The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-29

four miles southwest, and Vtlleroux, three miles southeast which gave them a firm approach to Bastogne.
 U. s. Losses Heavy
 Front reports reaching Supreme Allied headquarters estimated sile Nazt offensive thus far had cost 1000 German tanks-more than two full divisions. American losses, it is emphasized, have not been light.
 A large portion of the Allied tac- tical airforce was grounded early today by fogs and mist but at tEe southern end of the salient conGi- tions were better and slightly less than 100 sorties were flown by 9th Air Force Lightnings and Thunder bolts. Both American and British force attacking Nazi transport ard heavy bombers were out again in communications lines behind tfe front.
 It was revealed that Pattor.s forces which had established tie Dillingen bridgehead on the east bank of the Saar in 15 days of heavy fighting were withdrawn tilo night of December 21 without a single casualty in the re-grouping necesSitated by the German break through.
 Checkmated at the center within four miles of the Mouse and reelirg back under the new American flank ing blows, the Germans had lost Ll.e initiative everywhere on the 15e- mile perimeter of their Ardennes pocket.
 Field dispatches said the 100000 Nazi infantrymen and hundreds ot tanks that burst out of the Sieg- fried Line two weeks ago to rip 50 miles across Belgium and Luxem- bourg were struggling desperately to pull back their over-extended western Spearheads to form tight defensive line.
 Decisive Beating
 At the western tip of the salient, the Germans took their first de- cisive beating early yesterday when American tanks, infantrymen and artillery units wiped out an entire Nazi panzer regiment - numbering perhaps 5000 men - that had been encircled just east of Celles.
 The Germans at Celles had made their deepest announced penetration of the First Army center, coming within four miles of the Mouse river fortress of Dinant.
 Headquarters announced that the regiment had been wiped out, losing practically all it's armor and trans port. More than 1000 Nazis sur- rendered and most of the others were believed to have been killed.
 The enemy spearhead was trapped when its mechanized units ran out of gasoline because of the terrific Allied aerial bombardment of sup ply roads.
 Even greater potential disaster loomed for the Germans along the southern flank of their Ardennes salient, where It. Gen. George s. Patton's Third Army was attacking along 35-mile front from Bastogne eastward across Luxembourg to the German border.
 Sparked by a tank column that slueged 10 miles northward in five days to lift the siege of Bastogne, Patton's men were advancing at the rate of one to two miles day across their entire front and threatening to pinch of the eastern corner of the enemy salient on the Luxem- bourg German frontier.
 The deepest Third Army thrust was effected around Bastogne, where the Americans were said officially to hold the "Bastogne area" Head quarters spokesmen indicated they were considerably north of that town enroute to junctur ewith the First Army units who recaptured Grand menil and Manhay on the northern flank and drove an undisclosed dis tance south of those towns yester- day morning.
 Latest information available at headquarters placed the two col- un1ns less than 15 miles apart, but their exact locations were not re- yealed.
 Great Cost
 Patton's electrifying entry into the battle of the Ardennes at one of the blackest hours of the western