The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-09-04
NEUTRAL SOURCES SAY TROOPSHAW
TAKEN FIRST TOWN AS OTHERS DASH
THROUGH BELGIUM INTO HOLLAND
|PATTON'S FORCES
NEARING BORDER
Units OF First Army Cap
ture Mons, Thirty Miles
From Brussels
By ERNEST AGNEW

DIV w
SUPREME HEADQUAR-
TIERS ALLIED EXPEDI-
TIONARY FORCE, Sept. A.
-(Monday) - (P)-Ameri-
can troops stormed into Ger
many and captured their first
town, neutral reports said to-
day, as other Allied armies
ripped through Belgium and
into Holland, crushing rem
nants of the broken German
army.
While a Stockholm report said
American tankmen had captured
Perl just inside the German from
tier near the junction of Germany.
France and Luxembourg, farther
to the north in a sweep through
the low countries U. S. First Army
units took Mons, 30 miles from
Brussels.
There was no confirmation at
Supreme headquarters that the
Americans had crossed into Ger
many or of German report that
they were now fighting in Hol-
land.
Patton's Men Advance
Armored columns of Americans
plunging up the broad valley of the
Mouse reached Namur, IS miles
inside Belgium yesterday while 125
miles to the south 1t. Gen. George
S. Patton's Third Army pushed
through Metz and Nancy toward
the German frontier IS miles away.
According to latest reports both
American and British troops were
closing in on Brussels, capital Of
Belgium.
| The Germans, nowhere on the
scattered battlelines, were making
any determined effort to stem the
racing armor and there was no
indication they were planning to
use French-built, German-dismantl.
ed Maginot line as defense.
British and Canadian forces
swung to more bridgeheads across
the Somme, east and west of Able
vile, which was being moped up,
reached ALLY lie Haul and Clocher
four miles beyond the river, and
| Grand LAWYERS, about two miles
northeast of Abbeville.
Supreme headquarters had no Of
fetal confirmation of reports that
Allied forces had captured LIE Tou-
quet, Boulogne, Calais and bunker.
que.
axis reports said American
troops had reached the Mas JUL
ana canal, which is actually in
side Holland in the Maastright APP
pendix jutting down between Ger
many and Belgium.
French Battle Over
AS the battle for France apparent
ly ended and the fight for Belgium
appeared nearing it's end the BIC
in London broadcast recorded
by the FEC "the Belgian govern
ment, now in London is to return
to Belgium in a few days.
(Supreme headquarters generally
was silent for security reasons on
the rapid advances of Allied for
ces but it appeared the showdown
battle for Germany was on.)
With Allied armies drawing clos
er to the Reich the Germans were
reported pouring troops into the
Siegfried line for the showdown
battle for Germany.
The speed with which Patton's
forces were rolling and the insigni-
ficant opposition the enemy was Of
fering probably means the Ameri-
can Third army will breach the
German frontier today.
The battle for Germany was
drawing nearer hourly - with no
strong opposition in sight short Of
the Reich itself-even as shots OF
by-passed German rearguards
punctuated the dying hours of the
battle of France on the fifth ami.
versary of Britain's declaration Of
war
Hodges Army Turns
1t. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges U.
S. First army, which crossed the
Belgian border sent tanks runb-
ling to Namur, IS miles inside Bel
GUM on the route over which Hit
ler's legions sped four years ago
in the conquest of France and the
lowlands.
Namur is 80 miles southwest of
Liege, great fortress anchor in Bel
Continued on Page Two; Col. g.