRONTIER LIFE

RUGBY, December 29. Further gains round the German salient have been made by the Allies particularly in Luxemburg ana round Bastogne. The Luxemburg town of Ettelbruck, three miles southwest of Diekirch on the River Sauer or Sure, has been occupied, together with Eppeldorf, seven miles east of Ettelbruck. The Allies are closingin on Echternach. Further west they continue to advance north of the River Sure, across which by Thursday they had secured a bridgehead seven miles broad. The positions round Bastogne have been furthei The commander of the 101st Air Borne Division which held Bastogne until relieved, was Brigadier General McAuliffe. His force consisted oi nearly 10,000 men. At the western apex of the salient, progress is also reported. Humain, four miles south-west of Marche, has been taken and a village four miles west of Rochefort has been cleared. The enemy seem to be withdrawing in this sector and our patrols advanced to Less River. On Friday for the seventh consecutive day, American heavy bombers continued to attack transport targets in western Germany. More than 000 Flying Fortrersses and Liberators, escorted by more than 700 Thunderoolts and Mustangs, went to bomb rail and road junctions and bridges and marshalling yards at Bingen Aschai fenburg and Frankfurt. Most of the bombing was visual. . . Thus the situation m Belgian Luxemburg is gradually being transformed. The impetus german assault had hardly slackened when the Allies began to counter-attack on both flanks. Now in the south, the Gelmans had been driven back to the River Sure along most of its course from near Bastogne by Diekirch to Echternach. The city of Luxemburg and the French frontier which seemed at one time in Danger are now well behind the advancing Allies. On the northern flank it is the same. All the way from the German frontier south of Monschal, past Maimedy, Stavelot, Grandmenil, to Hotton, Marche and Rochefort, the Allies have been steadily regaining ground, allowing the enemy no respite. Liege and the surrounding towns towards which the Germans at first advanced rapidly are now at least 20 miles behind the strongly held front. Even the apex of the salient has been cut off and mopped up, and the enemy driven back. The German tide which seemed certain to reach the Meuse at many places, has receded eastwards.

RETREAT SURVIVORS

LONDON, December 29

A British United Press correspondent at SHAEF says: On Thursday, two weather-beaten Americans arrived at Allied Supreme Headquarters, after coining straight from their foxholes’ between Bastogne and Neufchateau, which is 16 miles southwest of Bastogne, and about the same distance north-east of Sedan. They told the first personal story of a sevendays’ retreat by American forces before the Germans’ counter-offensive, beginning oh December 17. „ One of the Amerimans is Stall Seigeant James Williams, who said: JI he Germans fought like maniacs. They were shelling and firing small arms and also lobbing grenades, and putting up flares. They fired everything from point-blank range. We fired back with everything that we had. Colonels, cooks, clerks and everyone grabbed a gun. Our platoon switchboard operator answered calls and fired alternately, until . a Tiger tank stuck a gun through his window, and fired right into his switchboard. We were firing against Tiger tanks from a range of fifteen yards. Our fifty-seven millimetre shells, however, just bounced off their noses. They killed our anti-tank gunners, and then our assistant gunners. Then corporals stepped up to fire, and they died too. Finally, German infantry, riding on tanks, stormed our command post, like a bunch of drunks. We were ordered to break up into units of from 12 to 15 men, and to infiltrate to the rear. This meant crawling on our bellies among the enemy, and swimming an icy river twice. When coming out of the water we were so cold that we could hardly walk. When we reached Asselborn, there were enemy tanks already there; so our retreat was continued to Hamiville, and then to Magaret and then to the west of Bastogne. But the enemy tanks were always there. We did not even know what day it was. The Germans attacked in thousands. We collected signalmen and bandsmen. Everyone fired something. We threw up road-blocks, but we had no antitank guns. The Germans mounted searchlights on their tiger tanks, with which they spotlighted us. They killed lots of us, but we killed lots of them.” . , Only fourteen out of forty-three ol Sergeant Williams’ communications company survived. His companions company, which consisted of one hundred and thirty men, now numbers only thirty-five. COMPARATIVE LOSSES. LONDON, December 29. During the first 12 days of Von Rundstedt’s offensive. Allied ’planes accounted for the following: Motor transport 3,355 destroyed ancj 1.019 damaged. Tanks, 417 destroyed and 310 damaged. Locomotives, 102 destroyed and 235 damaged. Railroad cars, 1,731 destroyed and 2,401 damaged. In the same period, air fighting cost the Germans 735 ’planes destroyed, 78 probably destroyed, and 277 damaged. Allied losses were 290 fighters and .157 bombers destroyed or failed to return. On the first day, December 16, the Germans put 175 ’planes in the air. On December 17, they put up 550, and on December 18, 500 ’planes; then for four days the air forces of botn sides were grounded. With a return of good weather, on December 20, the Germans sent up“ some <OO ’planes. From then on, heavy losses I cut down their total, first, to 500, and then to 400. Finally, on December 27, only some 300 German planes were over the battle area. A staff officer estimated that in addition to tanks destroyed by air attack, the Germans lost about 400 destroyed by ground forces. This means that m 12 days, even allowing for some overlapping of Allied claims, von Rundstedt lost about 1,000 tanks, equivalent to two panzer divisions. AMERICAN RECORD, j WASHINGTON, December 29. An Associated Press correspondent on the Western Front states that i since D Dav, no American service-

