GRIM THREAT

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

GRIM THREAT

FATE OF GERMANY ARMIES AT DOOR IRRESISTIBLE DRIVE TERRIBLE DAYS AHEAD (Reed. 8.-10 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. TO "The whole of Germany is on the eve of becoming a battlefield. The Germans are facing the most terrible months of the war. Nothing on earth can halt the Allied armies now." In these words, the Moscow radio sums up the position in Europe. Renter's correspondent at Supreme Headquarters says General Eisenhower has thrown in three armies on a 30-mile front in the most concentrated offensive the world has ever known. The British Second Army and the American First and Ninth Armies muster a strength of 400,000 men, almost equal to the entire strength of the German army in the West, which is believed to be 500,000. Unprecedented Barrage The German news agency Bays the British and American armies on a 40mile front in the Aachen area are \ising 1000 tanks. The German line is being subjected to a terrific drumfire barrage such as has never previously been experienced. The Allied forces on Friday pumped 20,000 shells into Geilenkirchen alone.

The Associated Press correspondent at Supreme Headquarters sa3's that troops and armour of the British Second Army joined the American First and Ninth Armies at dawn on Saturday east of Aachen. The three armies are now relentlessly striking as one in a terrific drive toward the Rhine. An American broadcaster over the Paris radio expressed the opinion that this new combined drive is "the real thing." He pointed out that the three armies are exploiting a relatively small gap in the Siegfried Line. "An army's tactics is to find a we!ik spot and then go all out," he said. Armies on the Move Reuter's correspondent at Supreme Headquarters late on Saturday night, reporting the latest progress of three armies, said the British, advancing from Prummern, took Neiderheide, a mile north of Geilenkirchen, on the main road to Roermond. British units on the other side of the Maas are within eight miles of Yenlo. The Ninth Army, on the British right flank, reported no further gains, but the First Army gained half a mile south of Wurselen and a mile in the Stolberg area. The whole Third Army line to the south-east has also moved closer to Germany. A five miles advance has taken the infantry to Bertring, where they are only 21 miles from Saarbru'cken. Mechanised forces to the southward are in the vicinity of the important road junction of Dieuze, 17 miles from Saareburg. Fighting is going on well inside Metz from the north and south. The powerful forts of St. Jeanne and Lappeville, west of Metz, have both surrendered. The French First Army, advancing toward the Belfort Gap, is now practically on the Swiss border, ten miles south-east of Belfort.

One Mile Escape Gap Weakening German resistance on some sectors of the First Army front indicates a possible German withdrawal. Americans captured pillboxes manned by three or four men instead of the normal complement of 24. The Paris radio says the French army in the past 24 hours has taken prisoner 7000 Germans. General Patton's cavalry on Saturday captured Perl, one and a-half miles from the junction of the French,_ German and Luxemburg borders, which is the first German town to fall to the Third Army, says Reuter's correspondent. The escape gap from Metz has been narrowed to one mile. German traffic is fleeing: eastward bumper to bumper on tho only remaining escape road, which is under heavy fire. The western suburbs of Metz, also Fort Julien, which is a major fortification one mile north-east of Metz, and two smaller forts are in Allied hands. Tho United States 90th Division has advanced nine miles south-east to a position 14 miles north-east of Metz. The Third Army on Saturday captured the first members of the Volkssturm taken prisoner on the Western Front. Some said they had only eight hours' small arms training before being sent to the front. Royal Air Force Typhoons blew up a four-span bridge near Roermond.

BELGIAN RESISTANCE DEMONSTRATIONS EXPECTED (Eccil. C.IO p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 10 Demonstrations in Belgium railed for by the resistance groups are clue to ho held today. The Belgian Cabinet has decided to leave it to the discretion of local authorities whether they should ho permitted. It was emphasised that no arms must be carried and that there aro certain forbidden zones, including Brussels. Members of the Belgian resistance movements must bo disbanded by today, says an earlier Brussels message. Forty thousand persons will be affected. It is officially admitted, however, that all members of resistance movements are unlikely to lay down their arms. Persuasion will at first be tried, but, if they still refuse, force will bo applied.

REARMAMENT PLAN AGREEMENT WITH BRITAIN LONDON, Nov. 18 The Foreign Minister of Belgium, tyf. Spaak, announces that the British authorities have agreed to the Belgian plans for the armament and equipment of now units of the Belgian Army and police force, says the Times Brussels correspondent. Some Belgians will go to England in order to learn the methods of modern warfare. M. Spaak is going to Paris next week for talks concerning the western regional agreement within the framework built at the Dumbarton Oaks conference.