ONE BRIDGE LEFT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21633, 9 February 1945, Page 3

ONE BRIDGE LEFT

RHINE CROSSING NAZI ESCAPE ROUTE THE COLMAR SECTOR LONDON. Feb. 7. The Colmar bridgehead has now been cut to 12 miles long by less than two miles wide in tire north and five miles in the south, and General de Tassigny’s forces are now ranged along and have cleared the western bank of the Rhone-Rhine canal. The approach to the escape bridge to Brisaeh, east of Neul’brisach, has now been denied to tire enemy from whatever direction lie tries and lie lias only one bridge left which reaches the far side of the Rhine. The troops in the north-east to-day pushed five miles deeper into _ the bridgehead from the Neufbrisach area. Others have crossed the canal east of Mulhouse and are squeezing in the bridgehead from this southeast corner. * The correspondent adds: “Concerning reports of the First. Army having broken through the second and last line of the Siegfried Line I understand authoritatively that the real position is that General Hodges’ troops are now in contact with the outpost defences of this eastern zone in the Gernund and Sclileiden area and to the north-cast the First Army troops are engaging strong defences south-west and north of Schmidt. We have yet to reach the Siegfried Line’s last series of defences. West of Prum, however, the American troops have broken through the concrete of the Siegfried’s only line there on a 1000 yards’ front.” A penetration made by General Patton’s offensive across the Sauer and Our Rivers by nightfall to-day was one mile at Echternach, says Reuter's correspondent witli the Third Army. The Americans have now crossed the rivers at 10 places, capturing Bcttel on the border, one and a half miles south-east of Vianden Sinz, inside Germany, and 145 miles southeast of Luxemburg. The German Colmar bridgehead is now 18 miles long and eight miles deep, says Reuter's correspondent with the Sixth Army Group. The Germans are making a last stand behind the north-south lines of the RhineRhone canal. The French and Americans striking south from the Neufbrisach bridge have already turned the canal line m the north, while the French troops have established bridgeheads across the canal a few miles north-east of Mulhouse.

A second pincer movement similar to that which split the original pocket is now developing, but the main body of 6000 Germans east of the canal are believed to have escaped or are escaping across the Rhine.