ASSAULT ON METZ

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25055, 20 November 1944, Page 5

ASSAULT ON METZ

PATROLS ENTER CITY AMERICANS COMMAND ROADS OVER 9000 PRISONERS TAKEN (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 10 The American Third Army yesterday morning opened a powerful assault, on Metz from the south, and according to the German news agency, spearheads penetrated Sablon, one of the southern suburbs. Third Army patrols, according to Reuter's correspondent at Supreme Headquarters, also entered Metz from the west and crossed one of the main bridges into the city. North-east of Thionville, other patrols crossed the frontier into Germany near Perl and tanks advanced three miles and reached the vicinity of Bouzonville, ten miles west of Saarlautern. The correspondent says the Germans are withdrawing rapidly'in the sector near the junction of the German and Luxemburg: frontier. Other spearheads have made rapid headway with a broad outflanking move across the main roads from Metz to the Saar. They are astride at least two of these reads and Metz is practically sealed ofF. It is stated that since the Third Army operations began on November 8, 9478 prisoners have been take.n and during the 24-hour period to midnight on Friday the Americans took 1668 prisoners, the biggest number in one day during the operations. BELFORT GAP FRENCH MOVE FORWARD SPECTACULAR ADVANCES (Reed, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 10 Some of the most spectacular advances on the Western Front have been made in the Vosges and Jura mountain country, where battle groups of the First French Army are sweeping into the Belfort Gap and threatening to outflank this mountain barrier. Forward elements are within four miles of Belfort itself, and on the flank another arm of the attack has reached a village near the Swiss frontier ten miles south-east of Belfort on the way to the Alsace Plain. The Allied communique states that advances have been made by ground forces at many points along the 100mile sector between Biamont and the Swiss border. Several villages have been taken in the vicinity of Biamont and south of St Die. Other villages in the path of the advance have been burned by the enemy. In the Belfort Gap, says the communique, our armoured and infantry forces made new gains, reaching Montbeliard and a number of other towns south-west of Belfort.

FIGHTING IN HOLLAND BRITISH BRIDGEHEADS (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. IS British Second Army troops in Holland, advancing from the bridgehead at tho junction of the Zig and Noord Canals, gained 5000 yds, cutting the main Meijel-Vonlo road west of Paningen says the British United Press correspondent. A second bridgehead across the Zig Canal has been forced and is heing extended into the Brockheide area, 6000 yds south-east of the first bridgehead. . The last enemy troops are being cleared from Wesson. The Germans still hold a small bridgehead across the Maas west of Roermond.

The enemy defences between the Deurne Canal and the'Maas are much more formidable than those which failed to hold between the Zig and Wessen, and the nature of their opposition indicates the German intention to contest seriously any further penetration. COMBATANT DUTIES BRITISH WOMEN IN FRANCE (Reed. 6 30 p.m.) LONDON. Nov. 10 General Sir Frederick Pile, Com-mander-in-Chief of Britain s anti-air-craft defences, has been visiting tho Western Front. Ho is quoted by a correspondent as saying that for tho first tune in history British women will take up combatant duties on the European continent. Mixed anti-aircraft batteries, including women gunners, are to be transferred across the Channel. Uiey will include the Prime Minister's daughter, Miss Mary Churchill, who is in the A.T.S.

PARTITIONING GERMANY PROPOSAL GAINS GROUND (Rccd. 8.15 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 18 Reuter's Brussels correspondent says that the Belgian Foreign office disclosed that Belgium, Holland and Luxemburg are all claiming a share in the military occupation of Germany. This is revealed in a common memorandum with which the three Governments replied to questions from the European Commission in London regarding armistice conditions. A Belgian diplomatic spokesman stated that the concept of ment of Germany had . gained much ground during international negotiations in the last fow weeks. One official said the probable °uJcome ot the armistice talks would be areas" like Prussia, Bavaria, Austria, the Ilhinoland and the Hulir.