man in France has been executed for cowardice, or desertion, in the lece of the enemy, or for any other military offence. This is believed to be a record unequalled in. modern warfare, and for a theatre where hundreds ol thousands of men are under arms Records show 16 instances of capital punishment—four for murder —and 12 for rape. ARMIES AND COMMAND

(Rec. 10.30 a.m.) . NEW YORK, December 29. The “World Telegram” says: British criticism of the Supreme Allied Command as the result of the German counter-offensive has drawn attention to the composition of the Allied armies on the Western Front, where United States’ troops outnumber the British by four to one. The actual number of Allied troops is not yet published, but military, authorities in Washington point out there are four United States ground armies and one British Army which includes Poles, Czechs, Dutch and Belgians Montgomery’s Canadian First Army and the British Second Army are holding probably 100 to 120 miles oi the 500-mile front, and the four American armies about 300 miles Units of the French Army hold about 80 miles. The British find Canadians have 10 infantry and four armoured divisions in line. The Americans have seven armoured and 25 infantry divisions. (The London “Evening News” suggested that Eisenhower should appoint Alexander as deputy, or pick the_best subordinate to run the land battle). SUCCESSES IN HOLLAND

(Rec. 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 29. The Exchange Telegraph Agency correspondent on the Western Front says that Second Tactical Air Force pilots reported enemy movement yesterday in North Holland, above the Maas. The Tactical Air Force attacked, destroying 15 transports, damaging 19 others, and also damseed two armoured vehicles. Southwest of the Hook of Holland they sank 11 ships. GERMAN MANPOWER. NEW YORK, December 29. “Pertinax,” correspondent for the N.A.N.A.S., says: The German coun-ter-offensive has shown the Allies an important lesson, fraught with military and political implications. These considerations are sufficiently farreaching, apart from other considerations, to justify the “Big Three’ holding a meeting. It showed that the German civilians, irrespective of their age and physical qualifications, can be transformed into efficiency soldiers by three months of intensive training. These are the Volks Sturmer. They are not merely being assigned to passive defence, but have participated in the Luxembourg ' and the Belgian drives. This act necesitates a new estimate of the German manpower and a revaluation of the Allies European war manpower requirements. Some observers believe that this may involve a revision of the Pacific strategy particularly if attention is paid to Mr. Richard Law’s contention that the economic assistance for the liberated countries must be extended, lest chaotic conditions should prevail therein, thus requiring additional British and American troops. VON KLUGE~ SUICIDE LONDON, Dec. 28. The Luxembourg radio says that a Hitler order of the day, which Allied trooops captured, stated that von Kluge committed suicide in consequence of the German defeats in Normandy. ,