FIGHT TO RHINE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21550, 1 November 1944, Page 3

FIGHT TO RHINE

STIFF ALLIED JOB SECOND DEFENCE RING U.S. GENERAL’S VIEWS RUGBY, Oct. 30. To get to the Rhine is going to be a much stiffer fight than hitherto, a correspondent was told by MajorGeneral Clarence Huebner, a commander of the First American Army who captured Aachen. "The enemy nas had time to get enough iorces togecner. We shall have to break anotner shell. I think, however, that it -s going to be done without too much loss. But the wet weather and baa ground are not helping us.” speaking oi the tail of Aachen, General Huebner said: “Numbers do not count. Organisation is the secret: -■•laicing the enemy fight where he does not want .to fight. When General whck lost Observatory Hill, he lost .no Key to the defence of Aachen. He iriea to get it back but failed, and his attempts cost him plenty. We took Aachen methodically. We just rejuccd the city gradually, forcing the enemy to fight it our way.” General Huebner claimed that the successful outcome of the battle for Aachen was the direct result of his division's action at Mons. As the division streaked towards Mons early fin. September, they ran into the Hank oi tne German corps extricating itseli eastward along the Mons-Liege road in a frantic race to beat the Allies to ihe West Wall In the fights which lollowed, the German Army suifered one of its most catastrophic defeats in France. All elements of the First United States Division, even the headquarters troops, engineers and artillery, fought in close combat.