Evening star., 1944-11-21

American 1st Army today
closed in on the important
city Of ESchweiler, with the
Germans fighting bitterly to
keep their defenses from
crumbling.
LONDON (Pl.-Troops of the
American 7th Army's 44th Di-
vision today captured Sarre-
bourg, 10 miles northwest of
MulhouSe, and mechanical
patrols were stabbing on to-
ward Strasbourg, 80 miles be-
yond.
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Nov. 21.-French ar
NOR, swinging north along the
Rhine, today reached the out
skirts of Mulhouse and perhaps
already had entered that indus
trial city of $1,000 in swift ex-
ploitation of the Belfort break
through. which undercut the
whole collapsing German stand
in the VoSgeS Mountains.
Farther north, the Germans were
falling back toward Strasbourg and
Saarbrucken behind weakening rear
guard resistance officially described
as disorganized.
Belfort, French city guarding the
Rhine, has been captured, it was
disclosed by Gen. Eisenhower TIE
fortress city had been bypassed in
the breakthrough by the French
forces
Six Allied armies We're heaping on
pressure at quickening pace.
Berlin said 7th Army troops had
broken into Sarrebourg, rail-high-
way junction 80 miles from the
Rhine Armor of the Sd Army far
ther north wheeled deeper into the
Saar Basin.
MulhOuse Assault Reported.
An unconfirmed Swiss report said
the French were attempting to
bridge the Rhine southeast of Null
1louSS All dSSdull was iCPO1 GCO
underway on Mulhouse itself.
At the north end of the front.
beyond Aachen, the American LIST
and 9th Armies and the British I'd
Army pushed their lines slowly to-
ward Cologne - approximately 26
miles beyond the American van
guards-and the Rhine against in
creasingly furious German resist
ance marked by tank-led counter
attacks which slowed but failed to
stop the Allied drive to crack the
Reichs strongest defenseS.
The Germans threw 20 to 80 tanks
against American 9Th Army units
at Schleiden, miles southeast of
captured Geilenkirchen, but 1t. Gen.
william H. Simpsons men repulsed
this blow and advanced a mile and
a half northeast, capturing Alden
hoven, on the road to Julich, miles
away. Julich is a baStion on the
Roer River, last natural defense
barrier before the Rhine. Earlier
the 9th Army preached formidable
l0-mile-long German antitank ditch.
Five fortress groups at Metz con-
tinued firing after the German
commander within the enemy-held
northern portion of the French for
tress city ignored an ultimatum to
surrender.
Enter Maginot Line Defenses.
A 2-mile advance on the Ameri-
can Sd Army wing east of Metz
carried 1t. Gen. George S. Patton
jr.'S, men to points to II miles
below the Saar frontier. Third
Army troops entered the old Magi-
not Line defenSes north of Faulque-
mont, 20 miles southwest of Saar-
brucken, and took Lelling, 9r2 miles
northeast of Dieuze.
Gen. Pattons 10th Armored Di-
vision which drove into the Saar-
a major German iron and coal re-
gion-has deepened its-penetration
of the Reich to miles in the Mer-
zig area. This division encountered
heavy enemy fire from east of the
Saar River.
The Germans fell back toward the
border in the entire sector east of
Metz.
Other Towns Captured.
In addition to taking Aldenhoven,
the American 9th Army also cap
tured Freialdenhoven, Gereons-
weller. Nedermerz and Unger-
shaugen.
On the 9th Armys right American
1st Army troops hacked new gains
out of stubbornly defended enemy
(See WESTERN FRONT, Page A-4
Tnmmieeinnore Doetnnno