RHINE BATTLES

Grey River Argus, 22 September 1944, Page 5

RHINE BATTLES

IN HOLLAND TERRIFIC STRUGGLES British and Airborne Forces ATTACKED BY GERMANS. [Aus. * N.Z. Press As®-J LONDON, September 20. Heavy fighting is in progress for the vital bridges over the Waal at Nijmegen. . No official news is available whether the Rhine bridges at Nijmegen and Arnhem are secured or not bv the British Second. Army, but they may have been. The Germans are fighting back. Their artillery and mortars are firing from woods beyond the town onto Allied tanks, which have linked up with air-borne forces in this area. British seized bridges across the Maas River before the Germans were able .to blow them up, with the result that Allied armour all day has been, thundering forward near Nijmegen. Allied planes! despite misty weather, dropped additional supplies to the air-borne forces ahead of our armour, while on the ground supply columns are also moving northwards. The Germans, following the Allied announcement of the capture of Assenede, stated that fierce street fighting was in progress at Sasvangent, north-west of Assenede. The Allies have, established a corridor running almost through Holland to Nijmegen. They smashed at least one German attempt to break into this corridor. The Germans say more air-borne forces have landed in the Utrecht and Gelderland Provinces (between the Allied corridor and the Zuyi'ler Zee), through which the German forces in southern and western Holland must escape. The Dutch resistance movement is obeying the orders of Prince Bernhard. Every train, tram, and motor vehicle in Holland has come to a standstill and communications are paralysed. AIRBORNE FORCES. BATTLE IN HOLLAND. LONDON, September 20. German forces facing & threat of encirclement in Eastern Holland opened a counter-attack against the airborne forces early on Tuesday. A German drive began when units which were apparently isolated launched sporadic assaults. Additional German detachments, joined in before noon when it was evident that the Germans were making a concerted attempt to burst from what may become a' trap. They are using heavy artillery in addition to 88’s and mortars. The Germans’ main effort appears to be directed over a rough twomile semi-circle, including a wooded area where one of the airborne units landed. There are indications that Germans on the Dutch-German border are preparing for a thrust westward, hoping to cut into a corridor which the airborne forces have hacked out. Heavy fighting is in progress within .gunshot range of the German frontier. .

The German News Agency says new landings of Allied parachute troops were male in the Utrecht and Gelderland Provinces. Fighting is going on “north from the great rivers.”

Th e original Allied landing places were Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem. This shows that the Allied “airborne front” stretches 50 miles beyond the Belgian-Dutch front in a north-easterly direction. More airborne reinforcements and supplies were dropped on Tuesday. Thunderbolts, Lightnings and Mustangs escorted the Fortresses and supported the Allied airborne operations. Germans have been pulling out for some days and no longer stand in any strength between the Scheldt and the Eindhoven-Nijmegen highway—which area is westward of our advance. Germans still hold the towns of Brest and Helmond, between which British armoured columns have pushed on beyond Eindhoven. Heavy fighting at Brest continued all day. The Germans are burying Panther tanks in concrete pits, and using every wood as a stronghold. It took British 11 hours’ solid fighting to sweep the Germans from their positions in front of Eindhoven. Fighter ’planes of United States Bth. Ail- Force covering yesterlay’s airborne landings in Holland, shot down twenty-six enemy ’planes.

British Forces

BEING VIOLENTLY RESISTED (Rec, 10.55) LONDON, Sept. 21. One of the bitterest battles of the war in the West is raging for Rhine bridges at Nijgemen, says a British United Press correspondent with the British forces, in a dispatch filed on Wednesday. They are the most important bridges in Europe. General Dempsey, with these in his hands, will be able to keep on and to relieve the Allied airborne forces at Arnhem, and then push east to Germany, turning the Siegfried defences and the Rhine alike. There are two main bridges. One carries a road over the river which is 500 yards wide at this point. Another bridge carries a railway. They are massive structures, one of concrete and the other of steel. Air reconnaissance reports to-day stated that at least the road bridge is still intact, with the Germans fighting determinedly for it. Heavy fighting is going on in the streets of Nijmegen. Great fires are blazing. Columns of smoke are swirling over the river and the northern bank beyond. Our armoured patrols are north-east of the town, ranging the Waal banks. They are the first Allied units reported to have reached the Rhine Another British United Press correspondent, near the Rhine, states: A dozen different fights are going on simultaneously in this swirling battle for river crossings. Battle is flarin" up at many points all along roads inside and outside of Nijmegen. It is a weird, savage battle'in mists, with guns blazing, shells ripping from tanks, and machine-guns chattering amid the Nijmegen Forest. Another battle is going on within the main framework of the battle for the bridges. German forces, threatened with an encirclement by the development of the British advance, are attacking our advanced columns in a bid . to plough their way through to the German frontier. Enemy infantry and armoured cars are charging in Balaclava style in stories which take on the aspect of small-scale ■battles. There are about 100,000 Germans west of the Nijmegen-Eind-hoven line. If we hurdle the Rhine rapidly, and push on with speed, all these will be endangered. LATER. Bitter fighting continues in the Arnhem area, reports a representative of the Combined Press with the Allied airborne forces, in a cable lodged at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

