Evening star., 1944-11-18
Western Front
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| Western Front
Continued From First Page.)
ary a quarter of a mile and halfway
to Perl.
East Of Aachen, the German high
command said, a battle of utmost
intensity was raging on a 50-mile
front, with the 1st and 9th Armies
throwing in large forces and attack
ing as many as AZ times in single
sectors.
Focal point of the attack, the Ger
mans said, was north of Aachen
The communique declared 122 Amer
lean tanks were shot up in the first
two days of the battle.
Allied sources gave few details of
this action, but made it clear the
Germans had been unable to check
the drive.
At the northern end of the Allied
line the British I'd Army in it's
sweep through the Mas (Meuse)
River bulge in Southeastern Holland
established another bridgehead
across the Zig Canal, advanced its
previous crossing and captured
Beringen, pa miles southeast of
Meijel.
Farther south the British mopped
up remaining pockets of enemy
troops and completed their firm
hold on the Mas front facing Roer-
mond, like Venlo gateway city to
Germany.
On the extreme southern end oi
the Allied line tanks of the French
lst Army smashing into Belfort Gar
overran the fortified town OF Mont
beliard and took Hericourt, 5 miles
from the city of Belfort, in gains OF
3 to 4 miles on 13-mile front. Bel
fort is now within the range of ar
tillery.
North of the French the American
7th Army closed in on Blamont
Badonviller and st. Die. Blamont
Is 40 miles due west of Strasbourg.
The six Allied armies, swelled to
a fighting force of 1,250,000 men,
with a similar number in reserve
were attacking German lines be-
lieved held by fewer than 500, ,OOO
troops.
Battle Toward Roer River.
The Germans were putting UP
their stiffest fight against the Amer
lean 1st and 9Th Armies, slugging
their way for the third day toward
the Roer River, the first natural
barrier before the Rhine.
Fighter -bombers, supporting the
group operations on all sectors of
the front, bombed and strafed the
enemy from Duren, in the Aachen
area, to Colmar and Mulhouse, in
the south, hitting fortified towns,
gun positions, strong points and
other defense positions, as well as
front,line troops, rail transporta-
tion targets and supply dumps.
Front-iine dispatches told of the
capture of Gressenich yesterday by
the 1st Army, while the 9th Army
seizing four towns the first day, also
took more than 1000 prisoners be-
fore its drive was "a hours old.
The spectacular advance in the
mountains in the south gave the
Allies control of the Blamont Pla-
teau in the south and a possible
entry into the Strasbourg Plain.
Retreat Toward Dele.
The Germans were reported re-
treating in disorder toward Dele
after being driven out of Mont
bellard, 812 miles to the west of
Belfort, in heavy fighting.
In its drive extending along a
front from north of Luneville to
south of Bruyeres, the 7th Army
captured Remoncourt, Domevre, An
cerviller, st. Maurice, Thiaville
Taintrux, Chevry and La Nolle.
Domevre is 2 miles southwest of
Blamont.
A front dispatch said the Nazis
continued their scorched earth pol
icy, burning LIE Paire, Hurbache, St.
Marguerite, Saulcy-sur -Meurthe and
st. Leonard as they withdrew.
The 9th Army yesterday turned
back German counterattack north
east of Aachen, knocking out at
least II of the As Tiger and Panther
tanks used to lead it.
East of Aachen 1st Army units
now were within 6 miles of Duren, a
German strongpoint on the edge of
the Cologne plain.
Hold TwO-Thirds of Sto... .rg.
The captured town of Gressenich
is miles east of Aachen. First Army
troops also held two-thirds of Stol-
berg, which is miles east OF Aachen.
(The American broadcasting
station in Europe, ABSIE, said
last night in a broadcast heard
by the Blue Network, that the
Yanks had cleared Stolberg and
advanced 5 miles beyond the
town.
The 9th Army took the enemy
counterattack in stride and pressed
on through mine fields and BOBBY
traps. The battle took place In the
vicinity Of Immendorf. IL miles
northeast Of Aachen.
Co-eds Roll Own Smokes
MISsOULA, Mont. lR.-The Gig