12-MILE ADVANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25049, 13 November 1944, Page 5

12-MILE ADVANCE

TANKS AND INFANTRY MUD AND DRIVING RAIN OVER 2000 PRISONERS (E-ecd. 6.30 p.m.) I/ONDON, Nov. 12 A correspondent with the American Third Army said that both tank columns had advanced 12 miles since the assault began on Wednesday morning. The Germans were withdrawing from the Chateau Salins forest, with £he American troops hot on their heels after outfighting the enemy's delaying troops. The infantry are also pushing on through driving rain and heavier mud than ever, close behind the advancing armour.

The muddy roads and fields are checking the pace of the advance, and the minefields have become thicker and the mines more deeply laid than usual. The Germans are using a fair amount of artillery and anti-tank fire. In withdrawing, the Germans are leaving behind small groups of men under a non-commissioned officer. These men keep firing until our troops are almost upon them and then surrender. Up to midnight on Friday 2240 prisoners had been taken, says a correspondent at Supreme Headquarters. TRAIN DISAPPEARS BLOWN UP BY TYPHOONS (Reed. 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, Novell A long ammunition train which tried to make a daylight dash with supplies for the German defenders in Holland was pounced on and destroyed today by Typhoons of Group-Captain D. Gillam's wing of the R.A.F. Second Tactical Air Force. Pilots on armed reconnaissance saw the train moving west of Amarsi'oort, and there was a terrific explosion when they hit it with eight bombs of 5001b. One flying-officer said the whole train disappeared in a huge red flash. DRIZZLE AND FOG AMERICANS IN GERMANY (Reed. 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 11 A correspondent says: Armistice Day —a day of unceasing drizzle and fogsaw very little fighting on the United States, fronts in Germany. The only activity was tree by tree fighting in rain and slush by infantry. Air activity was restricted to a few operations after noon, in which bombing in some cases had to be with instruments. USE OF ANTWERP PORT (Reed. 9.30 p.m.) LONDON. Nov. 11 "Within a week Antwerp will be ready for the unloading of 6hips." according to a statement made today by Mr Byrnes. United States Director of War Mobilisation and Reconversion, in an Armistice Day broadcast, quoted by the British official wireless. QUIET DAY IN HOLLAND (Reed. 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 11 "The quietest day since the Normandy landing" is how a correspondent with 21st Army Group headquarters described today's fighting in Holland. "Apart from patrollingj" he says, "there was no land activity along the British and Canadian fronts." RAIDS ON GERMANY WIDESPREAD OBJECTIVES CONTINUED OFFENSIVE (Reed. 11.10 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 12 R.A.F. heavy bombers were out in strength last night over Germany. One target was Hilburg, just south of Hamburg, an inland port and oil refining centre. The raid was made by Lancastere, which also struck at Dortmund, in the Ruhr. Mosquitoes also bombed targets in Western Germany, and, while our night lighters gave the bombers their support, they also attacked German airfields arid shot down one German plane. From these and other operations, including mine-laying, seven of our aircraft are missing. The big daylight bombing offensive against tho Rhineland was continued on Friday, says the British official wireless. More than 750 Flying Fortresses and Liberators attacked airfields, military transportation and facilities and industrial plants in the Cologne and Frankfurt regions. The bombers were escorted by about 600 Mustangs and Thunderbolts. Lancasters escorted by Mustangs attacked the synthetic oil plant at Cas-trop-Raukel, in the Ruhr, yesterday. Synthetic oil plants in the Gelsenkirchen region of tho Ruhr and the railway yards near Coblenz were attacked by more than 450 Fortresses and Liberators escorted* by some 370 Mustangs and Thunderbolts. None of our planes is missing from the attack on Castrop-Raukel. Four American bombers and one fighter have not returned from the Gelsenkirchen raid. An American communique says that the Liberators and Flying Fortresses which raided Gelsenkirchen and Coblenz were not opposed, except for an attack by a single jet-propelled Messerschmitt. Several squadrons of Royal Air Force made two concentrated attacks on Hanover on Friday. Many tons of bombs were dropped, including over 30 of 40001b. When a second attack was made the crews could see many ) fires that were left burning after tho first attack. Mosquitoes also attacked other targets in Western Germany and night fighters supported them. The pilots flew through snowstorms to reach their objectives. From the night's operation one fighter is missing.