NEW TRAP SPRUNG

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 2, 30 November 1944, Page 5

NEW TRAP SPRUNG

LIQUIDATING_GERMANS FIRST ARMY CLOSER TO DUREN

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. Noon.) LONDON, Nov. 29. A new Allied trap has been sprung behind the Vosges and the liquidation of the German 19th Army is under way. General Patch's Seventh Army has swung south from Strasbourg and is now 11 miles beyond the city, under fire from German guns across the Rhine. Meanwhile French troops continue to emerge on to the Alsace Plain from the Vosges passes on to the trapped Germans. The left flank of the Seventh Army is working steadily towards the Saar frontier with the Third Army. The greatest threat is to Saarlouis, the second most important town to Saarbrucken.

Both the American First Army and Ninth Army gained important strategic successes today.

First Army forces captured Langerwehe, the last Ger-man-held road centre before Duren. All resistance ceased in Koslar, guarding- the western approaches to Julich, against which the Ninth Army is advancing. The Germans stubbornly defended Koslar for days, says the lieuter correspondent with the Ninth Army. The enemy everywhere along the Roer River between Julich and Linnich is particularly sensitive to any small Allied advance closer to the river. The American First Army today also captured Hurtgen and pushed on one mile beyond. Ninth Army troops captured Barmen after heavy fighting.

ENEMY ADMISSION

"Undesirable developments" on the Western Front were admitted by the German military spokesman (Dietmar) today. Speaking over the Berlin radio he said: "The American territorial gains in the Lorraine sector have been far from negligible. Tin? situation in the Strasbourg sector lias developed along lines which we

regard as most undesirable. We are still in a stage of transition; we are not yet strong enough to offer effective resistance all along the frontiers of the Reich. I emphasise the words 'not yet," because there is a possibility

that we may be strong enough some day to check the enemy everywhere. "The focal point ot the fighting on the Western Front is the sector around Aachen. It is here that the Americans are trying to break through ' to the Lower Rhine. We know that the fighting at Aachen has been most exacting for both German leadership and for the German soldiers, but we also realise that terrific losses are being suffered by both sides. Yet we have to be economical when deploying our forces.'' General Eisenhower lias had a conference with Field-Marshal Montgomery. They are designing the final defeat of Germany, states a Reuter correspondent in Belgium. It is several weeks since General Eisenhower made an official call on Field-Marshal Montgomery at the 21st Army Group Commander's tactical headquarters. The Allies have taken nearly 750,000 prisoners on the Western Front since D-Day. The United States First Army took 206,866 prisoners aaid killed 15,916 Germans up to November 27, according to correspondents with that army. The British Second Army in the week ending November 24 captured 15 officers and 11,030 other ranks, says the lieuter correspondent with the Second Army. Officers and men of a veteran American armoured division are unanimous that Ge rmany's new 72-ton Royal Tiger tank, with a. super-high I velocity 88 mm. gun, is the best tank in battle today. A correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain with the di-: vision quotes the men as saying: "Our Shermans are all right in their class, but thev are outclassed. It is* like a lightweight fighting Jack; Dempsev." Veteran tank men put the Royal Tiger first with the Germans' | regular Tiger second and their Pan- ' ther third.