Evening star., 1944-12-28
Advancing Yonks
Cross Sure River
At Four Places
100 HEAVY BOMBERS hit Reich
despite bad weather. Page Al
MAP on Page A-3.)
By the Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
PARIS, Dec. 28.-Field reports
today indicated that Field Mar
Shal Won Rundstedt's whole
southern flank for 35 miles back
to the German border was sag.
ging under doughboy and ar
mored attack menacing the Bel
gian bulge.
American tanks and infantry, re.
suming their advance, had crossed
the Sure River at four places by
dawn yesterday and were holding
a narrow but firm relief corridor
to the garrison of Bastogne
Allied forces north and south OF
the salient were within 20 miles
OF junction that would cut of
the enemy head which has been
thrust to within few miles of the
Meuse River.
1t was too early to foresee the
outcome, for the Americans in their
counterattack now under way faced
formidable obstacles.
But there were clear indications
the bold Nazi bid for a great VIC
tory had butted into serious trouble
The German Army had been held
for more than 4S hours up to dawn
yesterday without significant gain
NaZi Pockets Surrounded.
German pockets were surrounded
In the western head of the enemy
offensive and on the southern flank
and were under tempests of she'll
fire.
Southwest of Echternach the Ger
mans were retreating and north
west of that southern hinge of the
salient they were repairing an escape
bridge under American fire and were
preparing to pull back into Ger
many across the Sure
A bit farther northwest $50 Ger
mans were swimming the Our River
back into Germany.
Three of the American crossings
Of the Sure, which Berlin broadcasts
said were by the United States Sd
Army under the command of 1t.
Gen. George S. Patton, were near
Bonnal, 21a miles northwest of
Eschdorf. The fourth was at place
8 miles northwest of Martelange. All
the crossings we're within about Is
miles of Bastogne.
Patrols Badly Beaten Up.
Marshal Won Rundstedt's armored
patrol probings toward the Meuse
were being beaten up badly, though
one did thrust out miles south of
Celles to the vicinity of Beauraing,
only 312 miles from the French bor-
der
The tide of battle east of the
Meuse definitely has turned with de-
pleted enemy armor almost every
where on the defensive" said a field
dispatch.
One German pocket of armor and
infantry was being pounded to pieces
by encircling American tanks and
artillery pieces between Celles. deep
est western penetration of the enemy
and Rochefort. 10 miles to the south
east About two enemy battalions
were in the trap.
On the southern flank another
German pocket was surrounded at
Beaufort, 6 miles northwest of
Echternach
Two Ma jor Developments.
Won Rundstedt's hopes of expand
Ing his salient westward had been
blasted by two developments. The
first was the push northward by a
powerful armored force which blast.
ed its way to link-up with the
Bastogne garrison at a point miles
south of that nerve center. Bastogne
had been denied to the Germans for
seven days by the stout-hearted
Americans.
The second development was 6
series of crushing tank and infan-
try battles in the Celles area ir
which the Germans collided head
on with strong Allied forces After
hanging on to the fanks of the
German thrust for 10 days the
Americans at last had headed of
Won Rundstedt
AS a result the German com.
mander was reported pulling back