The Wilmington morning star., 1945-02-23
Third Ripping
Across Reich;
80 Towns Fall
Moselle-Saar Triangle Con.
ouered In Whirlwind
Offensive


nagine U. S. Third Army broi.e
across the Saar river at two points
IS miles from the Rhine today and
completed whirlWind conquest Of
Gerlnany's 8O-square-mile Moselle
saar triangle as 1000 Allied war
planes struck simultaneously a
enemy rail lifelines.
A field dispatch said Third Ar.
my officers and men were in high
spirits as they ripped across West.
ern Germany's ramparts with 6
speed reminiscent of their historic
dash in France, Selling the fortress
city of Saarburg and % other Reich
towns on 55-mile front.
Saarburg, once a thriving city OF
10000, was deserted save for loo
aged civilians.
This powerful thrust Is miles
deep into the Reich collapsed all
enemy resistance in the triangle
and rammed a steel spearhead to
a point five miles from Trier, for
titled city of $4,000 population on
the mountainous route to the Rhine.
While Trier's battlements came
under It.. Gen. George S. Patton S
guns, artillery to the south tore at
the fortified hills into which the
Germans had been chased east of
the Saar river. The attackers were
confident the enemy soon would be
driven from these new positions.
To the fury of the Allied air at
tack-a new technique under which
swarms of battle planes unload
their cargoes of destruction on COM
munications centers-Was added
the shock Of two other Allied ar
mics hammering at Germany's
first line of defense.
Forty miles southeast Of the
Third Army, the U. S. Seventh Ar
my capturde tWo-thirds of the
French gateway city of Forbach,
two miles from the Saar basins
steel city of saarbruecken.
The Canadian First Army on the
north end of the front captured
Moyland and fought nearly to the
edge of Calcar, bitterly-defended
highway center two miles south
east and Is miles from Vessel in
the western Ruhr industrial basin.
Scottish Infantry severed the
Goeh-Uedem railway and were
locked in furious milling struggle
two miles west of the latter town,
Which is a vital feeder point for
Inc enemy on that sector of the
front
On this spring-like day, the best
lying day in months. five Allied
forces pooled their planes in a
hlque operation designed to par
slyze all rail traffic in Germany
ana set the stage for the final big
push from the east and west to
crush Hitler's Reich.
Enemy territory between the
eastern and Western fronts was
ulDlded into five sectors. Against
lou targets there the great air
n nee'S unleashed their bombs as
nylhs artillery. Many targets were
sii'al' hitherto unbombed rail
eenlefS' whose Importance have
a slo~" since many major rail points
We're erased.
~. 'ook 1t. Gen. Patton's hard
n'ung veterans just three DAYS to
n no the triangle with a total of
w., ~ owns after breaking through
t1aIilioaple Slegfried Line fortifica-
s'onS a' the southern base. In all
e spproHlmately 70 towns have been
t sap'ufed all along the front since
WIZ; pis attack began Tuesday.
70 "llhoql giving the Germans time
S SHuls boats and crossed the saar
Sasrb, soutn of newly-captured
S SoIaaLourg. The Third Army now
h hOioS 25-mile stretch of the west
lie ''1 SddF southwark from
10 oJ JUNCTION with the Moselle.
rio gAe ioFce went across near Ser
Of e '"o and half miles south
ed saarOurg, and the others forg-
ba, s'toSs the stream mile and n
Rodt. '0"'n near Ihaben-
$ Patton was striking all along a
vicinit,- Honl northward to the
prna,o Oh the fallen fortress of
mj1es and in gains up to three
the Co,, was lnexorably squeezing
stp]ddoa alDans from the fortificatioli-
Tho d 49, Elfel mountains east of
"-T Tn ouchy of Luxembourg.
hgno wv otner Allied armies were
jjn ,l'' Mt a. Germany's first