Evening star., 1944-11-15
3 More Forts FALL 2 By-passed,
As Yanks Push Within : Miles
OF Metz From North and South
Potion S Troops
Bottle Through
Snow and SIeet
MAP on Page A-3.)
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press,
LONDON, Nov. 15.-Lt. Gen
George s. Patton's Sd Army, bat
Ting through snow and sleet,
today captured three more forts
guarding Metz, by-passed two
others and reached points less
than 2 miles from the citadel on
both south and west.
To the north the British offensive,
launched last night from a Jumping
OF point at the junction of the
Noord and Wessem Canals, drove
forward nearly 8 miles. 1t. Gen.
Sir Miles DempSey's troops were 81
miles from the Ruhr city of Duis-
burg, and a spokesman said:
I'VE are pushing on fast and, for
the present at least, there is nothing
much in sight to stop u.s."
South of the Metz, American 7th
Army troops pushed doggedly
through the deepening snowfields of
the Northern Vosges foothills.
Weather Hampers Operations.
Operations along the entire front
were hampered by the weather and
there were no reports of air support
IN any sector.
Forts Hubert and Jussy, west of
Metz, fell to the 95th Infantry Di-
vision, which reached point miles
from the city after a gain Of mile
and half. Fort Illange, just south of
Thionville, fell to Americans, who
stormed the bastion after the Ger
man commander had refused to
surrender. Previously Fort Thion-
vile, just north of the city, and
Fort Koenigsmacher, across the Mo-
selle to the northeast, had been
captured.
In sweeping up Forts Hubert and
Jussy the 95th Division by-passed
Fort Driant and its twin fort of
Jeanne dare in their headon thrust
toward Metz from the west, a dis
patch from supreme headquarters
said. A German broadcast earlier
had said the Americans had opened
assaults on Driant, which the enemy
successfully defended against q
thrust two months ago, and Jeanne
dare.
Drive Toward Magny.
Immediately south Of Metz, Amer
ican troops who captured Forts
fAisne and l'Yser were driving
toward Magny, less than a mile
from the city, after capturing
Pouilly ard the ridge of the same
name. East of this point other
Americans seized Peltre, az miles
southeast of Metz. German resist
ance in this area was reported
stiffening.
Despite signs that the Germans
do not plan a suicide stand in Metz
resistance has been spotty along the
entire front and the elaborate forts
captured from the Germans have
been stripped Of their big guns-the
Berlin radio announced that the
civilian population of Metz had been
ordered evacuated.
North of Metz the Koenigsmacher-
Thionville bridgehead over the Mo-
selle River was heightened to IL
miles, and front dispatch said
there were signs of general Ger
man withdrawal to the southeast
in that area.
In the wheeling movement SOUTH
east of Metz the 4th Armored Di-
vision passed Guebling, 27 miles
from thescity, and the 26th pressed
closer to Dieuze.
Counterattacks Repulsed.
A German counterattack was bro
ken up by the troops driving on Metz
from the south and another enemy
counterthrust was repulsed in the
9Th Armored Division zone around
Arriance. Is miles southeast of Metz
and IA miles from the German bor-
der.
The British mounted their drive
yesterday from Nederweert, 18 miles
southwest of Venlo and 80 miles
northwest of Aachen The apparent
purpose of this offensive was to fiat
ten the German bulge west of the
Mas Meuse) River and straighten
the Allied front between the Dutch
city of Nijmegen and Aachen, where
American 1st Army troops have pen
etrated the Siegfried Line and es-
tablished themselves firmly on Ger
man SOIL
The British quickly established
three bridgeheads over the Wessem
and Noord Canals and occupied
Meijel, miles northeast of Neder-
weert, and Find, IL miles southeast
of Nederweert. The Germans hao
abandoned Meijel, but left it heavily
mined and BOBBY trapped.
Advance on Right Flank.
On the right flank of the Sd Army!
huge attack, American infantry ant
armor advancing north of Chateau.
Salins reached the area of Destrict
and Baronweiler.
Fresh gains also were scored BY
Allied troops of the 9Th Army groul
in the Vosges Mountains and foot.
hills. north of the Swiss border
Northeast of Baccarat they advanced
approximately miles against ngh1
resistance. East of Bruyeres thu
town Of Granges-sur- -Vologne ane
several nearby villages were captured
as the enemy was forced back more