Evening star., 1944-12-11
MAP on Page A,
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PARIS, Dec. 11.-American 1St
Army troops today drove within
212 miles of the Roer River cita-
del of Duren and advanced ~
miles along the Aachen-Cologne
superhighWay to Merken, II
miles inside Germany and the
deepest point of conquest.
1t. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges shock
troops in fresh snowfall fought to-
ward the flooded Roer on a 10-mile
front.
Dhorn, 3 miles west and Echtz,
21a miles northwest of Duren, top
pied. Nearby Geich, Obergeich and
Strass were taken yesterday.
Street fighting ragged in at least
five villages, the farthest of which
was miles from Duren. These
were Pier, Merken, Gey, Merode and
Schafberg. The Germans employed
dug-in tanks and self-propelled guns
at Gey.
IL Enemy Counterattacks.
On the Saarland front to the
south, 1t. Gen. George S. Patton's
Sd Army fought amid Siegfried Line
defenses at Dillingen and Saar1au-
tern, encountering ever -stiffening
resistance which took on fanatical
character. Tanks and guns fired at
the Americans from vantage points
inside buildings and factories. In
fantry was buried under rubble
heaps left in the wake of Allied air
forces.
Eleven enemy counterattacks have
been launched in this area in the
last two days. Three came at Dill
lingen before dawn today. In one
of these IS Germans made a charge,
shouting Hell Hitler!" Every Nazi
was killed.
During Sunday, Gen. Patton's 95th
Division reported cleaning out 25
pillboxes, 80 fortified buildings and
several dug-in tanks inside Saar-
lautern, which the Americans half
won eight days ago. Third Army
men also fought in the streets of
Roden and Fraulautern beyond
Saarlautern and in Sarreguemines.
At Merken, the 1st Army was
within % miles of Cologne and
astride the main highway which
the Germans call an autobahn The
road crosses the Roer miles north
Of Duren, key city of $4,000, and
then debouches into lesser roads in
the fat rolling approaches to
Cologne.
Force Way to Haguenau.
On Gen. Patton's right, 1t. Gen.
Alexander M. Patch's 7th Army was
at grips with the Germans on the
east side of the big French base of
Haguenau, into which the 10th In
fantry Division forced its way yes
terday. Heavy fighting ragged at
several places in the Haguenau area,
including the streets of Reichshof-
fen. mile south of Niederbronn.
The 1st Army slogged through
Dhorn. The Germans had vacated
this village as well as Obergeich and
Echtz. Tanks played a prominent
part In the new thrust.
To the north, other infantry for
nations still fought in the streets
of Pier, 5 miles northwest of Du-
rem, where the Germans had tanks
Enemy armor also guarded the ap-
proaches to Schophoven, where
American infantry last was reported
500 yards away.
The 1st Army opened a new pre-
dawn attack at 4:30 am from the
vicinity of Lucherberg and covered
1000 yards, reaching the outskirts
Of Merken, close to the flooded Roer
and 31a miles northwest of Duren.
Still Fighting in Gey.
Contrary to reports late yesterday
that Gey, miles southwest of
Duren, had been cleaned out, the
Americans still were fighting for
each house in that village.
Below Gey, the Germans in the
first light today launched a counter
attack against Americans holding
Strass. Front reports said the
doughboys were holding the thrust
The 35th and 26th Infantry DiW-
sions of the Sd Army extended their
lines in the center of the Western
Front east of Sarreguemines, squeez-
ing the Germans from some of the
last bits of France in that sector
No further progress was reported
either toward the Saarland capita
of Saarbrucken, miles or so from
American troops, or inside the near
by French rail center of Forbach
A front dispatch said the Sd Army