RAPID ADVANCE

Grey River Argus, 21 September 1944, Page 5

RAPID ADVANCE

ALLIES IN HOLLAND BREST CAPTURED Progress Towards Cologne ENEMY’S STAND ON THE MOSELLE (Rec. 1.45) LONDON, Sept. 20. The Advance of Allied forces in Holland continues rapidly, states today’s Supreme Allied Headquarter’s communique. Ground troops made contact yesterday with more airborne formations. Eindhoven is in our hands. “Our armoured forces have advanced nearly 40 miles to the area of Nijmeken. Strong enemy counterattacks have been beaten off near Best, and in our bridgehead north of Gheel fighters and fighter-bomb-ers again supported and covered airborne operations, and attacked road and rail transport over a wide area in Holland.,'

“According to reports so far received, 26 enemy planes were shot down for the loss of nine of our fighters. “The enemy to westwards is still resisting stubbornly south of the Scheldt, but our troops have made progress in the area of the Axelhulst Canal. “We have captured the Citadel and Mont Lambert in Boulogne. “Our troops in southern Holland have liberated Sittard and Amstenrade about 14 miles north-west of Maastricht, meeting moderate opposition. “East |of Aachen fighting i“ propressing in the factory area of Stolberg. “Enemy pressure is being met near Busbach. “Operating in advance of our ground forces, light and medium bombers hit railyards at Tschweiler, Duren and Merzenich on the AachenCologne line. “Mopping-up of enemy pillboxes and pockets of resistance continues east of Roetgen, and in the Hofen area, south of Monsehau. “Heavy .and determined resistance has been encountered east of the German-Luxemburg border. “In the Moselle Valley we have made gains south of Metz against stubborn resistance. Mopping-up is progressing six miles north-east, of Ponta Mousson. “Further south our forces liberated Gerbeviller, 14 miles north-east of Bharmes. “All organised resistance has ceased at Brest. Our troops have cleared the enemy from the Crozon Peninsula.” BRITISH ARMY. • SPURTING OVER HOLLAND. LONDON, September 20. Troops of the British 2nd Army liberated Eindhoven. Armoured formations are now four miles north of the town. Germans are holding out in parts of Eindhoven. Armoured forces captured Aalst, three miles north of Walkens waard (between Eindhoven and the frontier). Eindhoven is 10 miles from the Belgian frontier. It is an important junction, with railways running through it to northern Holland aiid eastward to Duisburg and Essen. Armoured forces pushed 15 miles north of the town to link up with air-borne forces in the area of Weghel. Other towns captured are Geldorp', Esp, Wilreit and Luyksgestel. In the fourth crossing the Escaut Canal was forced at Lille, St. Hubert and Broek. British forces from the south continued to cross the Escaut Canal in strength, and on their left flank they were reported at Wilreit and Lykgestel, just north of the frontier, 12 miles south-west of Eindhoven. There is a possible threat to turn the Siegfried position from the north. There is a great objective of the Rhur not far to" the east. There are strong German forces in West Holland, whose communications are menaced.

Seven hundred Fortresses to-day attacked the railway) yards at Hamm (80 miles east of the air-borne troops’ area in Holland), and Soest, in Germany, north and east of the Rhine. The bombing of Hamm and Soest was visual. Other targets were hit through clouds. XOne correspondent writes: Montgomery’s forces are building up foe a big punch in Holland, and from it, although the direction of the blow is nol yet clear. Dempsey’s armoured columns, having raced north from Belgium to Eindhoven and joined with the air-borne troops engaged in an invasion of Holland in the past two days, are now advanceing, strengthening and regrouping for further clashes with the forces which the enemy may send forward to stem the Allied flood of arms into the Netherlands. The Battle of Holland is not to be easily} won. Allied troops have been engaged in several fierce encounters with the defences, but steady progress is the rule rather than the exception. Further bridgeheads have been established over the Escaut Canal, and the existing fronts over the waterway strengthened. In crossing north of Gheel our forces made no spectacular advances, but the build-up is proceeding rapidly. In the bridgehead at Lommel Oro, our forces crossed the canal in fair strength and went a few miles into Holland four miles north of the canal.

The British Second Army in a great bound across Holland from the. Belgian border almost to the Rhine, covered more than 50 miles in less than 48 hours. Dempsey’s spearhead on Monday reached the outskirts of Nijmgen, through which the Rhine flows under the Dutch name of Waal.

Everything in the sweep across Holland is going better than anticipated. The Second Army is going all out, while paratroopers dropped on Sunday are blasting Germans from fortified positions. The British infantry on the left are moving well across the border. There is satisfactory Allied progress on the right, where the opposition is stiffer. These advances have protected our main stab through Holland.

CAPTURE OF EINDHOVEN

(Rec. 11.59) LONDON, Sept. 20. British armoured forces entered Eindhoven on Tuesday night. They found airborne troops awaiting them, says the Exchange Telegraph Agency correspondent. Airborne troops at mid-day on Monday got into the town, which was held by Germans, and bnd practically cleared up enemy snipers when '-British armour, which han been held up by strong opposition three miles south of the town, made a dramatic break through to link up the two forces. The civil population throughout the night had little chance to sleep as they stood in darkened streets cheering passing tanks. Even • German bombs and shells could not send the citizens to their homes.