Evening star., 1944-10-22
Americans Push
On Into Reich
From Aachen
Canadians Drive
Ahead to Clear
ScheIde Estuary
BY the Associated Press.

LONDON, Sunday, Oct. o.
American troops struck swiftly
last night following the uncon-
ditional surrender of Aachen,
pushing approximately / mile
eastward toward Duren, "a miles
away, from their positions In
the Wurselen area, 4 miles north
Of Aachen.
Thunde erbolt fighter-bombers
ranged ahead of the American at
tack, showering leaflets and explo-
sives on towns along the highway
that leads from Aachen through
Duren to Cologne, 40 miles away.
To the northwest, the Canadian
lst Army, with British aid, ad-
vanced nine miles in the Dutch Bel
gian border region in drive to clear
the Schelde Estuary so the Allies
can use the great port Of Antwerp
Rain Cuts Air Support.
American troops near the German
border in the Netherlands advanced
within 1000 yards of an unidentified
hub near the Mas (Meuse) River,
and the British consolidated their
positions southeast of Venray in sec
ondary actions in this important
sector.
Elsewhere no significant progress
was reported in the badly solder
front. Direct air support was cut
by rain to a minimum.
The final surrender of Aachen
first large German city to fall into
Allied hands, was made by 800 Ger
mans who violated Adolf Hitler's
fight -the-death" orders after
being hammered into traps from
which there was no escape from 1t
Gen. Courtney H. Hodges savagely
attacking lst Army doughboys.
1t was the first formal surrender
OF German arms on German soil
in modern history. Tonight the
German homefolks still had not
been told of it by their propaganda
ministry.
Possibly 10000 Captured.
Unof1cial estimates of the bag
OF prisoners ranged upward to 10000
since the Americans issued their
unconditional surrender ultimatum
to Aachen 10 days ago. American
casualties during the subsequent
all-out assault and house house
roofing out of the stubborn Nazis
were declared officially to be rela-
lively light.
The German colonel, a profess
sional soldier named Gerhardt
Wick, made a theatrical show of
his capitulation, marching his men
out in perfect order in their best
uniforms and with highly polished
boots. He first signed a paper
omitting the unconditional sur
render requirement.. This the
Americans refused to accept.
Col. Wick, after some soul
searching, drew up and signed a
new document of unconditional sur
render, which he blamed on lack
of ammunition and food. He ex-
planned that he had hesitated for
fear of reprisals against his family
in Germany because he was dis
obeying his Fuehrer's express
orders to die on the spot. Later in
a prisoner enclosure he wept with
out restraint.
Surrender of the ruhble heap that
is Aachen, leaving the Americans
free to prosecute drive towards
Cologne, was, for all its drama
strategically less significant than
the new Canadian assault to open
the Schelde Estuary to Allied sup
ply ships.
In an offensive which field dis
patches said gained nine miles in
the first So hours across wooded
country, two Canadian columns
threw bridges across the Roosendaal
Canal near the Dutch Belgian bor-
der IA miles north of Antwerp.
A British column under Canadian
command kept pace by thrusting