The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-10-12
Drive Steadily Through Rubble-Strewn Streets
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 Stunned by the relentless Allied air and land bombardmeut, individ. ual German troops were surrender lng hy the scores Some 900 prison. ers had been counted In the 2A hours ended last midnight, but Tor tho most part the tough garrison of l,b00 to 2,000 appeared determin- ed to fight to the end. Many were SS veterans of fighting on the east. ern front
 Radio Berlin said bitter hand-to- hand fighting was raging in the ANchen area "against the advancing enemy" Another Berlin dispatch said the din of battle was audible in Cologne, some % miles away.
 Clouds Of Smoke
 Clouds of smoke or dust, tingeo with the red of raging fires, rose hundreds of feet over medieval Aachen as American dive-bomberS and massed guns ranging up to elght.inch cannon carried out the Allied commands promise to destroy the city utterly unless the garrison surrendered.
 More than 800 Lightning and Thunderbolt dlVe-bombers pounded the city on Q half-hour shuttle schedule yesterday, sweeping low to machine-gun pillboxes and other strong points after dropping their cargoes of explosives,
 One pilot told of seeing Q l0-story building collapse Into . great cloud of dirt and debris when hit, Not a single German plane attempted to interfere with the bombardment, Anti-nircraft batteries put up . heavy barrage at the start of the bombardment, but 1t waned as the cascade of bombs continued,
 American military authorities es. timated that 2,000 to 5000 of Aach- ems 100000 civilians still were in- sido the city, but German prisoners placed the number as high ns iB,000, Some slept in the outskirts during the night and came in to work durs Ing the day, they said,
 Southeast of Aachen, other Amer ieNn troops punched out limited new gains and cut the Monschau. .Duren road about Q mile southwest ot Hurtgen, further limiting the Ger. mans ability to maneuVer,
 House to House
 Lieut.. Gen. George s. pattoE'i American Srd Army, farther south continued It's house-to-house battle for Mai2ieres-LeS Metz, Supreme headquarters reported In 0 com. comunique that the Germans were using the basementS of houses ai anti.tank positions,
 Patton's men also repulSed c strong German counter attack near Letrieourt, i6 miles northeast ol Nancy.
 On the Netherlands front, Can adian forces extended their bridge. head on the south bank of thU sehelde river to 1000 by 5000 yards possibly by additional amphihioua landings. However, dispatch from 2ist Army group headquarters at 10 Q. m. today said Canadian op' erationS had been on reduced scale during the past 24 hours.
 Heavy bomhers with fighter coVeI supported the Canadians with Nr attack on a dyke near Veere ane gun emplaeementS on the island O. Walcheren, as well aS on the Dutef mainland opposite Flushing. Or, bomber was lost.
 BFldgehead Abandoned
 German forces were reveala' to have abandoned their bridge head on the south bank of the low or Rhine west of the British 2ne armyS Spearhead below ArnheIa Fighters and fighter.bombers 0t lacked enemy strong points, trooI concentrations and tanks in thI Arnhem area,
 At the southern end Of tho from American and French troops mad limited advances In the Vosges foot hills northeast of Epinal and t the Le Thiilet area, where enenn; counter- attacks were fepulSed In hard fighting. The village of Sa' pois was captured,
 The Allies also extended thoi hridgehead across the Moselotte rive north of Le Thillot.
 Gen. Jean Do Lattre De TGSSigny commander of tho French ist Army told correspondents at his head quarters that only thre0 weeks O fighting remain to smash tho Bel fort Gap defenSeS or cross the VogeS mountains into the AlSatinf Plain of the Rhine before tht Wintar ciogea in noREiblv RtaleFanF