Evening star., 1944-12-27
Western Front
Continued From First Pase)

below BHstogne. entered Lultz-
hausep 10 miles TO the southeast
and fought German infantry and
tanks I'm Eschdorf. ~ miles south
east of Bastogne.
This northward thrust WAS roll
ing over high hills carpeted with
woods.
Farther southeast of Bastosne
Americans bsttled strong NsM units
In Kehmen and Ringel, 5 and 7
miles from Diekirch. High ground
was won below Diekirch, and a Ger
man attack was repulsed near
Haller midway between Diekirch
and Echternach. IL miles farther
southeast. Waldbillig. 8 miles from
Echternach. fell. Gains were scored
below Echternach.
tT'he Germans admitted Amer
ican gains west of EchternachJ
Bombers Continue Raids.
For the NTH straight day the
Allied aerial whiplash fell across
the German offensive path, Heavy
bombers from Britain and the
armor- busting tactical air forces.
British and American. based on the
continent. participated,
In three days the two tactical
forces reported they destroyed 2,228
enemy transport vehicles and dam
aged 1854, destroyed 439 Nazi
planes. probably bagged SIS more
and damaged l2l. All this was ex-
elusive Of the toll taken by heavy
bomberS.
RAF heavy bombers which battered
st. With Yesterday left the town
burning from end to end with the
streets just great sheets OF flames,'
one pilot said British heavies ham,
mered German concentrations near
st. With again today.
Enemy Patrols Active.
German patrols were active on
the Holland front again yesterday
Below Duren. Americans cleared
the town of Winden.
D0lghboys cleaned up an enemy
pocket near La Gleize IN the
Stavelot area, taking $50 prisoners
and seizing 80 tanks, 10 half-track
vehicles, armored cars and g.
self-propelled guns, the communi-
que said.
On the 7th Army front. slight
gains were made in forested areas
west of 'Wissembourg, and in the
high Southern Vosges an enemy
raid on Thanh was repulsed.
In front dispatch last night
Associated Press Correspondent Wes
Gallagher said there were growing
indications that the German high
command had decided to risk the
heart of the German Army in this
western front effort. He added:
The next few days should tell
the story, with strong prospects for
the greatest battle of the Second
World War in the offing"
This dispatch said that in general
the northern flank is being held,
forcing the German commander
even farther west in his efforts to
turn toward Liege and Antwerp.
Won Runstedt is employing at
least two and possibly three armies
in the current German counterof-
fensive. He has thrown into battle
the reorganized 7th Army, which
was badly cut up by the Allies in
Normandy, and the 5th Panzer
Army. He probably has another
panzer army at his disposal.
The commander of the 5th Panzer
Army is Gen. Hasso Eccard Won
Manteuffel-the devil mana typi-
cal Junker officer from a Pomeran-
ian family whose main business for
centuries has been the waging of
war.
Won Runstedt still has substan-
tial reserves. reserves that two
ago were thought impossible
by most Allied military experts"
Mr.. Gallagher said, adding:
If he commits them either in the
break-through or in a new attempt
farther north, the struggle on the
western front will have a life-or-
death aspect. 1t will strain every
Allied resource.
Increase in Patrol Activity.
But II Won Rundstedt fails, the
German Army will be in exactly the
same crippled condition 1t was after
the abortive Paris offensive of 1913"
This dispatch reported a sharp
increase In patrol activity all the
way from Monschau to the Canadian
Army positions In the Netherlands,
and said American combat forces
had chopped of at least two OF Won
Rundstedts extended western