Evening star., 1944-12-20
Western Front
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Western Front
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claimed more than 200 German
planes shot down in three days.
First Official Disclosure.
The partial lifting of the security
blackout by Allied headquarters gave
the first official disclosure of the
depth and danger of the Nazi recoil
offensive mounted with all the power
|of Germanys arsenal-rested crack
divisions, tanks. planes, V-weapons,
parachute troops and amphibious
vehicles.
Dispatches from the counterat-
tack line, however, declared Gen.
Hodges had slammed in his infantry
and armor alike in attempts to stem
the onslaught
In fluid, confused battle, some
doughboys fought until they were
overrun in their foxholes by tanks.
German parachute troopers seized
one American hospital. but dough-
boys rewon it, freeing the captives.
Unconf1rmed reports in Paris said
a precautionary civilian evacuation
of Liege had been ordered last night.
Column Crosses in Force.
One German column struck in
force across the border from near
Honsfeld-27 miles southeast of
Aachen-and then split. One unit
veered to the vicinity of Butgen-
bach, miles northeast of Malmedy.
A second jabbed on to Stavelot. 5
miles southwest Of Malmedy and 8
miles below Spa, the famous resort
town.
The second Nazi drive was a pin
Ger thrust on the important road
hub Of st. With.
One claw cut in as far as Mas
pelt, miles south of ST. With.
Farther south, the Germans drove
out of the Ardennes Forest into
Luxembourg on either side of the
border town of Echternach. But
up to noon Monday-the Germans
had not gained as much ground in
this attack, nor had they won
Echternach itself.
The deepest penetration in this
sector was to near Consdorf, S miles
southwest of Echternach. By-passed
Americans held grimly to their
pockets.
Fourth Penetration.
The fourth penetration was in the
Monschau Forest area north Of NAL
medy., The Germans wedged into
Monschau, but quick American
counter action cut off Nazi advance
forces and regained part Of the lost
ground.
The Germans tried to disrupt 1st
Army rear communications by drop
lping parachute troops-perhaps 500
in the crossroads areas west of
Monschau. At last reports these and
other sealed-off Germans we're be-
Il ing mopped up, and the enemy was
almost back to the line from which
he started his thrust there.
Dispatches today from both
British-Canadian and United States
9th Army headquarters said enemy
patrols had suddenly thrust into
Allied lines in the Geilenkirchen
AREAS miles above the northern
most German push-and heavy
mortar fire crashed on Allied posi-
tions.
(Whether this heralded a new
Nazi assault in this area where
once the British I'd and United
States 9th Armies had their
junction point, or simply was in
tended to prevent the Allies
from moving reinforcements
south was not apparently
Some enemy movements were
sighted across the Roer River from
the 9th Army front. United States
patrols entered Duren, on the Roer,
it was announced yesterday.
A 9th Army dispatch said Ger
man prisoners were extremely con-
fident about the offensive beating
into 1st Army lines. Buoyed by
propaganda, some said this was but
the beginning, and that Antwerp
would fall in a few days
Last night when American and
British correspondents at Allied
headquarters protested the ban on
news. the Allied command promised
that disclosures would be made as
soon as consistent with military
security.
The rest of the western front re-
manned generally .stalemated.
The United States Sd Army seized
40 more pillboxes and fortified
houses in the Saarlautern area, for q
two-day total of 176, and had cleaned
up Dillingen save for the factory
area. American 7th Army troops re-
pulsed two strong counterattacks
northwest Of Wissembourg Farther
down the front French and Ameri-
can troops made small gains north
west of Colmar and in the high
Vosges.
Despite foul weather, German ar
NOR and truck conveys moving into