RUHR BORDER

Grey River Argus, 23 November 1944, Page 5

RUHR BORDER

HEAVY FIGHTING BIG ALLIED GAINS Opposite the Saar And in Vosges Area SIX ALLIED ARMIES ADVANCING. [Aust. & N.z. Press Association] LONDON, November 21. Six Allied armies are pressing towards the Rhine over the whoie of its length t'iuth o f Holland, says the British United Press S.H.A.E.F. cor respondent. The pace is quickest at the extreme south of the line, where French and American troops scored important new successes. German resistance towards the far' north of the front becomes I , n . cr^ sl J]fA y stiff, reaching a peak north of Ge I en Germln commentators are most anxious about the extreme north and south sectors. Captain S erto , nftpr saving the French createci a MW sliuftion in the south.showed also concern about the other encthe front “where Dempsej's troops marshalled in the Ni -> ege ? r se „ ct °„ r r and still awaiting the when 8 this he said. Only when .in s fee-scale offensive’ started will t be possible to speak of the t<otal Al OPe TXS£No;. 22 Su "eV°H m eX&s f rWeanes. after capture ot Helenaffen, advanced foui mi s east of that town. We aie witnin four miles of Venlo. Heavy, fighting continues in the Geilenkirchen sector. Enemy forces are bitterly opposing oui advance towards Wurm and Beeck both of . which are three and a half miles, north-east of Geilenkirchen. We have captured Merzenhausan and Ederen, three miles and five miles respectively west of Julicfe. We also took Laurenzeberg, seven miles south-west of Julich. Our troops have penetrated some distance into Eschweiler. We are encountering strong resistance north-east of Stolberg, .and also in the northern portion of the Hurtgen Forest. . We have captured Heistern, two miles north-east of Eschweiler, and other elements have, advanced beyond the town. Our troops, who went across the German border north-west of Thionville, are encountering road blocks, mines, anti-tank obstacles and artillery fire. We have repulsed an enemy counter-attack west, of Merzig. Enemy resistance continues at Metz on the He du Saulcy. The garrison at Fort Queleu, in south-east-ern part of Metz, has surrendered. South-east of Metz we have made gains north of Falkenberg, seven miles south-east of Saint Avoid, and have captured Hellimer, ten miles east-south-east of Falkenberg. Our armour drove eight miles east of Saareboure on a wide front, against crumbling resistance. We have passed enemy defences in front of the Saverne Gap, through the Vosges Mountains. . The enemy in this area is rapidly withdrawing, and he has abandoned much equipment and many villages in .an area. Over one hundred square miles of territory has been freed by our advance here. Our advancing elements have made additional progress in the upper Alsace Plain in the Mulhouse area.. CAPTURE OF BELFORT. GERMANS SURPRISED BY THE FRENCH. LONDON, November 21. An ' Exchange Telegraph Agency correspondent with the French at Belfort say,s: General De Tassigny Commander of the French First Army, paid a tribute to his men who have captured the fortress town of Belfort. He had not believed an attack possible in such wretched weather. Belfort’s formidable forts were found only half-manned. Only 150 men garrisoned the famous Fort Vaudois, and nowhere were the defences manned to establishment. He disclosed that many complete F.F.I. battalions went into battle and shared the honours 1 , being the first French troops to stand guard on the Rhine. The crumbling of the German defence was mainly due to the fact that the enemy was caught oft his guard. GERMANS ANXIOUS ABOUT BELFORT DEFEAT. LONDON, November 21. German commentators are anxious about the extreme south. The German High Command, in a radio report, said the battle raging in the Belfort Gap region overshadows events in other sectors. Captain Sertorius said the surprise of the French thrust along the Swiss border to the upper Rhine brought a new situation fraught with suspense.

