Evening star., 1945-03-14


try Division of the 7th Army
advanced nearly 4 miles to-
day, penetrating into Ger
many and reaching the Saar
River just west of Saar-
bruecken.
Fy the Associated Press.
PARIS, Mar. 14.-American
1st Army troops have captured
Honnef, providing a firm north
ern anchor for their Rhine
bridgehead, into which men and
materiel streamed across two
bridges today to reinforce 10000
shock troops the Germans said
already were there.
Honnef, a picturesque watering
place of 5000 five miles north of
Remagen, was the largest place
yet conquered in the Remagen
bridgehead. Significantly, it was in
the area where Field Marshal Won
Model displayed his greatest resist
ance.
Moving forward through the for
ested hills east of the Rhine in a
dawn attack, 1t. Gen. Courtney H.
Hodges troops also captured the
town of ST. Cathartnen, 4 miles
northeast of Linz and 7 miles
directly east of large bend in the
river.
The infantry moved on and reach
ed points a mile and quarter from
the Ruhr Frankfurt on-tne-M Main
superhighway. The superhighway
was under artillery fire. Kretzen-
haus, miles east Of the Rhine
was cleared and Kalenborn was
entered.
The Yanks' strength was in
creased over new pontoon bridge,
erected under fire Saturday, and the
priced Ludendorff Bridge which the
Germans still tried resolutely to cut
with heavy shells and bombs.
Patton Opens New Drive.
To the south, 1t. Gen. George s.
Patton's Sd Army cleared the west
ern bank of the Moselle River save
for stragglers. and opened a new
drive across the top of the industrial
Saar district which carried 91a miles
east of Saarburg and the Siegfried
Line.
Thirteen towns were captured,
mostly on the east side of the
Moselle. The fighting was in the
rugged HochWald and Hunsrueck
Mountains, which made progress
slow.
Gen. Patton's army captured a
record bag of 6,619 prisoners yester-
day, raising its nine-day total to
27,127. Most of these surrendered
in Eifel pockets sealed off by swift
armored columns.
'CThe Germans said that the
new Sd Army drive below the
Moselle River had thrust into
the depth of the main German
defense line.
"a battle, preceded by four
hour barrage, was reported rag
ing into its 25th hour in the
area east of Saarburg and north
of Mettlach along the Ruwer
River, tributary of the Moselle.
The Germans placed a partial
security news blackout on the
battle.
fT'he German communique. re-
fiecting apprehension of another
Rhine crossing, said lively Al
lied activity was hidden by smoke
screens" on the lower river.
CT'he official enemy report as
serted that 1st Army bridgehead
forces east of the Rhine at Re-
magen had been pushed back
slightly after bitter village and
forest fighting.")
Hill Near Honnef Taken.
Two miles inland from Honnef
Hill 370 was captured in the Isl
Army's advance. To the southeast
and still farther inland, infantry
fought through Kritzenhaus into
Kalenborn, S miles northeast of the
original bridgehead town of Erpel
and less than miles from the
superhighway.
Coblenz itself Is on the west side
OF the river and shielded also by the
Moselle. Third Army troops have
been at its edge several DAYS but
have not yet crossed the Moselle
near Coblenz or started storming
Seuen additional men from
the District area hare been