BEATEN ARMY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25045, 8 November 1944, Page 5

BEATEN ARMY

NAZIS OVER MAAS BATTLE ENDING MQEBPIJK BRIDGE DESTEOYED BY ENEMY (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 7 Apart from a handful of rearguards, the shattered German Fifteenth Army has now been driven across the Maas River and the long hard battle of the South-Western Netherlands is nearly over. The German High Command has acknowledged that the battle has practically ended but German demolition squads have blown up the great road and railway bridge spanning the Maas at Moerdijk. This bridge is one of the longest in Europe. Some Germans still 60uth of the river are around Moerdijk but Polish troops were last reported only a quarter of a mile away from the town. Other Germans' at the ferry port of Willemstad are hemmed in by British troops who have launched a heavy attack which has carried them to the town's outskirts. Thjj Associated Press correspondent with the British Second Army quotes a spokesman as saying that the British and Canadians, since the beginning of the offensive 15 days ago for the purpose of pushing the Germane over the Maas, have taken 25,000 prisoners and probably killed and wounded over 40,000. The offensive has liberated 1200 square miles of Dutch territory and freed over 500,000 Dutch people from German oppression. The spokesman added that the German Fifteenth Army, now on the north side of the Maas. is so depleted that its divisions are probably only a quarter of their full strength. The Berlin radio repeated a report put out the day before of the renewal of British attacks against the Arnhem bridgehead and the dropping of British sabotage paratroops behind the German lines in the Arnhem area. These reports are still unconfirmed from Allied sources. GERMAN ARTILLERY HURTGEN CONCENTRATION LONDON, Nov. (i The Germans moved up a strong artillery concentration in the Hurtgen area, south-east of Aachen, today, t states Reuter's correspondent with the' American First Army. The battle was continued with many German counterattacks, one of which temporarily drove the American forces from their positions in the small town of Vossenack at the eastern edge of the forest. The Americans recovered their positions with the aid of Lightnings and Thunderbolts. The town of Schmidt has not vet been regained. Tank battles are still going 011. An American staff officer said the massing of German artillery partly confirmed the report that General Brandenberger, the artillery expert, was now leading the Germans in the Hurtgen area. DUNKIRK GARRISON STRAFED BY R.A.F. PLANES LONDON, Nov. G After a quiet, week the German garrison at Dunkirk yesterday endured a hail of bombs, rockets and cannonfire from Royal Air Force Typhoons and Spitfires in a quick smashing attack. The attack followed a report of a large concentration of troops in houses •in the town. Tw;o ammunition dumps and numerous buildings w-ere blown up. Intelligence officers believe that large casualties w T ere inflicted on the garrison. MORE FLYING BOMBS (Reed. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 7 Flying bombs sent against Southern England, including the London area, during the night caused casualties and damage. People on the coast saw some of the bombs -brought down by our antiaircraft gunners.

MIDDELBURG FREE BRITISH SUCCESS FINAL WALCHEREN STAGES (Kecd. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 7 British troops have driven the Germans from their last main strongholds on Walcheren Island. They have liberated Middelburg, in the centre, and Veere, on the east coast. Other units, advancing through the flooded swamps, are now clearing up the north-west corner. The British drive on Middelburg was slow and hard, says a correspondent. Some of our troops pushed forward through 4ft of water. It was more like naval warfare than infantry action, with the chances of being drowned nearly as great as those of being shot. Only a few of the roads leading-to the town were above water and all were heavily mined and covered by German mortars and machine-guns. This is typical of all the fighting in the Netherlands. For weeks our men have never known what it is to be dry. WINTER PROSPECTS IMPORTANCE OF ANTWERP I NEEDED AS SUPPLY PORT (Special Correspondent) LONDON, Nov. (j The vital importance of the port of Antwerp is emphasised by military commentators, who express the opinion that the delav in being able to use it has been serioiis but that the effect of this new supply base for the "Western Allies should be felt in a few weeks from now. , „• Scrutator in the Sunday Tunes, states his belief that the benefit will not be confined to the British and ■ Canadian armies but will extend to the whole front, where adequate reserves of ammunition to support an offensive on the largest scale can be built up for the first time. He says, however, that it is doubtful if a fair opening for a large offensive will occur until the spring, and adds that the ground all along the main front is soppy with ten weeks of almost daily rain. Even if November turned out to be rainless it would take a long time to dry the surface of the ground at this time of year, when the sun is so low and the days so short. In spite of statements to the effect that there will be "no winter respite." Scrutator is of the opinion that the prospects for an attempt at a general invasion of Germany before March do not seem bright. "Save in Hungary and North Norway, he continues, "the Russians are also held up. Their great offensive against East Prussia has passed out of the news. It may soon bo revived, but for the present it lias been baffled. The vital Warsaw front seems to be in the same case. We do not know how far the weather lias contributed to the standstill, but we do know that it is usual in Russia for the autumn rains about now to hold up campaigning. In ,East Prussia the cold is less intense than in Russia proper, and although the Russians, with tjood luck, might get the kind of weather they know so well how to utilise, they cannot be sure of it. Strategicus, in the Spectator, says that a captured Order of the Day suggests that once Antwerp is in full use by the Allies they may have a chance of dealing a death blow to the Germans before the winter is over, and no doubt .that is the hope of the Allied Command "It cannot be said even now, he adds, "that the port will be in full use within a week or two. It .should be, and probably will be, but before ships can enter the port in safety regularly, the Dutch islands s'ill need to be cleared, and it will be necessary to liberate West Holland." PALESTINE PROBLEM DOMINION STATUS PLAN FORMATION OF LEAGUE LONDON. Nov.. 0 The formation of the Jewish Dominion of Palestine League, to promote the transformation of Palestine into a selfgoverning Jewish State, witli the status of a Dominion within the British Empire, was announced by Lord Strabolgi at a press conference. The objectives of the league, he said, included the furthering of friendship between the British and Jewish peoples, and the encouragement of friendship and co-operation "in peaceful development between the Dominion of Palestine and the surrounding Arab world." Lord Strabolgi said the initiative for Dominion status came from South Africa and had strong support from sections of the Arabs. It would be a bridge, not only between Arabs and Jews, but between Zionists and Assimilationists (anti-Zionists) in the world of Jewry. Branches would be formed in the Dominions, the Americas and liberated European countries. It was an alternative to other suggested solutions of the Palestine problem, Lord Strabolgi continued, 6uch as partitioning, the ending of British control, and an international condominium. The league believed that such a Dominion as was envisaged could work with the two races as well as South Africa and Canada did with their racial conflicts. Arabs, apart from professional agitators, would support the programme, especially business men, trade unionists and cultivators who did not want Palestine as they knew it under Turkish rule. Dominion status -was the most practical move that could be made to solve incipient troubles from extremists of both sides, Lord Strabolgi concluded. It would bo a Jewish majority, but based on equal rights for all. SIAM TARGETS BOMBED (Reed. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 7 Allied bombers on Saturday night heavily damaged engine sheds at Bang-' kok, Siam, and mines were laid in enemy waters. Enemy railway objectives in Siam were bombed on Sunday*!