BRITISH CROSS TWO CANALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25052, 16 November 1944, Page 5

BRITISH CROSS TWO CANALS

OUTER GERMAN POSITIONS PIERCED

ffe * By Telesrraph—Press Association—Copyright „ (Received November 15, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, November 15 British assault troops in Eastern Holland have commenced a jiew attack against the German pocket west of the Maas River and 0 n the Second Army s right flank. They were reported last night to be deep in the outer German positions at some points. The battlefield is the bleak swampland roughly midway between Nijmegen and Aachen. Weather conditions prevented air support king given. Reuters correspondent says that the British forces at 4 p.m. yesterday launched a new assault against the German pocket on the east flank of the salient at Nederweert. A tremendous barrage from 400 guns backed up the attack. After the battle had been in progress two hours, General Dempsey s forces had won bridgeheads across two canals, the Noord Canal and the Wessen Canal. In addition the Attackers had seized the lockgates at Panhiel, at the junction of these canals. Panhiel is north-west of Weert, and the Noord Canal runs from there eastward to the Maas River. The Wessen Canal runs gouth-east to the Maas. One bridgehead was won over the Noord Canal and two bridgeheads were secured over the Wessen Canal. The junction of the canals at Panhiel is 16 miles west of the German frontier and 32 miles from the Munchen-Gladbach -railway junction and manufacturing town which the R.A.F. frequently bombed. ' The assault from the area of Nederweert struck across a bogland. The attackers were equipped with assault bridges for crossing the canals, each of which is about 40ft wide, but the water was found at an unusually low level.

As the assault began there were indications that the Germans had been preparing to withdraw from positions west of the Maas further north. These signs included the finding by British patrols that Meijel was undefended when they entered. In addition the British found that five windmills in the pocket area west of the Mass had been blown up by the Germans, presumably to deny the British observation posts—the usual preliminary to withdrawal. Another sign was the finding of the bridge over the Noord Canal blown up. German prisoners said that their present line is only thinly held and that the bulk of the German troops are further back. Many prisoners said that they or their comrades were recently on the Ruhr Rjver line defences helping with community digging*