Evening star., 1944-10-24
British Advance
Into Outskirts
Center
Cunudiun Forces Guir
In Drive to Free
Port Of Antwerp
MAP ON Page A-3.)
MAP ON Page A-3.)

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, Oct. 24.-British
troops today stormed into the
outskirts of the Dutch communi-
cations center of IS Hertogen-
bosch, and Canadian forces to
the west plunged closer to
RooSendaal in the blazing battle
to clear the Germans from the
vicinity Of the Belgian port of
Antwerp.
A dispatch from supreme Allied
headquarters in Paris said Canadian
units fighting to clear the south
bank of the Schelde Estuary held
the ferry port of Breskins firmly and
were along or across a road all the
way to Schoondijke, miles south of
Breskens. The Germans have been
squeezed into a pocket in this area
An earlier dispatch had reported
that the Canadians who took Bres-
kens Sunday had withdrawn from
the town and that a confused Situa-
ton prevailed there.
Patrols Pass Breskens.
Demolition patrols which moved a
half-mile beyond Breskens to Fort
Frederik Hendrix withdrew, presum-
ably leaving that bastion's powerful
coastal batteries out of action
Neither side now occupies the fort
the Paris diSDatch said
North of Antwerp, Canadian
troops cut the causeway leading to
the islands in the Schelde Estuary.
Their artillery previously had COM
manded this area.
Along the main 475-mile front fac
ing east toward Germany persistent
Allied pressure scored no major
gains, and the winters first wide
spread snow sharpened the plague
of weather which has hampered the
Allied armies for weeks.
Front reports indicated the Ger
mans in the S Hertogenbosch area
were suffering from lack of artillery
support. The British were using a
powerful force of infantry, tanks
and artillery.
Three Columns Drive on City.
Three British columns drove on
the cathedral city and Dutch pro-
vincial capital. The northernmost
column, having captured the village
of Rosmalen, pushed westward into
the outskirts of S Hertogenbosch
during the early morning darkness.
Two more columns slashed their
way toward that communications
hub and bastion of the Germans
West Holland line from the south
and east.
To the west, Canadian troops
neared Roosendaal in their drive to
flank the German anchor of Bergen
Op Zoom. An Allied communique,
reporting fresh crossings of the
Dutch border north of Antwerp. an
nounced new gains northward along
the Antwerp -Roosendaal railway.
The Paris radio said the Canadians
were less than miles from Roosen-
daal.
The Canadians were within about
5 miles Of Bergen Op Zoom. This
port and Roosendaal are two main
German strongholds in Southwest
ern Holland.
Nazis on Islands Cut of.
The pinchoff of the causeway to
the west bottled up the Germans on
South Beveland and Walcheren Is
lands, where enemy guns also forbid
Allied use OF the water lane to Ant
Werp.
The sector around Aachen was not
active, but to the South German
big guns, apparently railway weap-
ons, hurled from sixteen to twenty
700-pound shells into the Sd Army
area.
The German radio reported Allied
guns were pounding the fortress of
Metz with heavy barrage. Street
fighting for possession of Maizieres
les Metz to the north continued,
with the Americans now holding
about three -fourths of the town.
The enemy hurled several coun-
terattacks, with armored support,
against the Allied lines near Lune-
vile, farther south, but headquarters
reported all were repulsed North
lSee WESTERN FRONT, Pg. A-3)