The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-11-16
Tanks Open New
 Rhineland Attack
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est enemy bastion in Eastern France.
 Other units of the 95th division advanced beyond St. Remy, three and a half miles north northeast of Metz and entered the Woippy roods.
 Four miles west of Metz, the Americans yielded Fort Hubert to a German counters attack, but clung to nearby Fort Jussy and advance positions within @ mile and three quarters of the city.
 Fort Hubert, vital link in the chain of outer Notifications guard ing Metz, had surrendered to the Americans Tuesday.
 Peltre Recaptured
 The Germans also re-captured Peltre, three miles south of Metz, but front dispatches said the Amer ican 5th division still was on the approaches to Magny, one mile be- low Metz and a mile northwest Of Peltre.
 The 9th division also was reported to have seized at least part of the Pouilly ridge two to three miles south southwest of Metz in some Of the bitterest fighting of the cam paign. The ridge overlooks Metz and artillery mounted on its crest can fire on even the smallest mov- ing target inside the city.
 United Press correspondents at the front south of Metz said the doughboys there could hear the five o'clock whistle inside the city yes- terday and were setting their watches by a clock on g. steeple 1n the center.
 Despite stiffening German resist ance and mounting counter attacks dispatches said American soldiers and officers were convinced that the battle of Metz, for all practical purposes. already had been won The only question was said to be how dearly the Germans wished to pay with lives and material before they admitted it.
 S. w. Of Metz
 Southwest of Metz, the 11th reg iment of the 5th division gained half mile on a seven-mile front anc were reported within quarter mile of the formidable Verdun group ol forts 5000 yards from the city,
 Augny, two miles southwest o1 Metz, was occupied and some patrols were reported to have slipped II behind the Verdun forts.
 The 10th Infantry Regiment southeast of Metz captured Mec- leuves, five miles from the city and beat off strong German coun- ter-attack against Sorbey, two ano a half miles farther east.
 The Germans also counter attack ed at the northern and southern ends of Patton's offensive front. The American 9Oth Division in the north was driven back quarte9 mile east of Thionville, but regained the lost ground in counter-th-ust ot Its own.
 The 4th armored division in the Bourgaltroff area 26 miles northeast of Nancy likewise gave ground in a slugfest with counter attacking Nazl infantry and armor, but subSe- ouently hurled the enemy back into nearby woods to re-organize.
 Racrange Captured
 The 35th Infantry and Fourth Armored Divisions teamed up to capture Racrange, a mile east of NForhanpe and complete the clear ance of the Koecking forest, two miles north of Dieuze. A German broadcast conceded that Morhange itself also had fallen after fierce street fighting"
 At least 15 German tanks were knocked out along the whole 3rd Army front.
 Dispatches fyom Fist Army group headquarters in Holland said the British 2nd Army attack west of Venlo and Roermond was described officially as progressing well"
 Enemy resistance was mostly ln the form of scattered machine-gun posts and mines. No counter att tacks had been reported.
 While the main attack appeared to be directed toward Roermond, other units completed the occupa- tion of Meijel, 12 miles west of Venlo, and Donk, one mile south of Meijel.
 French Offensive
 The French offensive north of the French Swiss border got under way Tuesday morning with an old-style French artillery barrage covering the advance of Moroccan, Algerian and Senegalese troops, reinforced by FFI units.
 All local objectives were overrun quickly despite fierce German re- sistance, a front dispatch said Among the villages captured north of the Doubs were LOugres, five miles southwest of Montbeliard; !; Gemonval, six miles north of LIsle- Sur -Doubs, and Marvelise, Onans, Bretigny and Montenois, all on an ] irregular line between Lougres and