Evening star., 1945-03-24
WeseI and Rees Entered and
BisIich Seized; Casualties
Reported to Be Light

B the eASocia dPress
PARIS, Mar 24-Amercan and British assault forces
the lower Rhine 25me front today and fought
swiftly into the cities of Wesel and Rees while thousands
of arbon troops dropped onto the North German Plain
above the Ruhr in bold bid for victory this spring
The Ruhr caught in wise between Field Marshal Mont
gomerys Army Group Army swiftly
expanding bridgehead miles south
the great industrial basin.
Farther south, 1t George Army secured
its bdehead the Rhine and debouched fiat country
302 miles Russian Armies the Oder southeast of Berlin
Army troops the
Navy-manned assault landing craft in the
darkness of predawn protected by an earthshakng artillery
barrage and the bombing and strag OF thousands OF planes
with amazing in four places
In places the Germans caught badly OF balance and
initial resistance light First accounts indicated Allied cas-
light.
yesterday Royal Navs shepherded
the in force before dawn today
Conn Captured a
Marshal Montgomery announced commander
the northwest of the Rur captured Maj
Gen Deusch commanding the killed
The first identified brdgeheads from
captured Bsh the east side of the barrier
river.
Between 10000 10000 parachute troops
Brereons Allied M Air borne Army foated to earth behind
lines brightly coored parachutes and in giders
great and perhaps decisive crossing of the
Rhine. All arms of the Allies participated
inland into the heartand of Germany leading
OF Berlin ideal tank country Significantly one OF the first
William H. Simpsons American 9th Army crossed the
growing force along with British SCOTTISH CANADIAN
Welsh troops,
Opposition Relatively Light.
WeSela
250O0 30 miles northwest OF Duessedorf Rees town OF ooo
surrounded still by remains Of its ancient walls is IL miles GOWN
the northwest Captured Bislch is hall mile east OF
nearly midway between Wese and Rees and opposite
xanen.
landings the Rhine made opposition relatively light
headquarters said some hundreds of prs
forward positions not strongly held and more
Germans fighting in od-style trenches well east
the ruins of the conquered siegfred Line ,.
Before Rhine the North German plain
as Kansas and as long as Pennsylvania
Elements of at least six of Gen Esenhowers armies were
fighting Rhine and three other armies available
the American 1s Sd and 9Th Armies the
British I'd and Canadian 1st The Amer
can m Army clearing up the last OF the Palanate with It's
The French 1st Army was in the Paatnae the
Upper of the United States 18th Army
not yet reported
Another Breakout Shaping Up.
1st and Sd Army of 1t Gen Omar
Baeys 18th Group oulgng out their bridgeheads
swiftly what appeared to prelude to breakout
There seemed be optimistic over the success OF
crossing Ruhr where Allied throw
ing everything Field Marshal Albert Kesse
rings staggered Wehrmacht
British Commandos half wide
and others followed speedily in the
light American Engineers started throwing bridges across the
river at the first light of dawn.
The whole offensive mounted behind e5-me smoke
perhaps the greatest artificial fog ever produced
Probably devastating aerial assault history laid
scourge explosions the battle 'front.' swapping
problems supply and deoyment Channel watchers said the
planes England the greatest they had
thousands from aeds the continent closer
battle lines harry srafe, bomb and burn.
Whole towns the German plain burned like giants torch
50 orreses and Lberaors sealed down German
ared with attacks dozen nearby jet bases Fifteen hundred
craplanes and gderset Gen Breretons arborne
fighters behind German lines
Towns Blazing
the whole great Muenser box north of the Ruhr
without of movement and its
blazing like funeral pyres
nine and half months after day.
Hope bright at Allied headquarters that victory
might measured in weeks
greatest amphibious operation since Normandy
Rhine indeed the greatest hazard since the English
Channel
crossings employed technique the
landings Artillery placed right against the river Guns
all caiber thundeed the sights.
quantities troops had been trained to the
LISTS Ducks Agators and Bufaoes-ecret
United Naves Sailors dropped their
infantry
Pontoon constructed Storm
piled the mighty Rhine in great strength
Rhine the crossing
area uaS o-iAo eaAieh' "h0 AZ"
sla'el oaiihS. operation threatened
The airborne troops came down the whole territory
against moderate max oppo-
bomb beenla aunc ed
Britain
north-south through the
faand farms and dairyng of Nine additional
Prusan Wesphaia before Berlin the District
These the through Ebden reported killed this
the Wesr through Bremen On the Roll"