THE FRENCH ON THE RHINE. LONDON, November 21. A report from Allied Supreme Headquarters -states that the French have reached the Rhine at two places, at Huningen, two miles north oi Basle, 'and a few miles farther north in the Kembs area. Other units pushing north-east are under eight miles from Mulhouse. The French forces on the Rhine, north of the Swiss border, have been heavily shelling German territory across the river. Behind them, other French forces are driving through Southern Alsace. This F'ench thrust threatens the last German escape route from the Belfort area. The French are racing forward to close the trap and pin the enemy against the Vosges Mountains. FRENCH SHELL GERMAN RAILWAYS. LONDON, November 21. French artillery, north of the Alsatian frontier town of St. Louis, all day fired shell a'fter shell into the German railway yards across the Rhine, says the - Daily® Express’s Basle correspondent. Rail traffic between Karlsruhe and other Rhineland cities is now completely crippled. The French hold all St. Louis, but the fate of Huningen is undecided. Dozens of German 'soldiers yesterday left pill-boxes south of Huningen and walked to the frontier to surrender arms. A German Customs officer argued and waved them back, so one German soldier ended the argument. H e killed the Customs man. ENEMY FAILURE AT BELFORT. RESISTANCE TO SOUTH-EAST (Rec. 1.20) LONDON, Nov. 22. A British United Press correspon-

dent with French and American < forces in the soqth of the front re- I ports: Recalling the episode of “The . Made Colonel of Saint Malo,” 'in the 1 early days of the invasion, a tiny ( German force of .about forty, led by j ' a major is mortaring Belfort from a huge castle on the eastern side 1 of the town. The major has re- ’ jecterf $.ll French demands to sur- J render. His men are giving us all 1 they have, and are firing with auto-. 1 , ma'tic rifles. A German prisoner ‘ stated that the Germans had determined to make a last ditch stand at , Belfort, but this plan had to be abandoned afted there was an unex- a pectedly rapid French advance. The j correspondent adds that strong German forces are still holding out in woods covering hills south-east of Belfort.' ‘ ; ’ i FRENCH ENTER MULHOUSE. |< LONDON, November 21. ‘ In a message to the French people | General Eisenhower- announced that Mulhouse has been entered. , FRENCH ADVANCE NORTH OF h BELFORT. |. (Rec. 9.10). LONDON, November 22. I ‘ The French First Army has now cleared a' large-area north-west of the city, of Belfort, and has pushed on folir miles north of the town. Success of French EISENHOWER'S- TRIBUTE LONDON, Nov. 21 Speaking to press correspondents . at Allied Headquarters on Tuesday, . General Eisenhower said: “No single incident has pleased me so much for ' a long while as the capture of Bel- ; fort Gap by the gallant French Army . and their reaching the Rhine. He had received reports that the French ‘ had pushed north into the outskirts ( of Mulhouse and beyond the city. However, he thought that the Ger- , mans could pull their southern flank out of this area without much loss ot ■ prestige. . I On the subject of more arms being supplied for France, General Eisenhowever said he was all for France ■ doing as much of the job as she could ■ and as far as he was concerned < everything would be done to help ' strengthen the French Army, lhey i .