AMERICANS ENTER GERMANY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25054, 18 November 1944, Page 7

AMERICANS ENTER GERMANY

I fIVE TOWNS TAKEN IN TWO HOURS By Telpgraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received November 17, 8.15 p.m.) LONDON, November 17 Six Allied armies on the Western Front have sent forces into tattle at keypoints along a rain-soaked, muddy and snow-bound Ze of about 400 miles from Holland in the north to the Swiss border in the south. Latest despatches emphasise the heavy weight 0 f the attacks. s preceded by a terrific aerial bombardment, involving 3000 Allied bombers and fighters, a new attack across the German border fr° m Holland was launched yesterday afternoon by the American Ninth Army between the sections of the front held by British Second Army and the American First Army. Since its capture of Brest, in Brittany, two months ago, the Ninth Army, commanded by Lieutenant-General William H. Simpson, has been joiown as the "Mystery Army," and its whereabouts have been tept secret. Enemy Caught by Surprise The Ninth Army's attack apparently caught the enemy by jurprise and within two hours General Simpson's tanks and infantry captured five small German towns, including Loverich, Letterich #n d Immendorf, all roughly about two miles south-east of Geilenjorchen, and also Beggendorf, about two miles further south. A Combined Press representative with the Ninth Army says that as i the tanks approached Loverich dozens of Germans flocked from trenches empty-handed and started running to our lines with their hands up. "Hie tank crews waved them aside and plunged on. Further north in Holland, the British Second Army has practically wiped out the German salient on the middle reaches of the Maas River, opposite Roermond. At different points General Dempsey's men were last reported within a mile and half a mile of the river. As a staff officer at Field-Marshal Montgomery's headquarters said: "They are moving pretty fast there, and it | looks as if most of the German rearguards, apart from those just opposite Roermond, have fallen back to the strong defences on the far side of the Maas." f ;r I An attack was also launched by the American First Army i|n the Aachen sector at 11 a.m. yesterday. It was preceded by heavy air and artillery bombardment, says Reuter's correspondent. The attack met only sporadic resistance and advances up to one mile and a-half are reported. Americans Consolidating Near Metz In the Metz area in Lorraine, American Third Army forces have been building up their investing lines at Metz. They are roughly one mile and a-half from the city at the nearest points I to the north, west and south. A correspondent says that the gap east of Metz is still about six miles wide. k Further south again, the Germans are burning villages and towns over a wide area in front of the American Seventh Army. The biggest fires are burning at St. Die, at the entrance to two of the Vosges passes. The squeeze on St. Die is tightening and our forces are little more than two miles from it to the south. The French First Army, on the extreme southern flank, is attacking on a considerable scale around the Belfort Gap. Many twns and villages have been cleared and tonight the most advanced French troops were within eight miles of Belfort.