SURRENDER

Grey River Argus, 12 October 1944, Page 5

SURRENDER

DEMAND ON AACHEN ALLIED GAINS In Scheldt and South Sectors [Aust. & N.Z. Press Association] LONDON, October 10. Aachen is now surrounded. The American First Army have captured the eastern suburb, of .Forst within the city limits. The gap east of Aachen was closed, despite strong German- counter-attacks, which attempted to force it open in the vicinity of Bardenburg, five miles north of Aachen. Battling throughout the rainy pitch black night, Germans launched a number of counter-at-tacks. They made two bold attempts to recapture Crucifix Hill, but both failed after being smothered by American artillery and mortars. On Tuesday Americans began an attack against the suburb of Haaren. Other American infantry drove north-east and cut the Monschau-Duren highway near Hurtgen, thus snapping an important German communication r.oute. The German News Agency said the Americans fought a way into the southern part of Aachen, but claimed they were driven out. The Americans have given Aachen 24 hours in which to surrender unconditionally, otherwise the dty will be destroyed. General Hodges signed the ultimatum, which two American lieutenants and a private delivered to the Mayor of the town, in addition to the Commander of the German troops. It read: “Aachen is completely, surrounded by Americans who are sufficiently equipped with both planes and artillery to destroy the city _ if necessary.. We shall take the city either by surrender or attacking and destroying it. By unconditional surrender we will require the surrender of all armed bodies, the cessation of all hostile acts, and the removal of mines and prepared demolitions. It is not intended to molest the civil population needlessly or sacrifice human lives, but if the city is not completely and promptly surrendered, the American ground forces and air forces will proceed ruthlessly to reduce it to submission. There is no middle course. The choice and responsibility are yours. Your answer must be delivered within 24 hours.”

WILL AACHEN GIVE IN? AMERICAN ESTIMATE (Rec. 10.50) NEW YORK, Oct. 11 1 A New York “Times’s” correspondent with the United States army says: “The ultimatum delivered to Aachen is of the highest importance and as a test case for German cities. In view of the necessity of maintaining morale within the Reich it is expected that the Germans will be ordered to fight to the last in the ruins of Aachen. The seige is likely to oe long and bloody, and a parallel to that at Stalingrad. The Germans will dig into deep cellars. When the bombardment lifts, they will be dragging machine-guns behind them to oppose attacking Americans. Aachen is not just Aachen. It is all of tne German cities which the Allies may besiege in the final phase of the war. Dr. Goebbels will try to make Aachen a rallying cry, similar to that of Dunkirk for the British, and Pean Harbour for the United States. If Aachen were to be surrendered unconditionally, it would be striking evidence that German resistance is weakening. However, if, as expected, the garrison fights to the end, then a patriotic example will be given to all Germany, and the conquest of the Reich will be much harder. A SURRENDER AT AACHEN BY A COMPANY OF GERMONS (Rec. 11.40.) LONDON, Oct. 11 A British United Press correspondent says: “One German company is Aachen sent a message to the Americans seeking an independent surrender. Arrangement have been made for them to march into American lines.” SURRENDER REFUSED (Rec. 11.0) LONDON, Oct 11 The German News Agency announed that the German Commander at Aachen has refused to the call of surrender reported from S.H.A.E.F. White flags are flying over many buildings in Aachen but thus far none are to be seen over garrison headquarters. ROAD TO COLOGNE CUT. GAINS AROUND AACHEN. (Rec. 1.10.) LONDON, October 11. Wednesday’s Allied Supreme Headquarters communique says: “An ultimatum to surrender was served on the German forces at Aachen on Tuesday, at 7.15 p.m. Earlier, units of the northern arm of our encircling movement captured Sharfenberg and Bardenberg and advanced to Wurselen. Other units, moving up from the south and east, reached Haaren, anp cut the main Aachen-Cologne highway. Enemy forces, by noon, were being mopped up in the northern part of Harren. The German counter-attacks have been repulsed at Crucifix Hill, southeast of Haaren, and in the area of Bardenberg. “Hard fighting is progressing southwest of Hurtgen, and our troops have made gains. Patrol activity and sporadic artillery fire are reported along the frontier in the area of Monschau. “House-to-house fighting is progressing in Maizieres les Metz. KEEP ENEMY OUT! VON RUNSTEDT’S APPEAL. LONDON, October 10. Von Runstedt, the German Com-mander-in-Chief in the west, in an • Order of the Day addressed to the troops said: “You have stopped the enemy at the gates of the Reich. The enemy,, however, will shortly launch a new grand .offensive. I expect you will all defend the sacred German soil to the last man.” The order was quoted bv the Berlin radio. It assured the troops that new troops were arriving on the Western Front. It concluded; “Soldiers of the west: All attempts bv the enemy to burst into our land will fail bv vour steadfast bearing. Heil Hitler.” GAINS IN THE SOUTH BY THE AMERICANS & FRENCH (Rec. 1.0) LONDON. Oct. 11 Wednesday’s Allied Headquarter's communique says: “East of Lunevilie our troops in the Parroy Forest advanced about fifteen hundred yards. East of Epinal. our positions have been improved, despite increased artillery fire. “Offer hard fighemg in the Le Thillot sector our troops have established a substantial bridgehead across

