“ANY DAY NOW”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21632, 8 February 1945, Page 5

“ANY DAY NOW”

ALLIED german"forecast PRESSURE MAINTAINED 5 LONDON, Feb. C. The Berlin radio stated: “General Eisenhower is expected to launch a major offensive on the Western Front any day now. It is his intention to synchronise the attack with the Russian offensive in the east.” General Hodges’ troops to-day fought their way to within half a mile of the Siegfried Line strongpoint of Schleiden, which is the junction for five roads, and to within one mile of another strong-point town, Gemund, states Reuter’s correspondent at Allied Headquarters. The troops near Schleiden are in contact with the outpost positions of the second belt of concrete defences. The infantry northeast of Schleiden pushed half a mile to the outskirts of a village in one of the outlying defence clusters of the Siegfried Line. . e attack in the vital area of Kesternich and the Roer River dams has not slackened. Some troops tried a bridge at Paulushof Dam, near a point where it runs into the Roer, but me Germans laid down a heavy concentration of gunfire and prevented the Americans gaining the approaches to the river.

The Germans struck this _ morning, near Brandscheild, a Siegfried village 44 miles west of Prum. The latest reports say severe fighting is progressing. Other troops south-west of Brandscheild advanced 1.1 miles and took the village of Schlauseenbach, which is only one mile from the main Siegfried defences. Ancient Town Stormed

Infantry in medieval fashion are stonning the medieval town of Neufbrisach, guarding the Brisach bridge over the Rhine, 10 miles east of Colmar, says Reuter’s correspondent with the Sixth Army Group. During the night they rushed the 20ft. thick walls with scaling ladders, hooking them to the battlements and swarming up. The defenders manned the ancient battlements with rifle and machineguns, firing also through big gaps blown in the walls by Allied artillery. The town is being attacked from three sides. The garrison, of roughly 1000, has a chance to escape southward through an escape corridor which can easily be shelled, but it is reported that the commander has received an order to fight to the last man. It is not known what has happened to the population of about 2000, but it is believed that they are in the cellars.