Evening star., 1945-01-12
MAP on Page A-3.)
By the Associated Press.

i PAR1S, Jan. l2.-German rear
guards today were falling back
through fog and snow and near
zero cold toward the Ourthe
River line, but to the. south an
other enemy force was hitting
with increased armor near
Strasbourg.
Heinrich Himmler, Gestapo chief
and German home army command
er, perhaps was directing the attack
on both sides of the Alsatian capital.
French troops, apparently surround
ed because they were supplied by
air, lost Oberheim, Is miles south
of Strasbourg.
The Allies also lost Herrlisheim,
IL miles northeast of Strasbourg.
The German 1st and 18th Armies
obviously were trying to find a hole
on the Alsace Plain through which
an assault might be launched after
their Ardennes withdrawal.
The Importance the Germans at
tached to this second attempt to
keep the initiative through the bad
f1y1ng months of winter was reflect
ed in repeated reports that Himmler
himself had come up to take over
all command from Gen. Hermann
Balck.
Forces Pulled West of Rhine.
A staff officer with Field Marshal
Bernard L. Montgomery said the
Germans in Belgium had pulled all
their forces from the forest west of
the La Roche-St. Hubert road, a
difficult tract of about 12O square
miles. The Nazis, however, still had
remnants of some divisions behind
the Ourthe west of Houffalize.
Thirteen Towns Captured.
At least Is towns fell to Allied
arms on the western front. The lst
and Sd Armies prisoner total since
December Is rose to 29,648.
st. Hubert, southwest anchor of
the contracting Ardennes bulge,
finally was entered st. Hubert has a
population of 1921. The Germans
announced its evacuation two nights
ago. Southeast of Bastogne,
troublesome German pocket was all
but erased.
The Germans, admittedly giving
up the western half of the Ardennes
salient, still fought hard delaying
actions against American and Brit
ish troops west of the steep-banked
Ourthe, which flows through fallen
La Roche. Enemy resistance was
offered to screen the removal of as
much transport and equipment as
possible
Patton Gains 2 Miles.
1t. Gen. George S. Patton's Sd
Army advanced miles northwest
ward to enter st. Hubert, last i'm
portant road center in the salient
between the Sd and 1st Armies. The
town is IA miles west of Bastogne.
Throughout the salient, the Sd
Army noted German Withdrawals
eastward.
The Germans may make stand
| along a 16-mile line from miles
northeast of Bastogne to Houffalize
to Vielsalm," Associated Press Cor
respondent Thoburn Want mes
saged from the Sd Army front. "It
also is possible that the Germans
may withdraw to the fortified line
whence they attacked on Decem-
ber 16."
British End Army troops pursuing
the Germans from the western end
of the bulge reached the outskirts
OF Champion, 13 miles west of Houf-
falize, in 7-mile thrust through
snow drifts. They also linked up
with Sd Army troops in st. Hubert.
Ronchamps and Grune were
taken. The Sd Army took Vesque-
vile, 3 miles southeast of st. Hubert.
Violent Fighting.
Along the north flank of the
salient, violent fighting in which
tanks were involved continued in
the Vielsalm sector, 9 miles west of
st. With. American lst Army troops
OF the Sd Armored and 83d Infantry
Divisions ran into the most reso-
lutte German resistance yet en-
countered in their counterofensive.
1t. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges 1st
Army units battered into Langlir
yesterday morning and the battle
sWayed back and forth, with the
Germans mounting two counterat-
tacks. The Americans attacked
again at $50 o'clock last night.
fought deeper into the village and