There have been moments when the position looked very sticky, but you would never know it from the faces of men who are dug in under hedges alorig a roadside behind trees. Hopes have gone up this afternoon because of the arrival of two separate lots of Sterling and Douglas planes with much-needed supplies. They flew through murderous flak to drop them. Some of the planes burst into flames. Our ears on this fourth day are wide open to the sound of guns ten miles away as the Second Army approaches to relieve this surrounded bunch of fighting men. The enemy is being steadily reinforced, especially with anti-aircraft guns. Sniping-goes on, continuously, , but their mortar fire is the worst. The Germans in a nearby town are sniping from houses, and even sniping medical units. It is the most relentless fighting I have ever seen. There is no quarter. That is the way it i has to be.

(Rec. 1.10). LONDON, Sept. 21. In a message filed yesterday, a Reuter correspondent sayfc: The Germans continue to show fairly strong resistance on the left flank of the British main advance. The Germans have formed a strongpoint at Schaft, five miles north of Neerpelt. It is a strong pocket, although its actual strength is not known. Second Army armoured cars, tanks, lorries and infantry are being thrown in to break it down. The Germans are 1 thrusting tank spearheads, supported by some heavy artillery, west of the GermanDutch border region, against the corridor between Grave and Eindenhoven. General Dempsey has hastily brought up troops to protect the flank of the thin British salient pushing into Holland. British officials admit the possibility of a strong enemy counter-attack against our positions. There have been several raids by the Luftwaffe, and hits have been scored on some of our supply columns. These are still rumbling forward. Among them’ are many bridging units, which are given road priority. What is left of the Luftwaffe is lying hidden in the daytime, and is prowling at night. S.H.A.E.F. spokesman said: “Our air-borne forces fighting in the. Arnhem area have had a difficult job. They have done magnificently to hold their positions.” LINK-UP REPORT PROVES PREMATURE (Rec. 1.10) LONDON, Sept. 21. Paris radio reports: Units of the British Second Army linked up with airborne forces in the Arnhem area 1 of Holland. I LATER. | There is no confirmation of the Paris radio report that troops from I the south linked up with Allied air-j borne forces at Arnhem. That report certainly was premature. APPROACH TO BERLIN. EASIEST EBOm’hOLLAND. (Rec. 10.10). NEW YORK, Sept. 21. A Washington correspondent of a New York newspaper, “P.M.”, says: The main drive to Berlin will be in the north from Holland. Military experts predict that if a northern breach is effected an unconditional capitulation will be a matter of days, or perhaps hours. A northern drive represents the shortest route to Berlin, which is 300 miles from the eastern border of Holland. If this northern drive is successful, ‘one of the most powerful defence areas of Germany’s west wall will be avoided. The terrain in the north is suitable for tanks, and that area also has the weakest defences. In addition there are many north sea ports which the Allies need for rushing reinforcements and supplies to armies driving into German defences. The pressure on the Siegfried Line around Aachen and Metz is not to be relaxed, but if the Allies succeed in flanking the main defences in the north, German resistance in the south will be useless.

