SCHELDT POCKET

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25022, 12 October 1944, Page 5

SCHELDT POCKET

STUBBORN OPPOSITION MORE ALLIED PROGRESS FORCE THRUSTS INLAND (Hoed, 7.15 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 11 The Canadian and United Kingdom troops are still meeting stubborn opposition in their two-way drive against the Scheldt pocket, where about 10,000 Germans are trapped. The British seaborne force has linked its two bridgeheads on the south coast of the Scheldt Estuary and has reached a point about three miles inland. Most of yesterday was spent by these troops in consolidating their positions. Enemy opposition has increased and our forces are being bombarded by the big German guns on Walcheren Island. On the south side of the pocket the Canadian bridgehead across the Leopold Canal is about two and a-half miles long, with penetration up to 400 yards. The Canadians are still faced with very determined opposition. Enemy pressure on the bridgehead perimeter slackened yesterday, but a correspondent says that the moment the Canadians attempted to increase their hold there was an immediate outbreak of German mortar and artillery fire. Heavy Enemy Bombardment Enemy fortified positions in the pocket were attacked yesterdav by fighterbombers of the Second Tactical Air Force. Although the weather was against any large-scale operations more than 100 of these planes, somo piloted by Frenchmen and Norwegians, attacked buildings turned by the Germans into strongpoints. The German shelling of the Leopold Canal bridgehead is proportionately heavier than the ferocious bombardment at Anzio, says the British United Press correspondent. It is the heaviest shelling the Canadians have received in any sector in this campaign. _ Our infantry worked with flamethrowers to enlarge the bridgehead yesterday morning. The flame-throwers came "up along tho opposite side of the canal and blasted a pillbox which was a centre of German resistance. Then infantry cleared the vicinity of the pillbox with bayonets and grenades. The correspondent adds that the majority of tne troops who made tho amphibious landing behind the Germans are Canadians. Bridgehead Reported Secure There is now no fear that the bridgehead over the Leopold Canal may be lost, says the Canadian Press correspondent with the Canadian First Army. Our infantry forces, after repulsing 30 counter-attacks in four days, took the offensive late on Monday and are closing in against the main road running north to Aardenburg. There_ is still a considerable German force inside the pocket which is not yet committed. The Exchange Telegraph correspondent on the Leopold Canal yesterday says the Canadians operated in foul weather, which reduced air support to two sorties. They encountered heavy mortar and artillery fire. It is now revealed that other Canadians on Monday night launched a local attack against tho eastern border of the Scheldt pocket. They gained some ground, although they encountered a jungle of barred barricades arid a host of hidden mines and boobytraps. These Canadians have a few hard miles still ahead of them before they meet the British and Canadians who invaded the pocket from the north-east. On the north bank of the Scheldt other Canadian forces have cut the bottleneck separating tho islands of Walcheren and Beveland from the Dutch mainland. Tt is believed there are about 11,000 Germans still on the two islands. COAST OF NORWAY ALLIED WARNING TO SHIPS J/ONDON, Oct. 10 Supreme Headquarters tonight issued warnings that the Allies would attack all ships seen off the coast of Norway, no matter what their size or character. It was stated that it was at present necessary to cut sea communications between Norway and Germany "in the present critical stage of operations." Tho Allies hitherto have refrained from attacking fishing and small coastal vessels except those which the Germans were believed to bo using. PALESTINE PARACHUTISTS JERUSALEM, Oct. 10 An unknown number of parachutists are reported to have been dropped in the Jordan Valley in the past few days. The public are asked to report to the police any information likely to result in the arrest of parachutists, who are believed to speak Arabic, English and German.