THREE VILLAGES CAPTURED

Southland Times, Issue 25549, 18 December 1944, Page 5

THREE VILLAGES CAPTURED

GERMAN ATTACKS REPULSED (8.0.W.) RUGBY, December 16. An Allied communique states that the Allies now control the high ground dominating the Roer, south-west of Duren. The villages of Gurzenich, Birgel and Kufferath are in Allied hands, and enemy counter-attacks against Gurzenich and Birgel have been repulsed. Targets in Kreuzau, four miles south of Duren, across the Roer from Kufferath, were hit by fighter bombers. Farther north, the two remaining pockets of resistance in the DurenLinnich sector of the Roer have been cleaned out. Allied units mopped up a factory area south-east of the Hariaweiler and captured a castle near Schophoven. Fighter bombers struck military objectives in Baal, four miles north of Linnich and other yards at Rheydt, Grevenbroich and Euskirchen. MOPPING UP IN KESTERNICH South-east of Lammersdorp ground forces are mopping up in Kesternich. Medium and light bombers attacked fortifications in five villages east and south-east of Monschau. In the Saar Valley, the enemy continues to direct heavy artillery fire into the Allied

bridgeheads at Dillingen and Saarlautern. A small counter-attack in the Saarlautern area was repulsed by artillery. East of Saareguemines, mopping up continues in Habkirchen. Niedergalilbach and Frechingen, six and eight miles east of Saareguemines respectively have been entered. Fighter bombers supported the ground forces in the Saar Valley, striking defended positions and communications behind the enemy lines. Farther into Germany, ammunition dumps were attacked. West of the lower Vosges, where the enemy is manning Maginot Line fortifications, resistance has continued to be stubborn. Four miles west of Wissemburg, east of the lower Vosges, units have crossed the frontier north of Klimbach, which has been freed. Heavy fire is coming from the Siegfried Line at many points between Wissemburg and the Rhine. An additional slight advance has been made on the Alsace Plain, north-cast of Salestat. Fighter bombers attacked troops and ammunition trains and other railway targets in the north Ruhr and Holland. Railway bridges at Zwolle and Deventer were attacked by medium and light bombers. Medium bombers attacked an oil storage depot at Rutthen, east of the Ruhr.