Evening star., 1944-09-21
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, Sept. 81. British
tank troops and Allied sky sol
diers have captured intact tht
mile-anda -half-long Nijmeger
Bridge in a raging 24-hour bat.
tie in Holland.
They thus broke open a path t.
the relief of a pocket of air-born,
troops locked today in a grim figh
for life near Arnhem, miles to tn,
north.
(The German radio asserted late
today that staff headquarters of
an American air-borne division
had been captured north of Find
hoven. There was no official
Allied comment immediately
Supreme headquarters said Allied
air-borne units had linked up with
ground troops in the Nijmegen area
but there still was no indication OF
a contact with the surrounded forces
near Arnhem.
AS 1t. Gen. Sir Miles c. Demp-
sey's armor raced across the WAL
Ryn Lower Rhine toward the
north, units of 1t. Gen. Lewis H
Breretons lst Allied Air-borne
Army-believed to be Americans
apparently were hanging on grimly
to positions astride the doorstep OF
the Ruhr.
British Wiped Out, Nazis Say.
Today's German communique de-
clared the entire 1st British Air
borne Division was largely wiped
out" in the Arnhem area, but it was
believed Americans were holding
firmly to positions on both sides OF
the northern branch of the Rhine
and were possibly holding at least
one crossing.
The Berlin communique claimed
the capture of $500 British pris-
oners, including the divisional COM
mander.
The Germans counterattacked by
land and bombed from the air in a
desperate attempt to save their
historic river defense line, but some
Of the western fronts hottest fight
ing virtually set the seal of doom
on perhaps 100000 enemy troops
caught in Western Holland.
The whole fate of the Germans
Ruhr Valley and the safety of their
entire northern flank was turning
on the outcome of this first victory
and the unfolding of a second battle
about to take place for control OF
the crossings of the northern
branch of the Dutch Rhine at
Anthem
The Nijmegen bridge was taken
last night. BIC correspondent re-
ported, and early this morning
elements of our armor were north
of the river, across it, and our troops
are now in position to speed uI
their drive on Anthem"
The Germans were reported at
tacking the air-borne island OF
troops with reinforced assault forces
and were reported rushing reserves
into the recesses of the Reichswald
huge forest just south of the Sieg-
fried anchor of Cleve, in a desper-
ate effort to block the Emmerich
Gap route into Germany's northern
plains.
Emmerich, Is miles east of Nil
megen and 10 miles southeast OF
Arnhem, guards the 8-mile passage
between the Rhine and the Ijssel
the large Dutch waterway turning
northward at Arnhem.
Piercing of the gateway woule
open the path to Essen, S. mile.
southeast of Nijmegen, and the
Ruhr.
No Chance to Blow Up Bridge.
The British and air-borne troop.
attacked the Nijmegen Bridge from
front and rear so quickly the Ger.
mans had no opportunity to blow
up the huge concrete crossing. The
desperate German attempt to aver
disaster on the Lower Rhine tool
the form of co-ordinated heav,
bombings of Eindhoven to the south
and a fierce counterattack from thu
west of the town.
This failed. The western bas,
held firm and the wedge was widen.
ed with slight gains to the east
The frustrated effort of the Ger
mans to chisel their way through
from the west was almost their las
hope OF a breakthrough from wha