TEN MILES FROM HAMBURG

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23181, 20 April 1945, Page 5

TEN MILES FROM HAMBURG

British Advance 20 Miles

Luneburg Captured: Leipzig Occupied By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright (Received 1 a.m.) LONDON, April 19. THE British Second Army has captured Luneburg and * has pushed on to the Elbe, 23 miles south-east of Hamburg. Other elements cut the main motor road between Bremen and Hamburg and are now only 10 . miles from Hamburg, although there are two formidable river barriers to overcome before the city is reached. The Bremen-Hamburg motor road was cut by the Seventh Armoured Division after an advance of 20 miles. The German garrison in Bremen is virtually cut off and the way is open for the close envelopment of the great port. British infantry are reported to have entered one of the suburbs. Canadian forces liberated Harderwijk on the east coast of the Zuider Zee. The Germans are flooding the whole of the country west of Amsterdam by breaching the great dyke across the mouth of the Zuider Zee. Elements of the American Third Army which crossed the Czechoslovak border have advanced two miles. Seventh Army forces are engaged in house-to-house fighting in Nuremberg, which has been entered from the north, east and south. American forces have met in the centre of Leipzig after overcoming practically all resistance in the city.

British Second Army troops to-day reached the Elbe River at several points alter capturing Luneburg, the Inst big city the Germans held west of the River, reports the British United Frees correspondent. The Seventh Armoured Division cut the main autobahn between Hamburg and Bremen, five miles south of Harburg, and are less than 10 miles from Hamburg. The 11th Armoured Division reached the Ellie in the vicinity of Luneburg bridge, over which the Germans are racing desperately through a storm of Allied shellfire and attacks by medium b&nbers and Typhoons. Sixth Airborne Division troops advanced 12 miles south-east of Luneburg, broadening the thrust to the Elbe. Otiier units farther to the west rescued Tostedt on the main BremenHamburg road, closed to less than two miles from Rothenburg and cut the Biemen-Hamburg railway. British infantry broke into the suburb of Dalmenhorst, seven miles west of the centre of Bremen. Reuters correspondent reports that with the capture of Dusseldorf resistance in the Ruhr pocket has now almost ceased. More than 40,000 prisoners were taken yesterday. A communique states that French forces in the Point de Grave sector after bitter fighting have driven the Germans to the last entrenched position on the heights of Leverdorn, where they are being subjected to heavy artillery fire. The Canadians captured Harderwijk on the east coast of the Zuider Zee through which the Germans are reported to be carrying out a ■ Dunkirk," reports Reuter’s correspondent from the 21st Army Group. The wholesale flooding of the Hook of Holland began yesterday, when the Germans blew a 300 yard gap in the western end of the Zuider Zee Causeway. north of Amsterdam, sending in waters across rich farmlands. The Germans, carrying out a wide-scale feeding programme, opened numerous sluice gates just east of Amsterdam, including those at Hilversum. A sheet of water is gradually covering the Amersfoort. The flooding of the Hook of Holland appears to have no militaryvalue and can only be described as wanton destruction. It is announced at Supreme Allied Headquarters that the fourth son of the former Kaiser is amonsr the 400 suspects held at Frankfurt as political prisoners. The troops entering Czechoslovakia took special packets of sweets and cigarette-, to give the Czechs since they tire now in a country where fraternisation is allowed, but the Czechs were very wary, fearing that the Germans

may return. The correspondent of the British United Press says one Czech begged him not to mention his name because "my Sudeten German neighbours will get me when you are gone.” The Americans left chocolate and cigarettes on the windowsills of Czech houses.