THRUST NOT HELD

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 22998, 15 September 1944, Page 5

THRUST NOT HELD

Nazis Withdraw From Albert Canal Very Heavy Casualties Suffered By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright LONDON, September 13. The Germans have withdrawn from the general line of the Albert Canal, east of Antwerp, after failing to held the British thrust across the Canal, says the British United Press correspondent in Belgium. German battle groups composed of remnants of dozens of divisions, reinforced by mixed troops, are opposed to the British troops. The British feat in forcing the canal at the end of a long dash across Belgium is praiseworthy.

A staff officer said: “The German battle groups on the canal have been reinforced by a number of young fanatics. They are soon killed, but fight fanatically and bravely. There has been bitter fighting in the last few days. The enemy suffered heavy casualties. We also had a number of casualties. The fanatics do not know how to fight, but they are more than a nuisance.”

Reuter’s correspondent with the British Second Army states that a blanket of silence has again been cast over the operations of the Second Army. There has not yet been any link-up between the British forces in the two bridgeheads across the Albert Canal, but a junction between the British and the Americans seemed imminent. The British have not any base in Holland which they can exploit, but long columns of traffic have been speeding along the roads for the last three days. German pick and shovel squads are reported to be very active across the Dutch frontier. Futile Counter-attacks More counter-attacks against troops of the Second Army have been thrown back and heavy casualties were inflicted on the enemy, writes a correspondent. The latest attacks were made in the neighbourhood of Gheel by battle groups, supported by a few tanks, against the bridgehead over the Albert Canal. They made no progress, and our troops held them comfortably. The Germans are still trying to evacuate troops from their bridgehead on the south bank of the Scheldt.

Our air force continues to take toll of barges and other vessels they are using. We destroyed 10 barges and damaged 28 yesterday. We are also attacking trains on the Dutch-German border, and one loaded with armoured vehicles was blown to atoms by rockets from Typhoons, after Spitfires had stopped it. The Second Army tool: 6563 prisoners on Monday. Canadians occupied Bruges last night without opposition, the enemy pulling out as they closed in on the town.

The Germans are still using big guns, mounted on trains, to shell Antwerp, and, curiously enough, seem to be concentrating most of their shells on the Zoological Gardens, which the Belgian White Army Brigade has been using as a gaol for German prisoners and collaborators. Large forces of tanks and infantry are over the German frontier or crossing it along a wide stretch south of Aachen, says the British United Press correspondent from the Albert Canal

line and are deploying along the eastern bank of the Escaut Canal, over which the British already hold a bridgehead. In the north General Sir Miles Dempsey’s troops of the Second British Army are apparently building up for further drives in strength, following the victory of the Albert Caml battle, and tile Canadian First Army is steadily clearing enemy pockets of resistance on the Scheldt north of Bruges and Ghent. The enemy garrisons that defended Le Havre were found, when they surrendered to British troops, to be very much shaken from the effects of the Allied bombing and the bombardment of the 15-inch guns of the Warspite and Erebus. The Channel coast from Zeebrugge to Nieuport is completely mopped up, states Reuter's correspondent with the Canadian First Army. One strongpoint which has been holding out yielded 300 prisoners. The total Germans taken prisoner at Le Havre has risen to 8000, which is believed to be the entire garrison. Prisoners are husky, well-fed, fresher and cleaner than any captured since D Day. Thev evidently went to deep shelters during the bombing and shelling and finally surrendered without showing fight The garrison did not include S.S. troops.