Allies Reported Across German Frontier

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 211, 6 September 1944, Page 5

Allies Reported Across German Frontier

Strong Resistance in Pas de Calais

45,000 Prisoners Taken in Two Days

United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright, Received Wednesday, 1.8 a.m. LONDON, September 5. An Associated Press dispatch from the French frontier to-day says it is reliably reported that American tanks have reached the outskirts of Strasbourg and fighting is progressing round Saarbrucken on German soil. The Prime Minister of Luxembourg, broadcasting this morning, announced that Allied forces had marched into Luxembourg. A Berne report states that 400 members of the Waffen S.S. and other German soldiers fled into Switzerland on Sunday night. Many of them are barely 17 years of age. According to the Paris radio the Americans have occupied a German village on the northeastern border of Luxembourg. The name of the village is not disclosed. American reconnaissance units at several points have crossed the German frontier on probing missions. The Algiers radio announced that Allied guns have begun to shell German soil after the Americans in force crossed the Moselle between Nancy and Metz. The Swiss radio quotes unconfirmed reports that Allied troops operating from Central Belgium reached the German frontier. The Allied columns which crossed the Dutch frontier near Breda are pressing on towards Rotterdam. Reuter’;s correspondent in Belgium reports that one division of the First United States Army has taken 45,000 prisoners in the last two days, including another general. He adds: ‘ ‘ The Germans are surrendering in big parties. ’ ’ The latest reports put the Canadians within three miles of Boulogne. They are overrunning the flyjng-bomb sites in the Pas de Calais area and have already captured about a hundred of them. The elements of three German divisions remain in the Pas de Calais area and are expected to fight hard to hold Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk as long as possible. But their escape routes are cut and they have little chance of getting away.

The battle for the Channel ports has

begun and the Germans evidently intend to fight for them, states a Shaef report. They have not evacuated the Pas de Calais coast and the fact that the British have been unable to progress in their drive from Bethune beyond the Aife and the Poles and Canadians’ drive from the Somme has been slowed up shows that the enemy is ready for resistance whatever happens. The German defenders’ position is hopeless. The capture of Antwerp and the operations south of it preclude the Germans in the Pas de Calais from breaking out and reaching Germany. At the same time, even if the Allied thrusts to Calais and Boulogne are slowed up it won’t be long before suificient strength is brought up to deliver the knockout assault. The Poles and Canadians reached the Cane he River, which runs into the Channel at Le Touquet, on a fairly wide front. The Germans on the north hank are apparently fighting a strong rearguard action. There is no confirmation that the Allies have crossed the Dutch frontier, but there is nothing to indicate that such news is incorrect.

“Antwerp was liberated by Allied armour after a two-dayß’ drive across Belgium,” states to-day’s Shaef communique. “Armour entered the city yesterday and by evening was clearing the dock area.

' ‘ To the south our troops early in th 3 day captured Louvain and Malines. Other forces operating near the FrancoBelgian frontier took Lille. Steady progress is being made north of the Somme. Our troops reached Hesdin, Montreull and Btaples.

“Allied forces in the Mons area eliminated a large German pocket southwest of the city. It is estimated that 9000 prisoners were taken and 40 tanks and 1500 motor vehicles captured or destroyed by the ground and air forces. We mopped up local enemy pockets south of Toumai and in the areas of Marchiennes and Villeroe, northwest of Mons. Gains were made south of Charleroi as far as riorennes and Beaumont. “Our forces in the Upper Meuse Valley advanced northeast of St. Mihiel. No changes are reported further south. The weather restricted air operations yesterday.” TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER OF GERMANS It is estimated that there may be over 100,000 Germans between the Somme and the Scheldt, which flows into the sea at Antwerp. The Germans who have been overtaken and overwhelmed by the American First Army are those retreating from the Coro-piegne-St. Quentin area south of Cambrai. Attempts by elements of the German divisions caught by the swift Alliea advance into Belgium to fight their way clear have resulted in one of the great est slaughters since the invasion, says Reuter’s correspondent with the American First Army. Thousands of Germans are being smashed as their columns encounter Americans north and south of the line-of their escape route to Germany. More than 3000 wer3 taken prisoner in one small but crucial area. The fields are littered with thousands or German dead and countless German vehicles. A German general and his stall who drove into American lines were surprised that the Americans had advanced bo far. The woods are filled with prisoners in hastily erected cages. There is an unending stream of dirty, un kempt prisoners, many of whom are wounded. Day and night the battle is going on as the Germans continue their headlong flight from the British and American pursuit. Stretching into Belgium are long lines of German vehicles, bumper to bumper, slowly approaching a point at which they must surrender or be de stroyed. As far as the eye can see there are wrecked German cars. Pilots engaged in attacking Reichbound transport from Mons to Brussels state that on Sunday the press of enemy traffic on a road leading northeast in the direction of Holland was so great as to he described as “one of the greatest traffic jams in history,” says a correspondent at Shaef. After shuttling back and forth over the traffic jam, our fightc -bombers had flown 717 sorties and set up a Command record by destroying 919 trucks, 767 horse-drawn vehic’ag and 59 armoured vehicles. Tb ‘. pilots estimate that there were thousands of vehicles jammed and so closely packed that when the pursuing American troops caught up, their trucks became mingled with the enemy trucks and armoured cars and the pilots were unable to drop their bombs for fear oi kiuiug our men.

The only enemy air activity was near Charleroi, where three enemy planes attacked an Allied reconnaissance plane. In the course of tue operations, eight of

our fighters were lost, two by flak anc the remainder through mechanica. trouble. One enemy plane was destroy-