Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-10-11
MAP on Page A-30

MAP on Page A-30 -
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Oct. 11.-Massed
American big guns and dive
bombers today opened an assault
to destroy Aachen after its COM
mander rejected surrender-or-
die ultimatum.
Heavy 8-inch guns, 155-mm. Long
Toms, and 105-mm. howitzers
Numbered in an obliterating bar
rage and bombers hurtled down on
the surrounded city. BY refusing
to accept the 24-hour ultimatum
for unconditional surrender or COM
plete destruction, the German COM
mander had sealed the doom of
the city and its $500 SIS troops.
Gunners loosed the first salvos at
noon, an hour and 10 minutes after
expiration of the ultimatum.
AS a test case, Aachen indicated
that the Nazi leadership at this
time will see it's cities destroyed
rather than yield.
Civilians Move to u. S. Lines.
White flags appeared over many
of the ancient buildings of Aachen
before the ultimatum expired, but
they apparently were hung by civil
ians. Hundreds of civilians and a
handful of troops moved under truce
flags to American lines, but these
came from outlying portions of the
city away from the immediate con-
troll of the enemy garrison.
It was estimated that $1,000 civil
fans, hiding in cellars of the already
badly damaged city, remained of
Aachen's 10000 prewar population.
AS the blows to level Aachen
began, American LIST Army closed
the ring tighter about the city. To
the north they seized Scharfenberg
and Bardenburg, advanced to
Wurselen and mopped up Germans
in the southern part of Haaren,
northeast of Aachen.
Battle in Winding Tunnel.
South of the siege site, American
Sd Army men and Germans battled
underground in a winding tunnel at
Fort Driant before Metz, richochet-
ting bullets off the walls. Dough-
boys and Germans were so close
they could hear each others orders.
The fierce struggle for surface
positions in the fortress continued
unchanged. Farther south, Amer
leans virtually cleared the enemy
from Parroy Forest, and scored
gains east of Luneville and Epinal.
A house-to.house fight was on for
Maiziere, 6 miles above Metz.
Canadians sliced the main high
way connecting the Schelde Estuary
island of South Beveland with the
Dutch mainland, looping off the
escape route for thousands of Ger
mans holding there who have pre-
vented Allied use of Antwerp port.
Schelde Beachhead Widened.
To the southwest, other Canadian
infantry widened their Schelde Riv-
er beachhead to 4 miles, and drove 3
miles inland in the backdoor assault
on the Germans below the Schedules
mouth. Berlin said this borne
landing east of Breskens opposite
Flushing had been reinforced.
Violent fighting continued at the
Canadian bridgehead over the Leo
pold Canal, spearhead of the push
from the south to knock the Ger
mans from the lower Schelde area.
The Allies heavily bombarded the
holdout port of Dunkerque on the
French coast.
Southeast Of Aachen, the Allied
communique reported gains to the
southwest of Hurtgen and patrol
and artillery action near Monschau.
Heavy Enemy Losses.
On the Sd Army front substan-
tial bridgehead was reported estab-
lished across the Moselotte River
In the LIE TThillot sector, where
heavy losses were inflicted on the
enemy" The Longagoutte and
Gehan Forests we're largely mopped
up.
Attention, however, centered large
ly on the dramatic situation at
Aachen, During the "a hours which
the ultimatum ran, the Allied radio
al Luxembourg warned at intervals
hour after hour that the defenders
must make up their minds quickly,
or see the city leveled.
1--WE shall take the city either by
receiving its immediate uncondi-
tional surrender, or by attacking
and destroying it" said the ulti-
matum, delivered inside the already
battered German metropolis yester-
day by three American soldiers
carrying flag of truce.
Narrow Corridor Remains.
The ultimatum carried to the
Aachenr commandant spoke of the
city as completely surrounded" but
actually latest field and supreme
headquarters reports indicated that
narrow corridor remained open
northeast toward the heart OF
Germany.
The corridor, however, appeared
an almost certain road to death.
First Army machine guns could keep
the area under constant croSs-flre.
The Allies turned a succession Of
broadcasts toward Germany before
expiration Of the ultimatum in an
effort to get word Of Aachen's fate
to all Germans. Associated Press
War Correspondent Don Whitehead
said in q field dispatch:
The American high command
wants them to know the story Of
Aachen-wants them to know that
If their cities are to be made into
fortresses then they will be de-
stroyed. What happens to Aachen
will set the pattern for every city
inside Germany"
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