VON RUNDSTEDT IN COMMAND LONDON, Sept. 19 Field Marshal von Rundstedt, the senior ranking officer in the German Army, is again in command of the German armies. He was earlier replaced by Field Marshal Rommel, who was wounded. Rommel was succeeded by Field Marshal von Kluge, who disappeared shortly afterwards and was replaced by Field Marshal Model,transferred from the Eastern Front. Model has now given place to von Rundstedt. ' CHANNEL PORTS LONDON, Sept. 21 Lancasters and Halifaxes bombing Calais yesterday dropped three thousand tons of bombs. Allied forces completed the capture of Boulogne, except enemy defences which are still holding out southeast of the town. The forces inside the town are subject to shelling. Strong forces of R.A.F., Lancasters and Halifaxes attacked the German garrison and fortified positions ar Calais. Calais and Dunkirk are well contained, and enemy morale is low. The Gap Gris Nez garrison is still holding out and coastal guns are still in action. FALL OF BREST (Rec. 1.10) LONDON, Sept. 21. General Ramacke, Commander at Brest, was wounded several days ago by a shell which exploded under a car wherein he was riding' says an Exchange Telegraph Agency correspondent in Brest. The chaffeur was captured, but General Ramacke was taken back to his own lines. Submarine pens which were most hotly defended of .all strongpoints, were captured on Sunday night after Americans, supported by Churchill flame-throwing tanks, gained entrance to the old walled city, and fought their way to the sea. More than 1000 wounded Germans are believed to be housed in hastily prepared hospitals in tunnels around the city walls. Conditions were appalling in one underground hospital, where 3000 German wounded were found. Two German doctors were working without an adequate water supply or dressings. U.S. FIRST ARMY. IN SIEGFRIED LINE. LONDON, September 20. The American First Army, is retaining a hold on breaches in the Siegfried Line. Germans are endeavouring to check the threat to Germany. Throwing in reserves, they are fighting with more co-ordination against the American armoured spearheads. The Americans in one sector knocked out 28 of 41 tanks in the Siegfried Line.

A fierce battle is raging at Stolberg, with Americans moving through the town’s buildings from room to room. Germans in this sector counter-attacked several times, sometimes with flame throwers. There were widespread demolitions at Aachen. A middle-aged German who escaped to Allied lines after 48 hours in no man’s land, said fourfifths of Aachen was destroyed. He had seen thousands of members of tne Wehrmacht reach Aachen, weary and without equipment after trudging from Mons and other sectors. Thirty thousand people refused to obey orders to evacuate Aachen despite ail the threats. , The attitude of " German miners was summed up in a statement by a

German prisoner to a correspondent “within a few miles of the Siegfried Line.” The prisoner said: “I am glad to be a prisoner because I know nothing about fighting and war, because I am a miner. A few weeks ago when the first of the broken. German armies began trooping back into the Siegfried Line, we miners were told to drop our picks and shovels and take up arms. We are all local residents on this border, and -for us the coal face is our job, not fighting. I know that if you could supply a guide to your lines we miners would gladly surrender.” American guns are shelling Duren, which is 22 miles from Cologne. Forty miles to the south-east, near the Luxembourg border the German town of Pruem is also being shelled.

NANCY TAKEN BY AMERICANS. ■ LONDON, September 20. A Berlin Hign Command communique admits that Nancy has been lost. A large-scale tank battle is being fought between Americans and Germans between Chateau S’alins and Moyenvic, north-east of Nancy in foothills of the Vosges Mountains. Americans captured Moyenvic, and also Chatel Sur Moselle, south-east of Nancy. Tanks are battling almost tread to tread. Neither side is seeking or giving quarter. The Germans are bringing up tanks in wooded areas. The situation at Metz is unchanged. American infantry and armour are slowly advancing against very tough opposition. The largest flying-bomb assembly plant yet found was discovered near the Luxembourg border. The factor'-’, in an old French iron mine, was captured by Americans. Many uncompleted flying-bombs and thousands of tons of equipment were seized. Workers said production plans provided for an output of 700 bombs daily. The rapid American advance prevented the factory coming into use. Thousands of Todt workers were forced labourers and worked fourteen hours daily to prepare the factory. F.F.I. units are fighting with the Americans on the Moselle front for the first time.

The Rhinelanders < WARM TO THE AMERICANS (Rec. 12.30) LONDON, Sept 21 The British United Press corresdent in Kornelimunster states: German civilians on the border areas are warming to the Americans, after one week of occupation. They are discarding a hostile attitude at first shown towards the invaders. An American soldier said: “We are treating the Germans as we treat any human being. It is too bad that the Belgian, French and Dutch do not have the job to do. They would not be so soft-hearted.” Civilians who disobeyed a German evacuation order stayed on at Kornelimunster. They say the whole Rhineland will show a similar non-hostile attitude. A young man discharged as unfit by the German army said: “The Rhinelanders will be friendly, but the Americans should not rust them too far.” Germans behind the American lines have no doubt any longer that they have lost the war. This fact probably influences their attitude. Some work-ing-class Germans tell the Americans they are anti-Nazi, but none can provide any substantial evidence to prove it. It is evident most of these assertions must be taken with a grain of salt. The Germans know of traditional American soft-heartedness.