the Moselotte River. Heavy losses were inflicted on the enemy. Several strongpoints near Le Thillot have been taken against stiff resistance. The forest of Longe Gouttee and Geha'n have been largely mopped up. “Progress has been made in the Champagney region west of Belfort.

ESTUARY OPERATIONS. ( ALLIED POSITION IMPROVED. (Rec. 1.0). LONDON, October 11. The Allied communique from the Supreme Headquarters on Wednesday says: “The Allied force which landed on the south bank of the Scheldt Estuary has improved its position east of Breskens. Fighters and fighterbombers attacked enemy strongpoints in this area yesterday. Elsewhere air operations were restricted by the weather. “Heavy fighting continues in the area of the Leopold Canal bridgehead, north of Antwerp. “We have cut the main road leading from the mainland to south Beveland Island. | GERMAN ATTACK REPULSED. LONDON, October 10. Under nelting rain British and Germans along the perimeter east and south of Nijmegen continue to probe each other’s positions. On Tuesday General Dempsey’s 2nd Army had the quietest day. since the invasion of Holland. The weather is becoming an increasingly important factor. The British repulsed a sharp enemy attack against the Dutch salient west of Arnhem, taking heavy toll. The assault was launched between the Neder Rhine and the Waal, in the neighbourhood of Dodewaard, 12 miles w_est of Arnhem. The British took the full weight of the blow without falling back a step, then let loose a storm of shellfire, which left the woods strewn with German dead. Bitter house-to-house fighting is raging at Opheusden, otherwise, however, the general lull along the entire Dutch salient continues. CANADIANS WIN THROUGH. LONDON, October 10. On Tuesday Canadians extended the bridgehead over the Leopold Canal, and there is now no fear it may be lost. They operated in foul weather, which reduced air suoport to two sorties. They encountered heavy mortar and artillery fire. Canadian Ist Army infantry, after repulsing 30 counter-attacks in four days, took the offensive late yesterday and are closing in against the main road running north to Aardenburg. The Germans have taken a severe beating in their attempts to throw the Canadians back into the canal. Beached in the north-eastern part of the Scheldt, the pocket now has an average depth of 3500 yards-, and is 5000 yards wide. There is still a considerable German force inside the pocket which is not yet committed. British and Canadians who landed on the. north-eastern tip of the German bridgehead on the Scheldt against only light opposition yesterday, advanced inland more than two miles and reached a railway running north-west from Biervliet. A Canadian push north of Antwerp towards the narrow neck of the causeway to Zeeland is being held up by vigorous German shelling. The Germans still hold the road and railway leading to Walcheren and Beveland Islands, and have brought up reinforcements. Canadians on Monday night launched &’ local attack against the eastern border of the Scheldt pocket. They gained some ground, although’ they encountered a jungle of barbed barHcades and a host of hidden mines and booby-traps. These Canadians have a few hard miles still ahead of them before they meet the British and Canadians who early yesterday invaded the pocket from the northeast. British and Canadian seaborne forces who landed in the rear of the Germans holding th e Scheldt pocket indicate that the position is satisfactory, although the Canadians are encountering considerable shell fire and mortar fire. Canadians thrusting in the direction of Bergen op Zoom are meeting stiffening opposition from good troops, who' are supported by tanks. ' Mortar and machine-gun fire is coming from Germans in the pocket, and shelling from big guns on Walcheren and South Beveland. Rocket - firing Tvphoons struck against these guns and stopped the shelling for one and a-half hours. There are considerable German forces in the pocket. They are a good class of troops.

