LOSS ADMITTED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25697, 20 November 1944, Page 5

LOSS ADMITTED

GEILENKIRCHEN FALLS FIRST OBJECTIVE TAKEN COLOGNE PLAIN AHEAD (Rec 1 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 19. The Germans to-day admit the loss of Geilenkirchen, tlic German town upon which the British Second Army and the American Ninth Army yesterday launched a co-ordinated assault. Geilenkirchen was one of the main German bastions covering the approaches to tlic plain of Cologne. Allied headquarters has not yet announced the capture of the town. Geilenkirchen was the first major objective of the offensive launched by the two Allied armies. General Patton’s Third Army is two miles and a-half inside Germany, near the junction of the Luxemburg, French, and German borders, and is closing up to the frontier along a stretch of 15 miles. The enemy is falling back all along the line. At the extreme south of the front the French First Army, exploiting its break-through in the Belfort Gap, has advanced 20 miles in three days, and is within four miles of Belfort itself. Reuter's correspondent at Allied headquarters late last night said that British units on the west side of the Maas are within eight miles of Venlo. 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 Gertring, which is only 21 miles from Saarbrucken. Mechanised forces to the south 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 Saint Jeanne and Lappeville, west of Metz, have both surrendered. The French First Army advancing on the Belfort Gap is now practically on the Swiss border, 10 miles south-east of Belfort. Weakening German resistance in some sectors of the First Army front indicates a possible German withdrawal. The Americans captured pillboxes manned by three or four men. instead of the normal complement of 24. Paris radio says the French Army in the past 24 hours has taken prisoner 7000 Germans.

General Patton’s cavalry to-day captured Perl, one mile and a-lialf from the junction of tine French-German-Luxemburg borders. This 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 the only remaining escape road, which is under heavy fire.

The western suburbs of Metz, and also Fori Julien, which is the major fortification, north-east of Metz, and two smaller forts are in Allied hands. The United States 90th Division advanced nine miles south-east to a position 14 miles north-east of Metz. The Third Army to-day 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.