SCHELDT POCKET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25668, 17 October 1944, Page 5

SCHELDT POCKET

RESISTANCE CRUMBLING ENEMY GAIN AT WOENSDRECHT LONDON, Oct. 15. All German resistance, in the east and south-east section of the Scheldt pocket has suddenly crumbled, says Reuter’s correspondent with the Canadian First Army. The Canadians who made the latest crossings of the Leopold canal pushed about a mile beyond Watervliet against slight resistance, and are now within one mile and ahalf of the British-Canadian beachhead troops striking from the northwest. The Germans are still fiercely contesting the advance towards Breskens, but the Canadians advanced one -mile beyond Hoofd Plaat. ■ According to Allied headquarters the German" counter-attack against the Canadians on the South Beveland causeway was made in strength, but the Canadians fell back to raised ground and their artillery still dominates the roadway; The Germans hold the road junction at Woensdrecht and also very strong positions south of the road and railway. British armour pushing eastward on the Second Army’s eastern front on October 15 advanced 100 Q yards and captured Vierlingsbeck. Though German resistance in the Scheldt pocket is reported to be weakening,, the news of the fighting on the Dutch mainland for control of the South Beveland causeway is not so good, says Reuter’s correspondent with the Canadian First Army. The Canadians have been forced from the main road, and railway along the neck of the South Beveland Peninsula, and are fighting bitterly against paratroops and S.S. men, who are counter-attacking continuously in a drive to recapture Woensdrecht, at the base of the causeway. As the battle of the South Scheldt pocket approaches its final phase, von Rundstedt appears to be making a determined effort to hold Walcheren and South Beveland. He is rushing reinforcements of troops, tanks, and assault guns through the 20-mile gap between the Zuider Zee and Arnhem. The Germans in the Dutch town of Leenwenn, west of Nijmegen, have occupied one side of a street, with Dutch civilians on the other side. The R.A.F. was given the job of blasting the German side while leaving the Dutch side undamaged. A rocketfiring Typhoon wing based on Holland, which.is supporting the British Second Army, successfully carried out the mission. Two hundred Germans surrendered after the wrecking. By the latest crossing of the Leopold canal, troops of the Canadian Army are now attacking the Germans’ Scheldt pocket at four places—namely, from the original canal bridgehead, the seaborne operation from the Scheldt, the Watervliet crossing, and the penetration between the end of the canal and the southern tip of Plaat, writes a correspondent at Allied headquarters. In the latter operation a section of our forces has moved to the east from the Watervliet area to the end of the canal, where a junction was made with the intention of making contact with the Scheldt bridgehead.