Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-11-12
War Review
Clinactic Events Near
e in Both Wars
By Howard p. Rn;ley

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almost with abandon into a des
perate effort to hold Leyte, stra,
tegic mid-Philippine Island.
In fact, Premier Stain in ,
statement last Monday declared
that Germany is on the verge O
catastrophe and credited the Alliet
invasion of France for the assist.
ance which permitted the Ret
Armies to drive the Nazis from
Russian soil. ''The task" he said, I'll
to continue holding Germany be-
tween two fronts. This is the Ike,
to victory"
Premier Stain also found occa
sion to brand Japan as an aggresso
which caused considerable common
from Tokyo which professed to b,
shocked at the thought that any
one could consider Japan's action
as aggressive.
- British and Canadian troops be.
gan to put the pressure on in earnes
last Monday when they drove thu
Nazis back across the Mas River
on a front extending SO miles "ir
from the sea. At the same time il
was announced that half the Ger
man 18th Army had been DESTROYED
with at least S., 900 killed, wounded
or captured.
Fierce Fight at Hurtgen.
On the American LIST Army's front.
the Nazis called on their dwindling
supply of reserves to launch three
counterattacks to push the Ameri-
cans back somewhat from the ex-
IRENE point of advance but later
on they regained their toehold in
the town of Vossenack at the east
ern end of the Hurtgen Forest.
Tuesday the Germans poured in
fresh reserves and more tanks from
their badly reduced reserve stock
and the battle grew in intensity
and scope until it far exceeded the
costly Aachen fight. Taking ad-
vantage of the concentration of
German attention on the Hurtgen
front, the British and Canadians
carried on mopping-up activities to
the west and in the east Allied
troops advanced two or three miles
toward the Vosges Mountain passes
into Germany.
By Wednesday, the American Of
fensive in the Hurtgen area had Just
about run down and most of the
initial gains had been given up in
the face of the Nazis' counterattack,
However, at about the time the
American 1st Army was being
brought to halt, Patton's Ameri-
can Sd opened up a smashing drive
between Metz and Nancy which
carried across the Seille River in its
initial phases. An hour-long artil-
lery barrage preceded the jumpoff.
Thursday Patton committed three
additional divisions to his drive for
the Rhine and overhead some 1900
heavy bombers pounded German po-
sltions toward which Patton was
pushing. More than 500 fighters es-
corted the bombers which flew in
temperatures as much as As de-
grees below zero. At least six di-
visions were involved in the drive by
this time as Patton sought to smash
the gateway through which Ma
poleon passed on his way into Ger
many.
BY Friday Patton's attack had as
sumed the characteristics of full
scale offensive and over a 55-mile
arc on both sides of Metz, the Amer
leans were advancing, already find
Ing themselves beyond the trench
positions held by the Allies when the
1913 armistics was signed.
Three Miles From Border.
: Yesterday it was reported that
Patton had smashed a gap Is miles
wide In the German lines and that
advance forces to the east and west
OF the city of Metz were moving to-
ward each other, lacking but IA miles
OF surrounding the fortress. At the
northern end of his. line which had
grown to 81 miles, Patton's men had
widened bridgeheard over the
Moselle River and advance units
were less than three miles from the
German-Luxembourg border.
Berlin announced that at least
1000 tanks are now locked in a bit
ter engagement with entry into the
Saar Valley, Germany's great indus
trial area, now at stake.
During the week there was con-
siderable air activity, although bad
flying weather served to keep Ii
within restricted limits.
The NaZis~have turned loose their
W. bomb, the British admit, and
While this new fearsome weapon
has struck at England, the damage
and casualties were said to be minor
Giving some details of the new
rocket, the British report that it
comes down from an extreme alti-
tude of about 10 miles, that it flies
at TOO miles an hour or better and
that it is silent, as its speed exceeds
the speed Of sound. Its silence, how
ever, ends when it strikes, for it eX-
.plodes with roar which may be
heard 10 miles. Unlike the vi it
has no wings and seems to follow
more truly the design of a rocket
ASoeSAooy ~ was 1Cfcdlcu IIldU
. l3-ton rocket has been fired against
American positions in France.
Moscow Prepares Big Drive.
. Moscow reported that fall of
Budapest is imminent and that
Russia is about to open a grand Of
fensive against important German
< centers in new winter offensive
Great quantities of men and ma
4terial are reported concentrated for
the drive.
..t On the italian front, Allied gains
are measured in yards for the week
The situation at the moment is
stalemated.
= Over in the Pacific, the Japs are
growing desperate. Disregarding
heavy losses in men and ships, the
enemy continues to pour reinforce
ments ashore on Leyte Island, all
but the western coastal areas OF
which are now in Allied hands.
To the tune of Tokyo's proud boast
that nothing but unconditional sur
render by Macarthur will satisfy the
sJaps, the enemy moved to retain
their slim hold on Leyte. Approx
:mately $4,000 fresh troops have been
Ia a.