Evening star., 1944-12-25
Nuzis Reach Point
Between Murche
And Rochefort
BY the Associated Press.

American lines in Belgium,
front dispatch declared, and su
preme Allied headquarters dis
closed the Nazi push had knife
near a town 1412 miles from tn
Meuse River.
Allied headquarters, which release
information "a hours late under
security news lag, reported German
tanks and troop-carrying vehicle
had reached points between the Bel
gian towns of Marche and Rochefort
The section of the road between
Marche and Hotten, within 20 mile.
of the Meuse, had been the enemy.
previous point of deepest penetra.
ton in this sector Rochefort, 14z
miles from the Meuse, is 512 miles
southwest of Marche. Headquarters
did not locate the specific positions
reached by Field Marshal Karl Won
Rundstedt's hammering counterof-
fensive.
Probing Westward Jabs.
Associated Press Correspondent
Kenneth L. Dixon reported this
morning that the Germans were
sending powerful tank and infantry
patrols in probing jabs westward
into Allied lines.
While the Allies maintained fairly
solid lines on the northern and
southern hanks of Won Rundstedt's
main penetration, Mr.. Dixon said
tank-supported enemy infantry
units managed to push forward
along the center in considerable
strength.
CThe German high command
said both sides had thrown in
fresh troops and reported con-
tinuing heavy American attacks
on broad front against the
southern flank of the Nazi wedge
in Central Luxembourg.
(The Germans said they had
opened a concentric attack on
surrounded but strong American
units in Bastogne, by-passed
Liege-Arlon road city.
(The Nazis claimed American
relief attacks in the Stavelot sec
tor along the northern rim of
the penetration had been broken
OFF,
Skies Are Clearing.
German planes were out in
strength again during the night,
field dispatches reported. Skies were
clearing this morning and Allied
planes roared out to the attack.
Headquarters said the destructive
weight of yesterdays heavy aerial
assault blows must certainly have
a strong effect on the battles out
come.
Mr.. Dixon reported that Amer
lean tanks beat off several strong
Nazi assaults last night at points on
the penetration rim. At least at
one point, the dispatch said, Amer
lean artillery spotted an enemy con-
centration of infantry and tanks
and laid down a heavy barrage,
breaking up a counterthrust before
1t formed. In another area Amer
lean patrols found "a burned Ger
man tanks and 200 enemy dead
On the southern rim of the Ger
man drive, he added, the Americans
are running into steadily increasing
resistance and are being forced to
beat off several tank supported
counterattacks in order to make
headway."
100 Americans Freed.
American tanks cleaning out ont
pocket of Germans killed more thar
400 Nazis, captured $50 and freeo
100 Americans taken prisoner
earlier by the enemy.
Gains in South Confirmed.
The Allied communique confirmed
that American troops had scorec
gains into the southern flank of tn,
German drive. The Americans have
cleared the Germans from the Lux.
embourg town of Heiderscheid,
miles north of GroSbous.
(This would indicate possible
two to three mile advance, since
previously the Americans were
reported to have pushed their
lines one to two miles north of
Grosbous.)
An earlier front dispatch covering
developments up to late Saturday
morning indicated the American
counterattack had halted the Ger
man offensive, at least temporarily
and had driven four dents into the
enemy's southern flank along 25-
mile front. The Americans ap-
peared to have lifted the menace
from the city of Luxembourg.
A mile and half north of cleared
Heiderscheid the Germans hurled
tanks and infantry into a sharp
counterattack near Tadler, and
headquarters said heavy fighting
resulted" front dispatch said.
Chaumont Cleared.
The Americans bit into the Ger
man advance south of Bastogne
Chaunont, a village miles south
of that city, was cleared and fighting
ragged as the enemy counterattacked
Six miles more to the south the
Americans pushed in from the Liege.
Arlon road, driving 3 miles north.
east of Martelange to Bigonville, @
field report said.
On the Sd Army front 1t. Gen
George S. Pattons forces gained 900
yards In the Saarlautern sector, on
the east bank OF the Saar River.
For the first time since the Ger
mans launched their surprise drive
10 days ago, Allied headquarters
described the ground situation as
developing favorably."
Picture of Attacks.
Reporting on developments up to
late Saturday morning, front dis
patch gave this picture of the
American attacks from the south.
American units had cleared half
Of Martelange, on the Belgian-Lux-
embourg border 81 miles northwest
of the city of Luxembourg. It was
at Martelange that the Germans
cut the vital Bastoene- -Arlon high
7see WESTERN FRONT, Page A-5J