TENSION ON RHINE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25160, 24 March 1945, Page 7

TENSION ON RHINE

FORCES POISED TO LEAP RIVER

AIR FLEETS POUNDING ENEMY UNCONFIRMED REPORT OF CROSSING By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received March 23, 11.10 p.m.) LONDON, March 23 The Germans, anxiously watching Field-Marsha! Montgomery's tremendous preparations along the banks of the Rhine—the biggest since the days of Caen—yesterday received the biggest thrashing an army has endured, says a correspondent at the front. British and American aircraft flew more than 7000 sorties, mainly against the Germans facing Montgomery's armies. At one time the smoke from bombed targets was so thick that a short halt had to be called to allow the aiir to clear so that Allied pilots could see their objectives. The Paris radio, quoting German reports, says Montgomery's forces have already launched an offensive, between Arnhem and Dusseldorf, on a 62-mile front and have crossed the Rhine. No confirmation of the report is available from any other source. The British United Press points out that the radio may have misinterpreted a German news agency broadcast and that the report should therefore be treated with the greatest reserve. The German news agency yesterday afternoon broadcast the following message, preceded by the word urgent:—"'The military spokesman at the Wilhelmstrasse states that the First Canadian, Second British and considerable elements of the First American Armies are lined up on the Lower Rhine between Dusseldorf and Arnhem on a 60-mile front ready to intervene in the offensive." The agency also renewed its predictions that Montgomery was preparing a mighty assault to synchronise with a full-scale drive to the north from the Remagen bridgehead. A report by the German Forces radio says the Allies attempted to cross the Rhine, apparently on reconnaissance, at points along the 40-mile stretch between Bonn and Dusseldorf. It adds that British artillery has arrived in the Wesel area and begun practice shooting to enable the gunners to get their bearings. Correspondents with the Twenty-first Army Group report intensified German patrolling of the river. They say that British and American patrols were also active yesterday, resulting in several bitter clashes. There was a sharp increase in patrol activity last night, particularly around Nijmegen.