GRIP EXTENDED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25798, 20 March 1945, Page 5

GRIP EXTENDED

WEST BANK OF THE RHINE AMERICANS RECROSS SAAR LONDON, Mar. 18. General Patton this morning threw in additional armour against the remaining German pocket of resistance in Coblenz, reports the British United Press correspondent from inside the city. The remnants of the German forces, mainly S.S. troops, are going down fighting. The sharp crack of snipers’ rifles can still be heard from the ruins of the city. Americans holding the west bank of the Rhine farther south spotted the first German attempt to escape across the Rhine. They observed three steamers and four barges trying to ferry troops over the river. American artillery sank all the vessels. 1 The Americans have extended their grip on the west bank of the Rhine from Boppard, 10 miles south-east, to Oberwesel, reports the Associated Press correspondent. It is now disclosed that a new armoured division has joined General Patton’s command. This has brought the Third Army armour strength ifp to four divisions and 13 tank battalions.

Third Army infantry, rolling up the German Saar Basin forces from the west flank, captured Merzig and recrossed the Saar River south of the town.

Both Paris and Luxemburg radios reported that the Allies had entered Saarbrucken, but this is not confirmed.

The Associated Press correspondent reports that Seventh Army troops battered their way deep into the Siegfried defences east of Saarbrucken. The infantry captured Heckeudalheim. seven miles east of Saarbrucken, after beating down determined resistance. Other formations closing in on the west wall, south of Zweilbrucken, met increasing opposition. The Fourth Armoured Division of the American Third Army, after crossing the Nahe River, entered Kreuznach, reports a British United Press correspondent. The Ninetieth Infantry Division advanced six miles and entered Bingen. With the exception of the usiual patrol activity it has been another day without major incident on the British and Canadian sector and the Ninth United States Army Maas-Rhine bank sector of .the western front, writes a correspondent. The Allies have now four armoured divisions operating in the Moselle-Rhine-Saar triangle. The Eleventh Armoured Division made further gains of five miles to reach the vicinity of Kirchberg, six miles southwest of Simmern, while the Tenth Armoured pushed on another seven miles and entered Birkenfield, 24 miles' south-east of Trier. General Patch's troops are plodding steadily forward towards the Siegfried Line defences, making gains of up to four miles. We have now positions to the east of Saarbrucken, which is in danger of being outflanked. Near the Hardt Mountains and around the Hagenau Forest dense minefields are being met. In a two-mile advance French troops took Soufflenheim and Runtzenheim.