DRAMATIC RACE TO BERLIN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 9 April 1945, Page 5

DRAMATIC RACE TO BERLIN

BRITISH AND AMERICAN TANKS MONTGOMERY SWEEPING THROUGH N.W. GERMANY London, April 8. British forces nearing Bremen and Hanover are sweeping forward rapidly on a 100-mile front against lessening resistance, report agency correspondents at Field-Marshal Montgomery’s Headquarters. The Germans have lost all communications between Bremen and Hanover. British troops appear to have cracked resistance from Lingen to Rheine.

The Guards Division beyond the Ems-Weser Canal pushed forward two miles, mopping up north-west Osnabruck, and went on in the face of slackening resistance. The Germans are still fighting strongly on the extreme left flank of the Twenty-first Army Group front, where the Canadians are fighting in Zutphen and forcing the Germans out of Meppen. British tanks in the north and Atnerican tanks in the centre are stag*r»<y a dramatic race across Germany for Berlin. The British United Press correspondent at Field-Marshal Montgomerv’s Headquarters puts British tanks under 140 miles from Berlin, while German radio reports that an American armoured column has reached Eisleben, 100 miles south-west of Berlin. Front-line correspondents say that the pursuit of the routed Germans back to the Elbe was in full swing last night. Hanover has been by-passed, and armoured spearheads are reported under 12 miles from Bremen. Reports reaching Field-Marshal Montgomery’s headquarters indicate that the Germans may abandon both Bremen and Hanover, and try to defend the central German plain on the Elbe River from Hamburg to Madgeburg.

“More than 120.000 of Montgomery’s men, with 1000 tanks and tens of thousands of other vehicles are entering the last lap of the race,' cables the British United Press correspondent. “There are no signs of organised effective resistance this side of Berlin, and the Germans have no chance of retrieving their position from the debacle.

• There is no organised control over the Wehrmacht’s cut-off divisions, which are all that is left in this area after Montgomery’s drive deep into the vitals of north-western Germany. Our troops in the last seven days have overrun numbers of the finest defence positions. The German army is no longer capable of maintaining a cohesive front.”

-We are entering the final moppingup stage.” said a staff officer of the United States First Army.

Reuter's correspondent with the Twelfth Army Group reports that the United States Ninth Army, which is handling the Germans trapped in the Ruhr pocket, on Friday took 20.000 prisoners. This is estimated to be onequarter of the encircled enemy. It is reported at Supreme Headquarters that the Allies in the first five days of this month captured 146.723 prisoners. Reuter’s correspondent with the 21st Army Group says the Germans are fighting strongly inside Wedern. west of Meppen. Canadians to the south-west have thrown a bridge across the Schipbeek Canal with engineers working under shellfire. Indications are increasing that the Germans have completed the movement of all forces thev intend to evacuate from western Holland. What are left probably intend to stand nd fight to the last. :anadians striking north Airborne units were dropped over a wide area on the Canadian front in north-east Holland early to-day. Landings were made east of the Zuider Zee in the path of the Canadian ground troops, who are now striking north for a rapid link-up. says Reuter’s correspondent. Canadian armoured elements are advancing from Koevorden area to link-up with the airborne forces. Reuter’s correspondent at Field Marshal Montgomery’s headquarters says the Eleventh Hussars are less than ten miles from Bremen. Sixth Airborne forces are under seven miles from Hanover. The area in Holland in which the airborne force landed, contains not only communications to western Holland but also a large number of VI arid V2 sites, says Reuter’s correspondent. Canadian aimoured cars yesterday drove to less than six miles from Meppcl. on the main Zwollengroningen railway, which is the last main line still in German hands. Rocket Typhoons yesterday made 22 cuts in this line. BALTIC TRAFFIC SUSPENDED V Reuter’s Stockholm correspondent reports that the Germans have suspended Baltic traffic over *he train ferry from Gjedser to Marnemunde presumably to clear the lines for troops from Denmark to reinforce the north German front threatened by Field Marshal Montgomery’s advance. ARMOURED DIVISION’S DASH The British United Press correspondent with the 7th Army reports that a 36-mile dash by the 10th Armoured Di- . vision resulted in the capture of Chailsheim, 48 miles from Nuremberg and only 42 miles from the headwaters of the Danube. The 9th Army has cleared Soest. The 3rd Army’s Sixth Armoured Division drove northward five miles, reaching a point 10 miles north-west of Muhlhausen report agency correspondents. Ten thousand prisoners were ?aptured in 24 hours.