EASING OFF

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23113, 30 January 1945, Page 5

EASING OFF

ENEMY RETREAT IN WEST Allied Infantry Still Progressing By Telegraph—N.Z Press Assn Copyright LONDON, January 28. Air reconnaissance in the last 24 hours shows that the enemy’s mass withdrawal from behind the battle area is easing off in the daytime, says the correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency at Field-Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery’s Headquarters. The mass German movement from the Ardennes seems to be petering out, but marshalling yards in the Ruhr are big bottlenecks of jammed traffic. American infantry to-day captured Maspelt, three and a half miles south-east of St. Vith, and one mile from the German border, says the Associated Press correspondent with the Third Army. This and other gains places the Third Army from half a mile to three and a half miles from the border along the whole Luxembourg front.

General C. H. Hodges’s new attack has already gained more than 3000 yards, including several villages, says Reuter’s corespondent with the First Army. The Americans are often waist-deep in snow and the supporting tanks are snowbound. When armour- could move it was perilous going because even the rubber tank tracks slipped on the icy ground. The attack began at 4 a.m. without advance artillery support, says the Associated Press of America correspondent. The Americans quickly forced their way into Zheppenback and Depschied. seven and eight miles respectively north-east of St. Vith. Infantrymen reported that very heavy Initial resistance came from snowdrifts which were so deep that the leading infantrymen who broke trails had to be relieved every 60 yards because of exhaustion. Each soldier carried in his pack two half-pound chunks of dynamite to blow himself a foxhole when the time came to dig into the frozen earth and defend the gains. > The correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency says that thick snow dulled any noise the attackers might have made, for which reason the enemy did not know the attack was on until shadowy hooded figures stumbled out from behind trees at the little crossroads village of Hepschied and overpowered the guards.

The Roer battle is almost over, says Reuter’s correspondent on the Western Front. It is believed there is no German defensive force of any strength on the west side of the river.

A spokesman for Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham said that although the German road and rail trek northeast had almost stopped in daytime, there was still movement at night time. Cologne was crammed with traffic. , Mosquitoes last night attacked traffic in the Cologne and Coblenz areas. Severe icing caused cancellation of operations later, but the night’s bag amounted to 500 railway trucks and 50 motor transports.

The German News Agency commentator (Walter Plato) stated that General Eisenhower was regrouping his forces for a big offensive, taking advantage of the position created by the Russians.

The correspondent of the Associated Press at Supreme Allied Headquarters says that American Army engineers rehabilitated 7000 miles of European railways for use as supply routes to the Western Front. They restored 5000 miles of double track and 2000 miles of single track in France and Belgium. They also reconstructed 172 major railway bridges. Advance of Four Miles An advance of four miles by troops of the Third Army in the St. Vith area has brought General G. S. Patton's forces to points two and a half miles south and west of the town, states a correspondent at Supreme Allied Headquarters. Advancing on a wide front the Americans in this sector are eliminating the enemy salient around St. Vith. Munchausen, three miles southwest of Clerf, has been taken by troops of the Third Army and Wahlhausen, five miles north-west of Vianden and a mile from the German frontier, has also been taken.

Troops of the French First Army arc scoring continued successes in spite of stiff opposition and impossible conditions in the snow. They entered three villages, Haltzwlhr, Wickersowihr and Jersheim, all north-east of Colmar. They also reached and demolished a bridge on the River Rhur, south of Cernay. and entered Gebelfort, a suburb qf Gerna. Kullman, three miles north of Mulhouse, has also been cleared.

A radio correspondent, speaking from Belgium, said that the First Army gained two miles in the first few hours, the objective being “to drive the enemy into and across Germany.”

“Now, with the Russian armies driving from the East, the squeeze is on,” said the announcer.

A correspondent with the 21st Armv Group says that apart from the normal patrol activity there has been nothing to report along the entire British and Canadian northern front during the last 12 hours. Some portions of the front are covered with newlyfallen snow. Colmar Within Range Colmar, guarding the northern sector of the Germans’ Rhine pocket, now is within range of Allied mortar batteries, states Reuter’s correspondent with the Sixth Army Group. General de Tassigny’s First French Army last night was three miles northeast of Colmar on a front of more than 2000 yards.

Reuter's correspondent at Supreme Allied Headquarters .".ays that nearly 2000 American fighter-bombers attacking the Germans retreating from Ihe Ardennes lust wee): destroyed more than 6000 pieces of Wehrmacht material lorries, tanks, half-trucks, guns and railway waggons.