ENEMY DEBACLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25801, 23 March 1945, Page 5

ENEMY DEBACLE

RHINE POCKET DWINDLING EQUIPMENT ABANDONED LONDON, Mar. 21. What living space remains to the Germans west of the Rhine is dwindling ‘rapidly, says . The Times correspondent. Third -'Army tank columns roll on, and behind them, on parallel paths, infantry, with daily advances of over 10 miles, are keeping well up. The enemy has suffered a disaster even worse than the earlier debacle north of the Moselle. It is not easy to estimate the exact number of Germans taken prisoner. The Times correspondent at Supreme Headquarters says the German losses in equipment, including artillery, have been equally heavy. Much of it is in good order, but much is mangled and charred. Burned-out vehicles litter the roads along which enemy columns made desperate- dashes in an effort to get away across the Rhine, and were caught by the Nineteenth Tactical Air Force, whose pilots claimed the destruction of or damage to 1237 horsedrawn vehicles, including many artillery pieces. Pilots who were off again soon after 7 a.m. to-day reported a mad rush eastward with every horse team at full gallop. The drivers, as the Americans flew over, would leap ftom their seats into ditches or. whatever cover was available, leaving the vehicles to crash.

The Third Army, from the time it crossed the Kyll River uritil it reached Worms, advanced about 140 miles in 118 hours, but the correspondent points out- that Ihe tanks’ mileage is even greater because - they detoured in order to confuse the enemy, even sometimes doubling back on their tracks.

The Germans retreating across thff Rhine left a huge stock of 'undamaged railway equipment, including 2500 freight cars, of which many were loaded with coke and coal, while another 2000 freight cars and 40 locomotives need only minor repairs. This windfall is estimated to have saved the Allies millions of man-hours and released thousands of tons of shipping space for other purposes. »■ Armoured units of the Third Army which entered Ludwigshaven found that the bridge 'linking the city with Mannheim had been demolished, Ludwigshaven,' which was originally only a suburb of Mannheim, with which it war. linked by one of the most imposing of the Rhine bridges, had grown in the century before the war to a city of 143,000 with, important industries, including chemicals, iron foundries, sawmills-and fireweries.

Third Army forces to-day advanced nine miles, cleared 20 towns and villages, and entered four other places. Since the beginning of March they have captured 5230 square miles of the Rhineland and 4325 places. On ' the eastern bank the Seventh Army made further 'limited advances to-day against stubborn resistance. One' division encountered the stiffest opposition from multi-barrelled mortars north of Wissembourg. French 'armoured units,and Algerian infantrymen nearer the. Rhine drove-several miles against strong opposition through forest near the eastern end of the Siegfried Line.