CLOSE TO MICH

Grey River Argus, 29 November 1944, Page 5

CLOSE TO MICH

AMERICAN CAINS IN ROER & MOSELLE Southern Advances IN ALSACE AND VOSGES • FRENCH TAKE A TOWN. AND 1,000 PRISONERS. (Rec. 12.53.) "LONDON, Nov. 29. Tuesday’s communique from Allied Headquarters says: “The Allied forces made slow progress on Tuesday in the Julich-Hurtgen sector. ■Fightiro- continues in Koslar and farther south we advanced to the vicinity of Altdorf. We have driven enemy forces from high ground near Langw'erwehe. Fighting is going on in Hurtgen. “We have made gains up to several miles in the area east of Metz. We have reached Teterchen twenty miles north-east of Metz, and have entered Saint Avoid, and a number of small towns in this area. “North of Sarrebourg, we have taken Hunkirch, twelve miles northeast of Finstingen, and Wolfshirchen, three miles north-west of Finstingen. and have reached Durstel, nine miles north-east of Finstingen. Considerable enemy armour has been encountered in some parts of this sector. “Cur units have cleared Mutzig, 14 miles west of Strasbourg, ana have continued to drive eastward through Molsheim, two miles farther east, on the Alsace Plain. “We have made additional gains in the Vosges Mountains against scattered resistance. “Our advance north-east of Belfort has been continued. We have freed several villages. “We have virtually wiped out an enemy salient south of the RhineRhone Canal. We have captured a town and several villages, after a stiff fight, wherein many enemy tanks were destroyed. One thousand of the enemy were taken prisoners.” Southern Sector FRENCH TANKS. REACH GRAFFENSTADEN. LONDON, November 27. French tanks have pushed four miles south of Strasbourg to Gra'ffenstaden. Mulhouse has been entirely cleared of the enemy, reports' a correspondent in the newly-liberated city. The last fort fell at noon on Monday. The enemy are still active near Kembs, where they hold strong positions west of the Rhine between Mulhouse and Basle. Swiss' authorities announced the voluntary, evacuation of the northernmost part of Basle. This part of the town is on the east bank of the Rhine, z and is exposed to German artillery fire. It is reliably reported that small groups of Allied paratroops/ landed in Southern Germany on a railway passing through Emmendingen, says the British United Press Basle correspondent. The cutting of this strategic railway which feeds the German front north of Basle is interpreted as a sign that the Allied troops operating near the Swiss border will not be satisfied with taking a bridgehead at Huningen, one mile north of Basle, but intend to jump across- the Rhine. ( Strong forces of Fortresses and Liberators to-day pounded the Germans east of the Rhine opposite the American and French troops in the first heavy bomber support since the 7th Army offensive started. The Allied forces pushing their way north of Strasbourg have succeeded in forming a salient parallel with the Rhine, while the corridor to Strasbourg has been extended to a width of about 10 miles. GERMANS RECAPTURE PLACES. (Rec. 9.30). LONDON, November 28. A Reuter correspondent at Bas-le says: As a result of determined coun-ter-attacks, German forces have recaptured Kems and two other villages, and have cut off the Basle-Mul-house road in several places-. BIG MUNITIONS WORKS. CAPTURED BY AMERICANS'. (Rec. 10.15). LONDON, November 28. A Times correspondent on the Metz front states: Americans’ by their advance in Eastern Lorraine, deprived the enemy of munition works covering about ten acres, and employing nearly 1000 workers, which daily shipped many truckloads- of shells to German units. Enemy forces hastily evacuated machinery before American infantry overran walled trench channels dating from the last war. The works were surrounded by these channels. Hills among which the works stand are covered with more than a; million c-hells and bombs of every kind, bearing, besides German manufa'cturlng marks, those of British, American, Czech, Russian, Polish, and Finnish makers. All were sent there for conversion to enemy uce. They ranged from three-ton block-busters to hand grenades. There are also big sea mines and heavy naval shells. RHINE BRIDGES DESTROYED LONDON, Nov 28 A report from Allied Headquarters stated that Tactical Air Force planes destroyed a railway bridge over the Rhin e at Breisach, ten miles east of Colmar, and also a pontoon bridge at Rhinau, twenty miles farther north. CENTRAL SECTORS. AMERICAN SUCCESSES. LONDON, November 27. American infantry established a' new three-mil e front in Germany with the advance of one and a-half miles in the area north-west of Saarlouis.

Reuter’s correspondent with the American 3rd Army says: The Third Army’s front in Germany now extends for nineteen miles. The American? reached within six miles northwest of Saarlouis. Americans have moved nearer the German frontier north-west of Saarlautern against strong opposition from gun positions and pill-boxes of the Maginot Line. An Associated Frees correspondent says: On Monday American 3rd Army troops raced through St. Avoid, beyond the Maginot. Line and pressed bn two miles to the eastward, reaching a point: 17 miles' south-west of S’aarbrucken.

