MOSELLE FIGHTING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25023, 13 October 1944, Page 5

MOSELLE FIGHTING

BATTLING NEAR METZ FORT BRIANT STRUGGLE (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 12 American Third Army troops are battling in the streets of Maizieres, six miles north of Metz. The Germans are defending every house. The British United Press correspondent says fierce fighting is taking place in Maizieres, where German troops and booby traps are holding up the American advance. Some Americans are using rubber catapults cut from inner tubes of tyres to throw grenades at the German positions. According to this correspondent Americans hare entered Parroy, 20 miles east of Nancy, after hard fighting. One of the war's strangest battles is raging under hill-capped Fort Briant. in the Metz sector, says the Associated Press correspondent. Americans and Germans occupying opposite ends of a curved tunnel are trying to shoot each other with ricocheted shots off the tunnel walls. The Americans are using rifles, machine-guns and bazookas, and the Germans axe replying in kind. Flashes from the guns are lighting up the darkened tunnel. East of Luneville (south-east of Nancy), our troops in the Parroy Forest have advanced about 1500 yards, says a Supreme Headquarters communique. East of Epinal our positions were improved in spite of increased artillery fire. After hard fighting on the Lethillot sector our troops established a substantial bridgehead across the Moselotte River. Heavy losses were inflicted on the enemy. Several strongpoints near ijethillot have been taken against stiff resistance. The forests of Longegoutte and Gehan have been largely mopped up. Progress was made in the Champagne region, west of Belfort.