The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-21

miles northeast of the Wiltz forces slashed the Luxembourg-Liege road
 St. With: The Germans pincers movement on St. With was being held in bloody fighting but there was no word of the fate of Ameri- can forces trapped to the east Just north of St. With the Germans made their most extreme gain driving some 30 miles inside Bel gium to Habiemont.
 Along the northern flank of Nag Salient late front reports from United Press War Correspondent Jack Frankish with the First Am erican Army said the line Nal medy-Stavelot was growing more stable steadily and that German efforts to crack through these bas- tion protecting Liege, IT miles tc the northeast, had been turned back
 The German high command com munique reported Nazi advance elements crossed the Liege-Bas- togne-Arlon highway "on broad front.' This would mean an ad- vance of up to 27 miles, depending on the point at which the north Siuth highway running north to Liege from Arlon, just behind the central Luxembourg Belgian border was crossed.
 The communique said more than 10000 American prisoners were talk en, including 1000 when what was described as the American garrison of Eiffel'' was wiped out.
 The NaN command said that American supply columns moving toward the Mouse, apparently in re- treat, were overtaken by Naz tanks and smashed and that fresh Amer ican formations brought up to halt the attack were splintered.
 A German DNB newsreport said It. Gen. George s. Patton was wheel ing his Third Army northwestward from the Saar front to meet the threat caused by the lengthening salient which the Germans have rsmmed out along the identical route they employed in 1870 and 1e40.
 (Front dispatches did not make clear whether command of the Luxembourg sector ha dbeen shifted to Patton. Such move might be necessary if the gap slashed between the northern and southern ele- ments of the First Army has cut communications from It. Gen. Courtney Hodges headquarters with the Luxembourg sector)
 The northern shoulder of the German wedge apeared to be firm ing up under stern measures taken by the First Army and American forces were beating back Nazi ef- forts to crack through the Stavelot Malmedy, Butgenbach triangle which protects the great suply cen ter of Liege.
 A front dispatch filed by United Press War Correspondent Jack Frankish from First Army head quarters at 10 a. m. 5 a. m. EWT) left no doubt that there had been no lessening of the gravity of the situation.
 Heavy Fighting
 Frankish reported that "heaviest fighting" was in progress in what was called "the fluid zone"-a re- zion about 25 miles broad from Saint With down to Viandon, Lux embourg, where the major German armored through was achieved.
 Field Marshal Karl Won Rund- stedt was reported pouring his fin est infantry units into this hole following the blazing trail left by his tank columns.
 American and German formations were scattered through the break through region with dozens of indi- vidual battles going on and the climax of the German offensive yet to be beached.
 American tank destroyerS ano Bazookamen," Frankish reported, ''are knocking out German Tigers and Panzers one after another but still they keep coming = trying to make their third great drive across Belgium in 30 years.
 Town after town was being over- run by Panzers.
 Tt is said officially that the at- tack is not apt to be over this week The German advance might go far ther before it is halted. our counter measures take time"
 There were reports that Won Rundstedt has by no means thrown in all his available forces as yet and that they are massed in the rear ready to punch forward should the momentum of the present ad- vance bestowed.
 An official headquarters state ment. suggesting strongly that no major breakthrough had yet been achieved by the Nazis, said any fav- orable or unfavorable news of "Sen- sationar' import would be released immediately. There was no "sena- tional" announcement this morning and headquarters chung to its policy of revealing less spectacular develop ments 48 hours old.
 It was acknowledged at Head quarters. however, that American arms had suffered their worst de-