RELIEF NEAR

Grey River Argus, 23 September 1944, Page 5

RELIEF NEAR

ENCIRCLED ALLIES IN ARNHEM BATTLE Germans Retreating ALLIES TAKE BIS'wAAL BRIDGE. (Rec. 9.5). LONDON, Sept. 22. A Reuter correspondent with the air-borne forces in Holland stated: — Air reconnaissance .reported German transports moving east from Arnhem on Thursday. Allied reinforcements and supplies were again dropped in Holland, especially in the Arnhem area on Thursday afternoon for the fifth day in succession. A S.H.A.E.F. report on Thursday said- The base of our Nijmegen salient has been widened, and air-borne landings have further reinforced the The important road bridge across the River Waal at Nijmegen has been captured intact by troops of the British 2nd Army and American airborne forces. Armoured elements are advancing across it, speeding up the advance towards Arnhem, which is 10 miles to the north, on the Neder Riin, the other of the two main branches into which the Rhine divides near the Dutch-German border. The Waal is 200 yards wide where the bridge was taken. The bridge is a mile and a-half long. _ That the Germans did not blow it up shows their complete ignorance of the situation earlier this week. After a fourday battle for the bridge a plan was devised which was made possible by the rapid advance of the British armour. American air-borne troops landed on the southern bank of the Waal were ferried to the northern side and, by last evening were ready for the assault. Simultaneously British tanks moved up to the southern approaches to the bridge and squeeze pressure wa's applied from the north and the south against the German garrison holding the bridge. Soon afterwards British tanks passed over the bridge to link up with the Americans coming from the north. Fighting is still going on in and around Nijmegen. A few tanks are supporting the defenders of the town, but Allied superiority in men and tanks is overwhelming. Every bridge between the Escaut Canal bridgehead and Nijmegen has been captured intact, except one, the reconstruction of which caused a five-hour delay. The base of the British armoured thrust beyond Nijmegen is 25 miles wide. There appears no chance of the enemy being able to cut across the long armoured finger thrust into Holland. The Allies made 11,500 aircraft sorties in the air-borne operations in Holland.

Encircled Allies AWAIT RELIEF AT ARNHEM.

(Rec. 12.30). LONDON, Sept. 22. Relentless fighting is raging at Arnhem. An Allied paratroop force has been encircled there since Monday. The latest message to come out of Arnhem was received in London on Friday morning. It has been sent by a' correspondent on Thursday night, and said: “Second Army guns have just started shelling enemy targets that we have signalled. On this, the fifth day, our force is still being heavily subjected to mortar fire, sniping, machine-gunning, and shelling. They are being asked to do more than flesh and blood should have to endure. But they are holding on, and fighting magnificently. When the Second Army arrives and relieves this crowd, then may be told one of the epics of the war. Meantime, they just go on fighting their hearts out. The Germans have brought up loud speakers and megaphones calling on us to surrender, and a bunch of British glider pilots are yelling their heads off swearing abusive replies. More Second Army guns are coming into action. They have just knocked out by a direct hit a German Mark 4 tank which was advancing to attack us. More supplies came in this evening by Dakotas flying through a' crackling flak barrage to land them just where needed.” CANAL BATTLES LONDON, Sept 21 The Poles cleared the Hulst-Axel -area, south of the Scheldt Estaury,: taking 500 prisoners. The Canadians further west are within two miles of Scheldt. Five miles north-west of Antwerp, Fort St. Marie at the harbour mouth still resists. Polish units at the northern end of the Canadian coastal sector in Holland have reached the Scheldt on a six mile front. German resistance in the Polish sector has collapsed. The Poles captured Tereuzen and have taken 600 prisoners.

The Germans are fighting hard for the Leopold Canal crossing against the Canadian Ist. Army. The Canadians driving up the North Sea coast seized Philippine, which is northwest of Axel and east of the canal mouth. They are at this point only two miles from the Scheldt. Canadians further west have so far been unable to cross the canal. The Germans are fighting hard to prevent crossings. The Canadians further north-west are meeting heavy opposition from the Germans, including paratroopers. The Germans still hold some positions on the west bank of the Scheldt north of Antwerp. A large scale German counter-at-tack was thrown back in the Wallendorf area. German activity in other parts of this sector is mainly restricted to patrolling. Fierce house to house fighting is raging in the east and north sections of St. Olberg. The Germans loosed a heavy bombardment against American-held part of the town this afternoon. Not a single building is undamaged. The Germans cut passages four feet square between cellars of houses and shops through which the snipers can move at will to all parts, of the town. A German Major Balzer, broadcasting, admitted that Allied columns in Maastricht salient forced a way forward a number of miles and were west of Gelsenkirchen, 121 miles north of Aachen.

TRAM DISPUTE SETTLED WELLINGTON, Sept. 22. After discussions extending over three days between representatives of the Tramways Committee of the Wellington City Council and members of the Tramways Union, the seven matters in dispute in the framing of a. new' award were referred back to the assessors of the respective bodies for further consideration. It was announced by the Mayor (Mr W. Appleton) yesterday that in a spirit of give-and-take a settlement on all points had now been arranged. The terms were approved by the City Council at a special meeting yesterday .afternoon.

OCTOBER PETROL RATION WELLINGTON, Sept. 22. Petrol coupon No. 4 at half its face value,, will be available to private motorists for the month of October. This was announced by the Minister of Supply and Munitions (Mr Sullivan) after a meeting of the War Cabinet, yesterday.