Third Army lighting In Saareguemines

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1944, Page 5

Third Army lighting In Saareguemines

(Rec. 11.55 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 30. American 3rd Army forces are now fighting in Saareguemines, states an American broadcast from France. Our drive to the Saar is meeting fierce opposition, says Reuter’s correspondent with the 3rd Army. The Germans are throwing in frequent counterattacks with tanks and infantry and also shelling from east of the Saar River, possibly from Siegfried forts.

American armoured units beat off a heavy counter-attack cast of Tcttingen, 11 miles north-west of Merzig. They lost some ground at first but later regained it.

The Americans pressed on to within 11, miles of Saarlouis after boating off 10 counter-attacks on a 10-mile front.

The American Ist Army captured the small town of Grosshnu, one mile north of Hurtgen and also forced the Germans to abandon Lammersdorf.

52 Towns Captured

Fifty-two German towns and over 70 square miles of German territory were captured in the American 9th Army’s advance towards the Rhine which began a fortnight ago, says Reuter’s correspondent.

During that time the original bridgehead in the Siegfried Line deepened from four to 12 miles. The present drive which has taken them to Roer River has made them the most serious threat to German defences and menaces both the Rhine and the Ruhr. The large percentage of available forces which the Germans have grouped facing the 9th Army, bears out the fact that the Wehrmacht is deeply conscious of this threat.

The American 19th Corps which has been the spearhead of this advance has, in the last fortnight, knocked out 124 German tanks and taken over 7000 prisoners.

Some idea of the weather experienced on this front is gathered from the fact that November’s rainfall of six inches has been double for this area.

The 9th Army’s attack is going on inside Beeck, three miles west of Linnich and on the outskirts of Linern, north-east of Beeck. The LinnichLin&rn Road has been cut.