•wanted France to com & along as rap- . idly as could be: done. The French i fought under him in Tunisia when - they were at their lowest ebb as far as equipment was concerned. They - fought under him in Italy and France and there had been no more gallant • troops in this war than the French ; soldiers. They were wonderful. There , were a lot of Frenchmen who wanted to fight and he was sure the French ( Government would make it possible for them to fight as soon as they could. GERMAN RETREAT. ) GENERAL ON ALLIED RIGHT.. : LONDON, November 21. ; The Germans to-day are in general ' retreat along the whole 100 miles ot front from south-east of Sarrebourg ■ right through Alsace Lorraine to the foot of the Vosges, states a report from Allied Headquarters-. The withdrawal is disorganised in places anc. the French and Americans shot forward at some places three to six miles in the past 24 hours. ALLIES NEARING. STRASBOURG. LONDON. November 21. Allied troops captured Sarrebourg and penetrated the outskirts of Stiasbourg according to the Swiss and Paris" radios. 7th ARMY PUSH. AMERICANS REACH SARREBOURG LONDON, November 21. American Seventh Army troops farther north, after advancing over seven miles, are accroaching Sarrebourg, and are within 30 mUes of Strasbourg. The Americans latest pains brought them well into the ‘western foothills of tbe JosgeSi Seventh Army spearheads are wed ahead of the main bodies. The German reaction to the 1 rencn and Americans’ swift advance ap- . Pe ThVGerman News Agency states: ;We have evacuated our salient at ' Exchweiler. The Americans have 'reached Sarrebourg where street fighting is going on. U.S. 7th. ARMY IN SAAREBOURG. - ' (Rec. 9.30). LONDON, November 22. : While the United States 7th Army ha's captured Sarrebourg. other 711 Army forces have pushed to a point ‘ five miles due south of Sarrebourg. i SEVENTH ARMY ENTERS RHINE 1 PLAIN 1 , (Rec. 1.20) LONDON, Nov. 22. A Reuter correspondent at General i Patch’s headquarters says: Allied Seventh Army troops have entered Middelbrown, five miles north-west o[ Saverne, on the Rhine Plain. U.S. Third Army PASS MAGINOT LINE. 3 11-MILE FRONT IN GERMANY. 5 LONDON, November 21. i Reuter’s correspondent at Third . Army Headquarters reports that General Patton’s tanks to-night hold an 11-mile front in Germany, ’ the deepest penetration being four miles north-east of Thioriville. The Berlin radio says that Amen- - can? forced two breaches, each 1500 i yards deep, in a sector south of '» Aachen. f A correspondent reports that tanks r of the 3rd Army yesterday advanced - two miles into Germany;, to Merzig, s on the Saar River. Another report s says that the 3rd Army has made good ■ progress' east of the Moselle between - T'hionville and Trier. It has pa'ssed - Nenine, onposite,- Romich, in Luxem- - bourg, and is approaching a town s eight miles north-west of Merzig. A Reuter correspondent says:— t Americans of the 3rd Army, m their 3 advance to the area couth of Stavold, pushed through the . Maginot Line defences in two places. They are only eight miles from the German frontier. General advances of up to three jniles were made along the whole of the 3rd Army front north-east of Nancy. Third Army tanks, deepened the pene- " tration 'into Germany to three miles 1 in the Merzig area, and are only one e mile from the Saar River. They are e meeting heavy fire. s The Associated Pres? eorrespondent says that the German commander of the enemy-held northern I. portion of Metz ignored the Allied t surrender ultimatum and five forts L have continued firing. Three thouy sand Germans were taken prisoner n at Metz yesterday. Th e Volks Strum had its- first real test, on the Western Front in the e battle for Meth, says Reuter’s corL respondent at Metz. It is now clear that the German Home Guard is doing the lob unwillingly and is in- '• adequately trained and poorlv equipped. Its morale -is definitely low. Many carried otoflete French carbines. and others German rifles, but insufficient ammunition. They-wore i- regulation German tunics and trous-

