GAINS ALONG WHOLE FRONT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 7 April 1945, Page 5

GAINS ALONG WHOLE FRONT

EASTWARD DRIVE OF BRITISH SECOND ARMY

SPEARHEADS RACING TO BREMEN

London, April 6. From the Weser bridgehead Field Marshal Montgomery’s forces have made their gains almost along the whole front against scattered opposition which has stiffened in the past 24 hours in the central sector between Rheine and Osnabruck. Sixth Airborne Division troops crossed the Weser after clearing Minden. The capture of Minden threw open the vital highway to Hanover which the American Ninth Army is also threatening.

Seventh Armoured Division units advanced 25 miles from the Rheine zone to an area east of Dummersee. Elements of the Third Division despite stifF opposition crossed the Dortmund-Ems Canal to reach Drierwalde. The German News Agency admits a Weser crossing was made at Stol2cnau, 30 miles east-north-east of Hanover, but claims that the British have Keen forced back across the river. A bridge was smashed by the Luftwaffe. The British United Press correspondent reports that the Canadian First Army has advanced another 1 5 miles northward. Advanced units are now about 25 miles north of Almelo.

Bremen, Magdeburg and Hanover — the last gateways to Hamburg and Ber-lin—to-day are frontline cities, cables Reuter’s correspondent. The British Second Army has burst eastward across the Weser in a drive aimed against Hanover and northward from TeutobUrger Forest down to the: last flat land and main road towards *Bremen. Armoured are outdistancing official reports reaching Supreme Headquarters.

The correspondent of the AAociated Press of Great Britain says information is a full 24 hours behind. Racing armour has placed Allied spearheads under 40 miles from Bremen and under 23 miles from Hanover, but in the past 24 hours the pase of the attack might have carried them up to those cities. The British have established several bridgeheads on the east bank of the Weser north, of Minden. DAY’S BAG OF PRISONERS East of the Rhine the Allies on Wednesday took 32,615 prisoners, states a . communique from Supreme Headquarters. GENERAL BRADLEY’S COMMAND The Teturn of the Ninth Army to General Bradley has given him the command of four field armies—more than a million men. This, says the correspondent of the Associated Press of Gfreat Britain at supreme headquarters, is the largest field command ever held by an American general. SPECTACULAR TANK THRUSTS (Rec. 10.15 a.m.) London, Apl. 6. During Friday there have been spectacular tank thrusts on both the right and left flanks of the 21st Army Group , from east of the Rhine and south-east of the Zuider Zee, writes a correspondent at Field Marshal Montgomery’s headquarters. British armour is now 25 miles west of Hanover and little more than 30 miles south of Bremen. Canadian infantry north and south of Zutphen have dosed up to the Ijsel River and are miles from Deventer and 36 from the Zuider Zee. The correspondent says Canadian Fourth Armoured Division tanks made a 25-mile dash back into Holland from

German territory to take Coeverden which is an important communication town. On the way they took the Reich border town of Getelo. Enemy progress from this part of Holland and south and east of the Zuider Zee is now difficult, although strong' garrison forces are still holding areas west of the Canadian northern thrust into V weapon communication and launching site country. The Guards Armoured Division has extended the bridgehead over the Ems River in the vicinity of Lingen. Further south the 53rd Welsh Division in the face of very fierce opposition entered the towns of Salzbergen and Ibbenhurden. British tarrk formations made spectacular and almost unopposed drives on both sides of the Weser River on Friday. Columns of the Seventh Armoured Division irade three-pronged sweeps from Lake Dummersee to the north. In a twin thrust they aproached Dipphelz on the Bremen-Osnabruck road, little more than 30 miles from Bremen. East of the lake advancing about 10 miles other tanks of the same formation are threatening the Bremen-Minden road. The Seventh British Armoured Division expanding their bridgehead over the Weser River near Minden are now 25 miles west of Hanover, with the United States Ninth Army also approaching the town from the south.