The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-27

fore the Mouse.
 Heavy bombers of the U. s. 9th Air Force Swarmed out over western Germany to smash again at the en- emy's rear communications lines, despite an early morning overcast that threatened to curtal the AL lies tactical bombing over the bat tlefields.
 There was every indication, how ever, that the U. s. 9th Air Force ard its RAF support would make every effort to continue the tempo of the offensive that in the past four days was believed to have knocked out more than half the ar- mored strength with which Marshal Karl Von Rundstedt launched his drive 12 days ago.
 The cumulative effect of that four day strike was believed telling already on the -Iazi Panzer columns, grinding them to at least tempor- ary halt short of the Mouse only two days after resumptif of their west ward march.
 Heavy fighting was reported con- tinuing in the Celles-C -Cincy sector, however, and official sources said the Germans still were building up their offensive force at the tip of the Salient, although at a consider ably slower fate because of the AL Tier air attacks.
 German pressure also was strong along the northwestern shoulder or the bulge in the Marche and Hotton areas, Il miles southeast and IA miles east of Ciney, but there, too, the Americans appeared to be hold ing firmly. :,
 German armored units gained some ground on the northern flank of the Salient, capturing the Village of Manhay, Il miles southwest ol Stayelot and about the same dis tance east of Hotton. In general, however, the northern side of the corridor was regarded as temporar- ily stabilized. although reports Of gathering German concentrations in the Monschau sector and farther north around Schmidt raised the possibility of 8 new German thrust from that direction.
 Slow Counter Drive
 Meanwhile, the American counter drive along a 30-mile stretch of the German southern flank continued its slow but steady progress north ward through hastily-erected Ger man defenses in the hills of Central Luxembourg and southern Belgium.
 At the western end of that line, a strong American relief force drove forward less than five miles south of the Belgian highway center of Bastogne, where famous. doughboy outfit was holding out under attack from all sides. Surrounded in Bas- togne when the German tide rolled past the town week ago, the Americans were blocking full Nazi use of the Arlon-Liege highway in that sector and inflicting heavy loss es on the enemy siege force.
 At last reports, the relief column moving to their rescue held a four mile line extending westward from point just north of Chaumont to the edge of German-held Rosiere, eight miles southwest of Bastogne. Hundreds of transport planes were supplying the trapped Americans with ammunition and food, and there, was confidence that they would be able to hold on.
 Farther to the southeast the American counter attack cleared the Germans from the Belgian border villages of Hollange and Tintange, and heavy fighting was reported in and around the Luxembourg towns of Lutzhausen, Aredorf, Eschdorf, Kehmet and Ringel.
 On the right flank of the coun- ter-attack, where Berlin said units of the American Third and Seventh