The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-21
Continued from Page One,

vi at 1ul strength, as seems
likely for this Carefully prepared
German thrust, armored division,
each would number about 10 ool
men and Infantry divisions up t,
lo,ooO, making total force of ,,r
10 zoo,000 in the first phase of th,
German assault. The extent of the
new enemy forces which dispatch
es today said were swinging int
action was not yet known
The fighting was intense ane
casualties heavy for both side,
as the battle swirled through its
fourth day on front of approxi.
mately go miles.
The Initial impetus of the Ger.
man surge, which penetrated to q
distance of 20 miles or more into
belgium in its first day and a hall
appeared to have been checked in
tne Stavelot sector by 1t. Gen
courtney H. Hodges grimy Dough.
boys, but farther to the south the
situation remains fluid and the en-
envy continued to pound deeper in
to American positions.
Stavelot, four miles southwest
OF Malmedy and in the sector
where the Germans threw the
heaviest weight of their assault
was held tonight by American
troops who drove the Nazis from
the town street by street. Mons.
chau, On the German side of the
border Is miles southeast of Aach.
en-, also was recaptured by the
Americans. Other local successes
were reported, although no effort
was made to disguise the continu-
ing seriousness of the situation
or to indicate that the full force of
the German drive had slackened.
The gravity of the German of.
fenslve was fully realized at head.
quarters. But there also was rea.
son to believe that Field Marsha
Won Rundstedt, in risking all his
resources in this surprise assault
might also be laying himself open
fora defeat SO decisive as to short
en- the war if this bold strategy
failed.
The Germans are expanding vast
reserves in their attack and in the
end the Allies immense store OF
equipment and manpower may
turn the Nazi High Commands big
fling into its last.
Monschau, German town at the
extreme northern end of the enc.
my's assault, was recaptured by
communicating Yank troops, who
surrounded and presumably seized
Nazi forces who had fought into
the town. Lying 16 miles southeas1
of Aachen, it was the jump-oft
point for a short-lived American
attack last week.
Front dispatches, released in de
tail through censorship. Ter. .tht
first time, disclosed that the mair
German drive is being made ir
the region of Stavelot, a key Bel
gian town 20 miles from the Ger
man frontier. Previously it had
been known only that the drive had
reached this area, and it had not
been clear whether this was the
scene of the principal push.
Fighting ragged today IN and
around Stavelot, where Hodges
Doughboys, backed by anti-tank
guns, beat back four savage Ger.
man attacks.
Stavelot was reached by the
Nazis in the first 36 hours of their
bold surprise thrust. Today the
grimly fighting Yanks regained
control of the town and fought off
fresh enemy attacks.
Four times today the Germans
hurled everything at the battered
town, striking under cover of a
clinging fog and mist, but each
time they were flung back. To-
night the embattled Doughboys
were reported driving the Nazis
from the town street by street in
bitter fighting.
American tanks and tank de-
stroyers were smashing at the side
of the enemy salient just south