The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-19
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TOWARD THE R0ER
Three-Army Attack On 30
Mile Front One OF Wars
Greatest Drives
BY EDWARD KENNEDY

BY EDWARD hENNCDA
SUPREME HEADQUAR-
ALLIED EXPEDl-
TIONARY FORCE, Sunday,
Nov. 19.-P)-One British
and two American armies
were smashing their way to-
ward the heart of the Rhine
land today in one of the
greatest battles of the war
against German resistance
stiffened by desperation.
The American Ninth and
British Second armies, in a
collaboration so close that it
was described here az "a
blended operation" had driv-
en- a deep salient toward the
river Roer between Gellen-
kirchen and Aachen.
On their right flank, southeast
of Aachen, the American first Ar
my was making slow but steady
progress against the grimmest sort
of enemy opposition.
This three-army attack on a
front some 30 miles wide develop
ed into one of the wars biggest
drives.
Fight Into Metz
Farther south the American third
army also had invaded the Reich
and had fought into the French
fortress city of Metz. The Ameri-
can Seventh ane French First Ar
mics recorded good gains in the
Vosges and Belfort regions.
It was the great Rhineland drive,
however, that held the spotlight.
The best weather since the sart
Of the western front offensive en-
abled both strategic and tactical
air forces to give their strongest
support yet to the ground forces.
Ninth air force Lightnings and
Thunderbolts attacked as close as
200 yards ahead OF the trops IN
bitter fighting east of Aachen.
Fighter bombers interviewed in
at least one tank battle in that
area, striking German armor at
such close range that the pilots
reported seeing the grass wilt be-
fore the muzzle-fire of the tank
guns.
Cut Main Road
The Allied troops, wheeling into
Germany after their descent from
the north, spread over the Cell
enkirchen area, cut the main road
to the north, captured Niederheide.
reached the outskirts of Prum-
mern, two miles east of Geilen-
kirchen, and captured Puffendorf,
4 IL smiles southeast of Geilen.
kirchen in what was described as
blended operations" by British
and Americans.
To the southeast of Aachen
American First army forces made
new gains up to kilometer
against heavy artillery and NOR
tar fire in the Wurselen area and
up to two kilometers around Stol-
berg, while in the Hurtgen forest
other First army troops advanced
slowly through minefields and
barbed wire.
To the south, 1t. Gen. George
S. Patton's U. S. Third army swept
into the Reich in force and began
warfare inside the
fortress city of Metz in France.
The break across the border was
made near Perl, near where the
territories of France, Luxembourg
and Germany meet and it carried
Third army units mile inside
Germany. They are pointed toward
the Saar basin.
Still farther south h e French
First army smashed deep into the
Belfort gap after taking the strong
point of Montbeliard, where 1000
Germans were captured, and en-.
envy dispositions were up set along
a 25-mile sector.
French Reach Dele
The French tonight were report.
ed to have reached Dele, 10 miles
southeast of Belfort on the Swiss
frontier. They are less than five
miles from Belfort southwest of
that city.
The American Seventh army in
gains up to two miles captured
the Muerthe river town of Raon la
Tape, continued pressure at St.
Die, and saw nine villages-Moy.
enmoutier, La Hollande, Etival,
Tetedesan-Roche, Graf.
in, Rabache, Remenix, and La
Planchette - 60 up in flames as
the Germans applied the scorched
earth policy before retiring.
While the drive through the
Aachen gateway obviously was the
biggest of the Allied pushes, the
potential MANAGE of the others Is
l problem to the hard-pressed Ger.
Continued on Page -Four, Col. 81