Evening star., 1945-04-09
Western Front
Continued From First Page.D

the American 7th and French Isl
Armies were faShionlng another
trap in and near the Black Forest
where the city of Pforzheim (79,OO0)
fell and Crailsheim, 95 miles from
Munich, was captured.
But German resistance hardened
in the defenses of outflanked
Bremen ana every indication was
that the British were in for theil
hardest fight there since crossing the
Rhine. The 9Th Air-borne Division
captured another bridge over the
Lelne River, 7 miles from the city
and the 1lth Armored Division
pushed 18 miles northeast of Reh-
burg and reached Niedernstoecken
British 7th Armored Division
troops were fighting in the little
town of Riede, 5 miles southeast of
Bremen. while other units of the
Desert Rat" Division seized Bas-
sum. 10 miles south of the big port
city.
A dispatch from Field Marshal
Montgomery headquarters said the
Germans were trying frantically but
unsuccessfuily to stem the tide OF
his troops sweeping toward the Bal
tic sea coast.
Among places captured within "a
hours were the Dutch bastion OF
Zutphen (22,O00, submarine base
at TWistringen near Bremen, the
Stuttgart radio station 13 miles from
that South German city, Werl in the
Ruhr, Goettingen 15,00O, 25 miles
northeast of KaSsel, and Muender
on the Upper Weser, city of 10000
The 1st Army established another
bridgehead on the Leine River, ad.
Yancing l3 miles east of Muender
and capturing Neidergandern, l4I
miles southeast of Berlin.
Both the 1st and 9th Armies were
boring steadily into the Runr pocket
where up to 10000 Nazis were
trapped originally. The 1st Army
already has captured 1852 from the
pocket. Some 1906 were captured
on all lst Army sectors yesterday.
Ninth Army gains on the North
German plain south and southeast
of outflanked Hanover ranged uL
to 25 miles yesterday.
Drive Beyond Leine River.
The motorized 83d Division sho,
7 miles east of the Leine River or
the 9Th Army's right flank. The 30th
Division cleared Hamelin and broad
ened its hold on the Weser River
and pushed eastward behind the &c
Armored Hell on Wheels Division
mopping up scores of overrun vii
lagos and strong points.
The 9tn Armys 18th Division en-
tered Essen after crossing the
Rheine-Herne Canal while German
artillery battered their bridges
Tank destroyers and tanks crossed
the stream after the foot troops
Opposition was stiff among Essen
ruins.
The attacking divisions of Gen
Omar N. Bradley's 18th Army Group
renamed the Ruhr encirclement the
Rose pocket in memory of the
commander of the Sd Armored Divi-
sion, Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose OF
Denver, who was killed by the Nazis
while surrendering in the campaign
to snap shut the trap.
The 9th Army lanced within 81
miles or less OF the Elbe River, which
flows within so miles of Berlin ano
is that ravaged capitals last natura,
defense barrier.
Neustadt Captured.
On the southern front, the It'll
Army captured Neustadt anc
was miles, at last report-many
hours behind developments-fron
Schweinfurt (40,500), ball-bearine
capital Of Germany. At Crailsheim
the troops were midway between
Nuremberg c43l,0 ,00O and Stuttgart
(460,OOO.
The Canadian 1st Army captured
Meppen 10000 and pushed north
within 80 miles of the North Sea ane
40 miles from the naval base of EN-
den. The Germans seemed to have
abandoned the lower Ems River anc
probably were falling back on En-
den. They are likely also to defend
the port of Wilhelmshaven, IS miles
east Of Emden.
Air-borne troops in Northeast Hol.
land disrupted German communica-
tions south of Groningen. The Ca.
madam 4th Armored Division sci