ROER DAM AREA

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

ROER DAM AREA

SMALL ADVANCES BITTER RESISTANCE SLOGGING™ IN RAIN LONDON, Feb.'7. Correspondents at Supreme Allied Headquarters report no further progress in tlie Siegfried Line area west of Sclileiden and Geinund, where the American First Army is closing up to the eastern Siegfried defences and continue to battle in tlie area of the Roer dams. Reuter’s correspondent says the First Army troops are within striking distance of the whole series of five Roer River dams straddling the Allied line of advance 20 miles southwest of Cologne. The Exchange and Telegraph’s correspondent reports that tlie French and Americans are rapidly breaking up tlie German bridgehead in the Colmar sector. They forced several more crossings over the 111 River in the south-western part of the bridgehead. All tlie signs indicate that the enemy is beginning to withdraw to the line of the Rhine-Rhone Canal. Tlie Germans, however, are not withdrawing without a struggle, and heavy fighting is going on throughout the bridgehead. Only small gams were made to-day on the First Army front in the battle for the Roer dams, where General Hodges’ troops are up against the most bitter resistance, says a correspondent at Supreme Allied Headquarters. Other forces made a one and a quarter mile advance west of Prum, while on their left villages were captured by the American infantry three miles north-east of Prum.

Units of the First Army, slogging through driving rain, scored moderate gains north and south-east of the Roer dam network beyond Monsehau, says the Associated Press correspondent with the First Army. Tlie 78th Division, which in three days seized 159 Siegfried pill-boxes, drove to within 500 yards of Schmidt. American patrols entered a suburb of Gernund, while others cleaned up Hellenthal. A German News Agency correspondent. Herr Weber, reporting from Field Marshal von Rundstedt’s headquarters, says General Eisenhower is feverishly completing preparations for an all-out offensive from both sides of Aachen,

Captain Sertorious suggests that General Eisenhower has planned an offensive air landing in the forthcoming offensive and is now waiting for better weather.