The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-26
Enemy Within 4
 Miles Of Mouse
Continued from Page D

(COnLlnueQ
 Flying conditions were not quite as god as they had been but most of the bombing was done viSually.
 The sudden collapse of the Amer ican pocket below the Malmedy- Stavelot line after two days of rel ative stability sent Nazi tanks and armored troop carriers spilling west ward along the northern wall of the corridor to join their central spear heads driving for the Mouse.
 Center Riddled
 Exploiting the breakthrough, the Nazis sent three armored spear heads through the riddled center and right center of the American First Army line on a 13-mile front pointed squarely at the Mouse river citadels of Dinant and Namur. ! Rochefort, IA miles east of the Meuse and IS miles east-southeast of Dinant, was captured by the Ger mans 36 hours ago and it was indi- cated their Vanguards still were rolling forward.
 The new German line as of Mon day morning extended in a south western to northeastern direction extending roughly through or close to Rochefort, Marche, Hotton, Grandmenil, Lieurneux, Stavelot, Malmedy, Bullingen and then north to MonSchau.
 All of these towns, except Roche fort, were still in American hands S6 hours ago.
 The continued enemy progress in the face of one of the greatest aerial attacks in history was attributed to the fact that the full effect of the Allied air blows agains the enemy's forward and rear areaS-partlcular- ly the latter-is not likely to be felt until 4S hours after the strikes.
 The German high command said offensive SpearheadS were thruSting forward west of the Ourthe river after lending off numerous counter attacks.
 Tanks Reinforced
 American endorsements from other fronts were thrown into ef- fcrtS to relieve the force encircled in the Bastogne area, a Berlin com- munique said, claiming the U. S. attacks were smashed" and the ring around Bastogne was frightened.
 The communique said that since the offensive began on Dec. 16, the Germans have captured or destroyed TOO American tanks anC armored vehicles.
 German paratroops struck 12 miles ahead of their advancing tank forces, descending behind the Amer ican lines north of Beauraing, five miles from the city of Givet and only 8 half-dozen miles from French soil.
 A headquarters conmunique said the NaM paratroops were mopped up quickly in the Beauraing area, along with another airhorne force that tried to disrupt American communi- cations southwest of Stavelot, some 45 miles to the rear.
 Simultaneously, other Nazi tank and shock troop formations lashed out for the Mouse in the Marche sector, eight miles northeast of Rochefort. and around Hotton, AZ miles farther to the north.
 The new German breakthrough was aided enormously by a sudden weakening of American resistance along the northern shoulder of the Salient. It. cen. Courtney H. Hodges first army doughboys were squeezed out of a bulge extending down about seven miles from the Malmedy- -Stavelot line, permitting the northern and central prongs of the Nazi drive to link up in solid smile front.
 With the center of the American line still in a highly fluid state, the great winter offensive launched by Marshal Karl Won RundStedt II days ago already had carved out a salient 37 miles dep and S5 miles wide extending almost from the German to the French borders and from Southern Belgiu into Central Luxembourg. At last reports, ad- rlittedly 36 hours old, the Nazis S were rolling westward in 8 ow- CT drive of grave proportions.
 Not Quitting
 Headquarters Spokesmen acknowl- edged that Rundstedt, far from be- ing stopped by the threat to his Hanks and the >ughter of his men and armor by Allied planes, actual was striking with renewed power and upoising grave threat to the vital Mouse River line.
 The fate of the Mouse and per- hapS the entire communications network of the Allied armies on the western front apparently rested now on the ability ot the American and British air forces to pile up the NaA panzer columns and stall them long enough for Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhowers counter offensive to gain momentum.
 British based American heavy bombers Swarmed out to the attack early today, striking at the enemys' rear supply bases under clear skies that promised another field day for the USAAF and RAF tactical air forces.
 Yesterday, American and British warplanes roared up and down the