DUNKIRK BEING DESTROYED. BY THE GERMANS. (Rec. 11.10). LONDON, October 11. A United Press correspondent says: The Germans are burning the town of Dunkirk. Civilians who were evacuated from the town last week say the Germans were then preparing to burn houses, and that the enemy a month ago began destroying the port. . GERMAN THRUST. LONDON, October 10. Reuter’s correspondent with the British 2nd Army says: Th e Germans have thrust troops across the Neder Rhine four miles west of Arnhem, and have established a small bridgehead a few hundred yards deep on the south bank. The north bank of the Neder Rhine hereabouts overlooks the south bank, and the British could not oppose the landing except with mortar and artillery fire. However, the British are containing the bridgehead and have frustrated all German attempts to expand it. Germans have been observed pouring equipment over the Pannerdansch Canal, at the north-eastern tip of the Allied salient. It is assumed they are merely reinforcing for some future operation.

WINTER WAR PROSPECTS. LONDON, October 9. The possibility of a Winter campaign with the war lasting until 1945 is the chief topic of the unitary situation. Ports of supply and the weather are the chief queries from the Allied viewpoint. There is also the internal position m Germany, almost an equally unassessable factor. General H. G. Martin, says: The Allies and Germans have been regrouping. There has been a steady rise in enemy morale We may be sure that as soon as the Allies have completed their build-up they will go into the ring again for the second round. Given ordinary luck they should have several weeks good campaigning weather before Winter. During these weeks they do doubt will go for a knock-out. As the Allies build up their superiority, in guns and tanks every form of heavy equipment will reassert itself increasingly. They can moreover afford a system of reliefs whereby every man can look forward to a period of rest out of the line. The German soldier, on the other hand, is in the line for the duration. On every sector there surely will come a time when fanatical resistance will fail from sheer exhaustion, and in the absence of reserves organised resistance will coilapse. The Allied front will surge forward. The Allies may find themselves again held up by lengthening supply lines and in the face of increasing resistance. The Germans may lose the Saar, Rhineland and Ruhr at an early stage. Progressively, therefore the German armies must reckon to fight with less and less equipment, and organisation less ana less complete. Captain Liddell Hart says: There

is an obvious disposition in _ high quarters to damp down optimistic anticipations fostered last month and prepare the public for the prospect of a Winter war. A fine October might see .a transformation and bring the issue to a climax sooner than is now' commonly assumed. The Channel ports have been retained by the enemy so long as tel allow him to demolish them so that further delay is inevitable before they will become usable. _ . “Strategicus” says: Everything on the adjustment of supplies with needs of the army. In October, ihe weather is more likely to be capricious than during the Summer, it can hardly he expected November will favour operations in the air or by tanks. The Allies’ chances of securing a decision this year therefore have narrowed. While the enemy has little chance of a decision militarily, it can hardly be said that he has no chance of dragging out the present month. This is a fateful month and the possibility of peace before Christmas depends upon the developments that take place in it.” I Captain Cyril Falls makes .a similar point, and adds: The Russians are as eager to make an end as we are. There is reason to believe they will strike with all their power in the near future, .and that they will go through. There is nothng to be taken back from what has been said about deterioration in German arms. It is not the enemy who is the major obstacle to progress now. It is reorganisation of our own striking power. “Liberator” refers to worsening on Germany’s home front. Many bombed cities are in a state of complete destruction, and destruction by the R.A.F. has not reached its climax. The time gained by the German armies can only be ill-repaid on the home front. The situation is growing worse, and what will happen when the winter comes can by no stretch of the imagination, strengthen the German war effort. There has been a recent ration reduction in Germany. Hitherto Germany has received a steady surplus of consumable goods from most occupied territories, and the Wehrmacht fed on local requisitions. Now supplies are no longer arriving, and the Wehrmacht is coming back. Out of a reduced pool of supplies, civilians and an influx of some three million soldiers, who had been living on other people’s land, have to be fed. The core of Germany is neither healthy nor sound, and hardly capable of prolonging resistance. Goebbels is drumming home the horrors of defeat. It is artificial respiration. An Allied official pronouncement on future policy could make an early end of the benefits the Nazis gained in this way.

A “Daily Express” Stockholm correspondent says:’ The telephone service between Germany and Sweden was again cut yesterday. There was a long interruption to the telephone service during the bomb plot against Hitler. It is rumoured a new revolt of generals against the N.az's occurred in Germany, and followed Hitler’s appointment of a S.S. general as Commander-in-Ch ! ef of the German troops in Warsaw. A. British United Press correspondent says there is also a comnlete lull in air operations at the front. The period of long, damp trench nights, reminiscent of the last war, has begun for the men on the ground. Grev winter weather is already descending, over the Low Countries. Bad weather interfered with many Mosquito attacks over Germany and Holland last night.