ELBE CROSSING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 30 April 1945, Page 5

ELBE CROSSING

BRITISH SECOND ARMY THREAT TO HAMBURG (Rec. 11.10 a.m.) London, April 29, The British Second Army has forced a crossing of the lower Elbe, upstream from Hamburg, and has established a firm bridgehead. The Elb* is a quarter of a mile wide at thi point of the enrsing. The operation was carried out :n bad weather and without air support. It is alrea r/ being described as „ another one of “Monty’s miracles.” Reuter’s correspondent with the Second Army across the Elbe says the Br’tish operation has been a magnificent success. The bridgehead is growing fast and guns, men, ammunition and supplies are piling into it. The bridgehead is four times as broad as it is long. The British have entered Lauenburg. COMMANDOS AT WORK A fuller account of the British crossing of the Elbe has now.be given by a correspondent “with the commandos beyond the Elbe,” who says: “At 2 a.m. to-day in bright moonlight men of the First Commando Brigade and troops of the 15th Scottish Division led the British assault across Germany’s second biggest river. Following a heavy barrage from our guns lining the southern river bank they stormed across in assault boats and- Buffaloes and within a few hours were firmly established on the northern bank. “They did not meet much opposition from ground troops but found quite a strong formation of artillery concentrated against them. Several of these positions were quickly overrun and our troops soon pushed out a bridgehead of four miles. “The commandos met very stiff opposition on the river bank where they had to scale a 40ft cliff after disembarking. On top of the cliff were Germans who lobbed down grenades on our men as they leaped from the assault craft. Clambering up the face of the cliff the commandos charged into the enemy’s position apd once they had got into them the enemy showed little fight “The landing of the commandos was just west of the town of L'aurenburg. The object was to surround the town and capture high ground to the north and before first light they had suceeded. They stole down a narrow lane, passing two batteries of enenryy artillery without knowing they were there and once they had the town surrounded the enemy surrendered by the score. ANOTHER LINK-UP The Seventh Army has linked up with the Russians of Marshal Tolbukhin’s front north-west of Linz, acceding to the Brussels radio. BRITISH AND U S. PRISONERS The Germans carried off about 30,000 British and American prisoners to the Bavarian-Austrian alps according to a statement by the Swiss Minister, Dr. Feldscher, before his departure for the redoubt, where he will look after Allied interests.