ers and Italian greatcoats. . A numhw taken at Metz had received only 10 hours’ training in a fortnl K ht - AU the men between the ages of 16 ana 60 in Metz and the adjoining aistricts were called up for service. The British United Press corresnondent states that those captured included men who did not know even how to load their rifles. Many surrendered on the. slightest excus-e.

3rd. ARMY AT SIEGFRIED OUTER LINE.

(Rec 9 30). LONDON, November 22. <R The African Third Arm, h® reached outer defences of the Sieg fried Line. | U.S. 9th. ARMY’S PROGRESS. j (Rec. 9.30). LONDON, November 22. , The American 9th Army is within | sight of the Roer River, between Geil- , enkirchen and Eschweiler. | U.S. Ist. ARMY TAKES HEHLRATH. | (Rec. 9.30). LONDON, November 22. The American Ist Army has captured Hehlrath, which is nine and a-half miles north-west of Eschweiler, and south of Geilenkirchen. Aachen Sector U.S. Ist. ARMY ADVANCE. BRITISH ENTER SIEGFRIED LINE. LONDON, November 21. In the Aachen sector the Germans are fighting hard to hold the distant approaches- of the Ruhr . East ot Aachen the Allies are fighting in the outskirts of Eschweiler. The 9th Army has taken several places on the road to J'ulich (15 miles north-east of Aachen). The Germans have been counter-attacking savagely around Geilenkirchen. The American First Army troops went forward about, one and a-half miles to-day, states Reuter’? correspondent at First Army Headquarters. The Americans are now fighting m the streets of Durwiss due north ot Eschweiler, and also have worked farther into the town of Esehweiler, General Hodges’ salient extending beyond Eschweiler ha's been the scene of a bitter seesaw battle. General Simpson’s 9th Army, advancing two miles, pushed into Ederen, five miles west of Julich. Nine German civilians from Eschweiler, four men and five women, dashing through heavy mortar fire, reached the American lines. They said that.S.S. troops and membersYof the Gestapo clubbed and killed hundreds of persons who tried to remain in the town when ordered to evacuate before the Americans ar--1 are still about 3000 civilians inside Eschweiler, most of whom have been in cellars since November 16. The British United Press correspondent says: We are suffering casualties in the fight for the main Aachen-Cologne highway, but they are nothing like as heavy as the enemy’s. The equivalent of one German division, has been wiped out along the Ist Army front since November 16. The Germans are simply King to gain time while they consolidate the next defence line along the Roer River, now some five miles ahead of th e Ist Army at the nearest P< T?e Exchange Telegraph Agency’s correspondent reports that an attack launched by the Ist Army in the ' Hurtgen Forest (locality not stated i at 9 a.m. made slow progress- against determined; opposition. _ I Following up their victory _in the . Geilenkirchen sector, the British and Americans to-day £ robed ! forced defences north-east and east of the town as the Allied push eastward continued against determined resistance, says the Associated Press correspondent. The British Mt Peatinp' off two counter -attacks, edged'a way deeper into the gunstudded Siegfried Line, advancing almost to the outskirts of N l ' l ™: three and a-half miles north-east of Geilenkirchen. The. American 9th Army battling in rain, repulsed a Xter-attack by 20 to 30 German tanks at Schelden and captmed Geie onsweiler and Grialdenhoven, also Neidermertz and Aldernhoven, five and four miles respectively southwest of Julich. The British took prisoner another 250 yesterday, makS the total for the past three days British United. Press corresnondent says that the Germans north-west of Geilenkirchen are fighting a suicide battle in Suggerath, apparently trying to obev the oroerJ Ito renel the Allies from German soil, 'but they failed. We hold all our g3 S Exchange Telegraph Agency ( correspondent with the American 1 Army reports that patrols entered Eschweiler and did not meet any troop's Only small rearguard de-t-'chments are believed to be left in the town, which is practically lost to the Germans. The Americans have almost completed the ring round the town, except for the eastern escape route. Other infantryl : who are fighting the stiffest fight on this front, are advancing south-west of Duren against heavy artillery and mortar fire. They beat back a small counter-attack early to-day.

Dutch Sector

RESISTANCE GREATER. BRITISH ADVANCE ON VENLO. LONDON, November 21. The German opposition on the native soil beyond Geilenkirchen and in the Siegfried Line stiffened today and the battle north-east of the town is bitter, states Reuter’s correspondent at British 2nd Army Headquarters. The Germans continue to receive reinforcements and a spokesman at Headquai'ters said: “The going is getting much stickier. Wurm, three and a-half miles north-east of Geilenkirchen, is still in German hands, but our troops- are on the fringe of the village. Farther north the British forces are making progress from three directions against Venlo, an important Dutch road and rail junction on the Maas. One army of the three is within three miles of Venlo near the village of Baarlo; another is about one mile from Maasbree, which is five miles west of Venlo, and the third is 400 yards beyond Helenaveen, which has been captured. Helenaveen is 10 miles north-west of Venlo. However, Venlo is on the opposite bank of the Maa?, which is now in flood and flowing swiftly. The only part or the city west of the river is the suburb of Breruck. The advancing troops have not fought any, serious battles, but, after capturing Helenaveen, they encountered minefields and pockets, including paratroops. The Germans a're putting up a stiffer fight west of the Maas as the British slog closer to Venlo. FRENCH PEOPLE. SAVED NEARLY 2000 AIRMEN. LONDON, November 17. Nearly 2000 British airmen who were obliged to land in France during the German occupation have returned to Britain—with the 'help of the French resistance forces, said the Secretary of State for Air (Sir Archibald Sinclair) to-night, when paying

a tribute to the people of France. “Many, hundreds more were concealed from the Germans until the armies of liberation set them free. The Royal Air Force, also the Dominion air forces, pay homage to the hundreds of French men and women whom the Germans shot for giving this aid,” he continued. No nraise can be too high for them, and no words of mine are adequate to express our gratitude.”