METZ FORTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25051, 15 November 1944, Page 5

METZ FORTS

THREE CAPTURED

NO OPPOSITION

AMERICAN SUCCESS

ADVANCE CONTINUED

(Reed. G. 30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 14 General Patton's Third Army troops took three forts south of Metz yesterday without opposition, says Reuter's correspondent from Supreme Headquarters. There are, he adds, some reports of a withdrawal from the Metz area but none from Metz itself. The first fort was taken without opposition. It was Fort Verny, five miles south of Metz. Americans of the Fifth Division, who took the fort, also overran four towns.

Fort Found Empty Fort Yerny was the first of the 22 forts which ring Metz to fall into Allied hands, says the British United Press correspondent with tho American Third Army. Troops of tho sth Division had pushed north of the town of Yerny. One battalion reached the fort and. meeting little opposition, broke in to find the fort empty. There is no explanation for this surprising withdrawal. To the south-east of Metz, General Patton's tanks and infantry have kept up their broad outflanking advance, pushing forward five miles at one point. They had, however, to cive a little ground at the southern end of the line. The fortress city of Metz, which is already two-thirds encircled, is within range of American "Long Toms" and mobile medium guns, 6tates Reuter's correspondent. Infantry units were engaged today in mopping up pockets which had been by-passed. American tanks are now swinging into position, while inside the fortress nearly 100 enemy guns point' at a contracting American ring of steel. It is the lull before tho storm. Thinness ol Resistance

American tanks beyond Metz are on both sides of the city but the number and calibre of the guns of Metz make the city too big a proposition to bypass. The strangest feature of the six-day-old battle in this area is the thinness of the German resistance. Only once, in the Jioenigsmacker area, have the Germans launched out with their normal reaction against the advancing AmeriCaIIS - xx . U i. The German news agency states tnat the Americans have captured Koemgsmacker, overcoming the numerically weak and worn-out garrison Fifteen miles north along the Moselle from Metz the Germans yesterday evening ran up the white flag over a shell-battered fort at Thionville. They surrendered after a terrific barrage. Just north of there t Third Army infantry widened their Koenigsmacker bridgehead by about a mile. Mud, Floods and Fogs

Bad weather so far has favoured the German defence. Mud and swollen ditches hold back General Patton's favourite weapon—tanks, and fogs rob triG Americans of the advantage of their air superiority. The Americans have made a new crossing of tbe Moselle River in force in the vicinity of Uckange, four miles south of Thionville, states Renter 6 correspondent at Supreme Headquarters. This bridgehead is now being heavily reinforced and is adding a new threat to the German positions north of Metz. American Seventh Army troops on the southern front are keeping up their pressure under the worst conditions they nave met so far in France. A correspondent says that overnight snowstorms have plastered the whole country. Artillery targets are smothered in drifts, and mists hang low on the hills. Buried minefields add to the difficulties and in the rear the flooding of the upper Moselle is the worst since 1919. In spite of this supplies have been coming through magnificently and these enabled the Seventh Army to make important advances yesterday in which they edged much closer to St. Die.

QUIET IN HOLLAND s PATROLS IN HEAVY RAIN (Reed. 6.35 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 13 For the third successive day there is nothing moving along the front in Holland, apart from patrolling and artillery exchanges, says a correspondent at 21st Army Group headquarters. Patrols from both sides have been operating in heavy rain. The Moerdijk bridge across the swollen Maas River, which was blown up by the Germans at the southern end last week, has been further wrecked by an explosive charge at the northern end.

GERMANS CAPTURED TOTALS OF PRISONERS (Rccd. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 13 Prisoners taken by the British Second Army since D Day now total 1275 officers "arid 93,518 other ranks. The Canadian Army has taken 1857 officers and 90.275 other ranks. For tho week ending last Friday, prisoners taken by tho British Army totalled 567 and the Canadian Army in the same period took 2822 prisoners. American units under Second Army command, from September 17 to November 10, captured 132 officers and 7814 other ranks.