The German? fought stubbornly, yesterday for Saint Avoid, which is an important communications centre, but withdrew during the night, adds the Associated Press. Our troops after entering the town without onposition, continued’ along the road to Forbach and late this afternoon they were probing for contact with the re-

treating, enemy. Other units which breached the Maginot Line are clearing the wooded height north of Samt Avoid, within two miles- of the German irontier.

Reuter’s correspondent, cabling from Saint Avoid, says the Germans fled from the town in all kinds of vehicles. Some of them before departure told civilians that they would not pull up before reaching Saarbrucken. 4 The Germans used Saint Avoid as an Army headquarters until about eight days- ago. Most of the Gestapo and Nazi Party officials cleared out some weeks ago. Townspeople say that German Army men accused the Nazi Party members of cowardice. Third Army tanks gained ground in a sector eight miles north of Merzig, representing a four-mile penetration of Germany, which is the deepest yet made by the Third Army.

U.S. 9th. ARMY.

ADVANCES TO ROER RIVER.

(Rec. 9.30). LONDON, November 28. According to a report from Allied Supreme Headquarters, the American 9th Army has reached the Roer River at two "points, namely, Kirchberg (about two miles* south of Julich), and also east of Altdorf .

AMERICANS CLOSE TO JULICH.

TWO PLACES TAKEN,

(Rec. 1.13.) LONDON, Nov. 28. A Reuter correspondent says: The American Ninth Army troops are on the edge of the Roer River,, with the capture of Kirchberg, ' two miles south of Julich. Americans have recaptured Merzenhausen, three miles west of Julich, ‘after German forces drove back into the village in a coun-ter-attack. North Sectors U.S. Ist ARMY GAINS. LONDON, November 27. In the north the Allies advanced a mile east of Weisweiler, and took Frenz and pushed on to Frenzerburg. They are in the outskirts of Langerwehe, five miles west of Duren, while the forward elements in the Hurtgen Forest have entered Hurtgen village. American infantry of the Ist Army pus-hed into the town of Hurtgen, says the Associated Press correspondent. Other forces captured Frenz, one mile north-east of Weisweiler. American First Army forces have advanced to a point 500 yards- north ,of Altdorf, 23 miles from Cologne, says Reuter’s correspondent with the First Army. * “Knock down and drag out” fighting is going on in the centre of Langerwehe, which is the las-t important road centre between the First Army and the Roer River defences. When the village is overrun the Americans will on the AachenDuren road be only five miles from Duren. Heavier salvoes of V bombs were fired against the Ist Army’s area from shortly after dawn to-day, says the Daily Express correspondent inside Germany. The roar of road vehicles in many areas behind the lines was intermittently drowned by the roar of flying bombs going over Belgium. It seems that some of the enemy’s launching sites are near his present lines, adds the correspondent, because h e saw what was apparently several V2’s launched simultaneously from sites hidden by the hills. T'he United States Ninth Army reported no gains, but claimed five more tanks knocked out, bringing the total since the start of the push to 141. BRITISH ATTACK IN PREPARATION. LONDON, November 27. A Reuter correspondent at the 21st Army Group Headquarters stated: A German withdrawal across the Maas has been completed except for stragglers and defenders west of Venlo. Field-Marshal Montgomery’s spokesman on Monday night said there was no news except of icicles and damp cold, from any sector along the 21st Army Group’s front. The correspondent commented: These British troops won the battle up to the Maas; they will be flinging themselves, to-mor-row or the next day, into the Battle of the Maas. The Germans, too, are probably getting ready. The German News- Agency says the nreparations of General Dempsey’s troops now marshalled between the Maas and Geilenkirchen are almost complete, and that an attack is expected shortly. LULL IN BRITISH SECTORS (Rec. 1.14) LONDON, Nov. 28 A Reuter correspondent states: A lull continues on the British Second Army front, except for consolidation of positions west of the Maas River. The R.A.F. however, is making maximum use of improved weather conditions in attacking communications behind the enemy lines.

GOLDFISH FOR MONTGOMERY.

(Rec. 8.45.) NEW YORK, Nov. 27. A war veterans’ organisation at St. Joseph, Missouri, decided that Field Marshal Montgomery, surrounded by noisy nets, needed quiet ones for a change. Accordingly it shipped half-a-dozen goldfish to the General’s headquarters. Field Marshal Montgomery replied: “Thank you very much indeed for the interesting and amusing present. The goldfish arrived viq Paris and were only seven days en route. They were in terrific heart. I should say that in the goldfish world this is probably one of the longest journeys ever.” ATTRITION ASPECT. LONDON, November 27. A Reuter correspondent at Allied Headquarters said: Successes on the Western Front at present are not represented by arrows flashing across maps, but by German dead, wounded, and captured, and by knocked-out tanks and guns. This is more vital to the Allied armies than yards and miles gained on the plains of Cologne and Lorraine.