INSIDE GERMAN POCKET

Southland Times, Issue 25513, 6 November 1944, Page 5

INSIDE GERMAN POCKET

Bridgehead Across Mark River

(Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, November 4. Reuter’s correspondent with the Canadian Ist Army reports that the Canadians this morning are fighting at three points inside the German pocket between the Mark river and the Maas. British, American and Polish troops along the south bank of the Mark river forced crossings to establish a bridgehead under heavy and accurate mortaring end shelling. Canadian armour on the west flank captured Steenbergen and Polish infantry captured Terjeijden, four miles north of Breda and pushed on to within three miles of the Maas. The Germans have been successful to a great extent in their plan to stand behind the Mark river to permit their major forces to escape over the Moerdijk bridge and at ferry points. A big percentage of the original 40,000 Germans in the pocket have already fled over the escape routes leaving strong rearguard forces which are putting up a bitter fight. Typhoons today, dropped anti-person-nel bombs on Germans on the muddy beaches of the southern bank of Hollandische Diep, between Willemstad ferry and Moerdijk bridge, says Reuter’s correspondent with the tactical air force. The Germans had no cover except dykes and slit trenches, and after a few attacks they were in such a state of panic that they were running from one dyke to another in a vain attempt to escape.