The Wilmington morning star., 1945-02-26
Dueren Taken
With 240ther
Nazi Towns
Three Armies Have Hurd-
led Major Barriers
Before Rhine

Ahlop MOlludy, GU. AO-EHJ
A steamroller American offensive
rumbled seven miles beyond the
Roer river to within Is miles Of
Cologne yesterday, knocking out
Dueren - keystone of the Rhine
lands outer defense-and "a other
German towns against faltering
enemy resistance.
In all, three American armies
had hurdled all major water bar
riers west of the Rhine after shat
tering the Siegfield Line. for the
U. S. Third Army so miles south
of the Rhine-bound offensive had
smashed across the Pruem river
and was driving the Germans be-
fore it in disorder.
Tanks, heavy artillery and fresh
infantry units poured across the
Roer in endless streams, broaden
ing the breach in the river line to
% miles and slashing with gather
ing momentum to within five miles
of the Erft river, last enemy line
Of defense short of the Rhine.
A German broadcast declared
Gen. Eisenhower had hurled per-
haps 100000 men into the U. S.
First and Ninth Army offensive on
the Roer, and Berlin said the Ger
mans had blown dam and flooded
the Roer once more in desperate
attempt to stem the onslaught.
The menace to Cologne-Rhine
city of 800,0 and symbol Of Ger
man war might in the industrial
Ruhr and Rhineland-Was grow
ing hourly as spearheads Of both
the First and Ninth Armies drove
eastward along the broad highways
Hitler built for offense. not for de-
tense.
The First Army's 104th Timber
wolf Division was fighting on east
of fallen Dueren-second largest
German city to fall to American
arms-along the Dueren-Cologrs
highway IS miles from Cologne.
Eight miles to the north. the
Ninth Army's goth Division, driving
along the Juelich-Cologne highway.
seized Steinstrass, II miles from
Cologne. Steinstrass was a rich
prize. for there the Germans had
refitted their armored divisions.
Hundreds of U. S. medium, light
and fighter bombers heaped fresh
destruction on German defenses
all the way to the Rhine. The Ger
mans said the two American arm
les were supported by tremendous
artillery barrages that shook the
earth for miles around,
Associated Press Correspondent
Don Whitehead reported from the
First Army front that the German
defense there had noticeably light
ened APP Correspondent Yves Gal
lagher on the Ninth Army front
told of the capture of numerous 49,
nm guns complete with ammuni-
ton from crews unwilling or I'M
able to defend them.
Reports from the Canadian Army
front said the Germans were with.
drawing crack armored units to
meet the peril from the Americans.
and were pulling troops back from
northern Holland and the Dutch is
lands at the mouth of the Rhine.
The Min h Army won
victory second in the days achieve.
nents only to the capture of Dueren
by occupying a commanding ridge
and Selling pattern, two miles north
If Juelich, showing the Germans
back from where they could over
ook the Roer crossings.
Five miles to the north, American
was within 10 miles at
a h and was
to encircle Erkelenz,
highway center guarding the az
'roaches to that Ruhr city of 200..
co.
The fall of Dueren on the third
ay of the big push gave Eisen-
overs forces control Of the road
nd railway network across the
cologne plain. With peacetirne
opulation of 10000, Dueren was \
Military prize second only 10
achen. The prisoner count passed
le $500 mark.
Sixty miles to the south, the u
. Third Army slammed across
re Pruem river at two points and
rove to within four and a halt
lilies of the Eifel mountains com.
lunications center of Bitburg. A
ont dispatch said resistance was
lsorganized.
Farther south, the Third Army
elded two Saar river bridgeheads
ito one, battled three and half
lilies east of fallen Saarburg, and
18th tanks across the stream was
Continued on Page Two; Col. 81