FINAL BATTLE?

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21634, 10 February 1945, Page 3

FINAL BATTLE?

ALLIES’ GREAT BID STRONG AIR BLITZ "SOFTENING” ATTACKS

AIRCRAFT OBSCURE SKY (10 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 9

More than 2700 Allied planes participated in softening attacks before the opening o s f the offensive in the Nijmegen are S', says a Supreme Allied Headquarters announcement. The offensive proper started at 10.30 a.m., but light artillery barrage continued until 4 p.m., while 500 medium and light bombers of the Ninth United States Tactical Air Force smashed at communication ■ centres in Nijmegen, Kleve, Goch, Emmerich and Groenlo. Other mighty air support came from fighter-bombers of the R.A.F. Second Tactical Air Force, which vaked enemy troop concentrations, transport and strong-points.

The Air Ministry says the artillery barrage opened at 4.30 p.m. after 700 R.A.F. heavy bombers had pounded the enemy troops. Other targets were Goch and Kleve, both vital road junctions and main entries into the battle area. The enemy had concentrated troops in these towns from which they could be rapidly sent to the front on which the Canadians are now attacking. The object of the R.A.F. attack was to destroy both towns, as well as to block vital road junctions with a rubble of wreckage.

Reuter’s correspondent at Field Marshal Montgomery’s Headquarters says that for the past 24 hours the sky over the battle area never seemed clear of planes. The R.A.F. Tactical Air Force, with orders to “kill and demoralise,” flew more than 1000 sorties yesterday in support of the offensive, smashing 31 barges which were crossing the Rhine to the west bank. The pilots used a new type of multifragmentation bomb against some 'of the targets. The Allied offensive was launched on a five-mile front and German air opposition was slight. Opposition “Spotty”

A message from Field Marshal Montgomery’s Headquarters reports: “The attack is going well and according to plan. The opposition so far is spotty—stiff in some places, light in others.”

Reichswald Forest, the western outskirts of which the Allies have reached, stretches for about five miles south-east of Nijmegen to the road linking Kleve and Goch. The German frontier traverses its western edge. Tanks and flame-throwers supported the infantry, also flail tanks, which cut a way through the enemy minefields. Reuter’s correspondent at Supreme Allied Headquarters says it can now be revealed that before the offensive more than 100 miles of road were repaired and built to move supplies and vehicles for the present operation, also that the object of Tuesday’s Allied air attacks was to destroy the railway systems which were going to be most useful to the Germans. Thirty-four rail cuts were made and four railway lines put out of action, including the line from Wesel to Emmerich. The oil dump at Emmerich, the only dump of its kind west of the Rhine and immediately serving the battle area, was left blazing. The British United Press’ correspondent at headquarters declares that this offensive may be the final all-out battle.

Valley Mass of Flames

Reuter’s correspondent says the Germans are going to have the greatest difficulty in getting across the Rhine, because no bridge is standing from Nijmegen to Wesel. Any movement must be by ferry. The offensive was accompanied by the longest artillery barrage yet—namely 11 h hours.

Reuter’s correspondent with the Canadians says that when the guns stopped the whole valley was a mass of flames, with houses, trees and German vehicles burning. There were at least 200 fires. The Allies, for once, had the weather break, but the ground conditions could hardly have been worse, though this factor may have added to the surprise clement. The Germans, who reacted slowly, evidently did not believe it possible for our men to move across the boggy ground against the strong-points forming the northern tip of the Siegfried Line. Typhoons and fighterbombers, in support of the offensive, showered down a new type of multifragmentation bomb on Udern, Geldern, Pocholt and nine other German towns and villages oast of the Reichswald Forest and also blew up the power station at Arnhem. It is know that these towns and villages are holding German reinforcements. The Times’ correspondent at headquarters says our fighters “sat” all day over the German airfields around Munster, Osnabruck and elsewhere, so that the German air reaction was relatively weak.

Reuter’s correspondent with the Canadians says: “When the first waves ol infantry moved forward we half expected them to bo mowed down by the machine-guns we knew had been there the previous night but here was a perfect illustration of what fire-power means. Not a man was soon at fall. More waves moved forward and disappeared into the smoke and haze. Then big infantrysupporting tanks waddled forward and out of sight, all without drawing a single round of enemy fire. Within three hours the first reports came back that our troops were across the German border and were penetrating into the dark Reichswald Forest.”