The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-03-12
First Army Makes
 2 Rhine Crossings
(Continued from Page D

1 ported only that the Americans were pushing out steadily all around the perimeter of bridgehead that yesterday extended at least three miles inland and nine miles along the river bank.
 Radio Berlin, however, said the Tanks already had pushed two ar- mored and two infantry divisions across the Rhine and held salient more than 10 miles wide.
 American shock troops, Berlin said, crossed the Rhine in assault boats this morning at two more points inside the northern flank of the bridgehead. They landed on either side of the captured river village of Rheinbreitbach, l-2 miles north of the Ludendorf bridge, in move apparently aimed at covering the construction of pom toon bridges.
 Allied headquarters had no in- mediate confirmation of the enemy reports and field dispatches said only that the Tanks pushed out their bridgehead perimeter another 100 yards eastward during the night against sporadic opposition.
 The Germans continued to trum- pet reports that powerful Nazi ar- mored and infantry endorsements were ramming against the Ameri- cans, but latest official information indicated the enemy was still fight ing only a limited delaying action and that his reserves had not yet joined the battle.
 Artillery fire on both side has increased to hurricane intensity ' German propaganda broadcast said. American pontoon bridge are being subjected to concentrated fire from German artillery"
 At least seven east bank town: were in American hands and ar eighth was partially cleared, anC by German admission the Yank! were fighting inside two others or the southern flank of the salient.
 Censored front dispatches said thu attack was still progressing favor ably up to late hour last night ant that the enemy still appeared to b. fighting only delaying action t block the way northward into thu Ruhr.
 Most of the opposition was com ing from German long range gun emplaced in the hills to the nortl and from NaZi dive-bombers tha tried repeatedly to break througi the American fighter screen to knocl out the Ludendorff bridge.
 At least 2 of 47 attacking Ger man planes were shot down oye the weekend and the bridge wa reported still intact late yesterday At the same time, hundreds O American field guns mas, { on botl sides of the Rhine laid tremend ous rolling barrage across the hill to the east. silencing one after an other of the enemy's batteries.
 United Press War Correspondent John McDermott reported that Ger man counter-fire was slackenin perceptibly in the face of the Amer ican bomoafdmynt and the stea6. advance of Hodges Infantrymen.
 1900 Prisoners Taken
 More than 1900 prisoners wer taken in the bridgehead yeSterda, as the Yanks stabbed five mile north of the bridge to Honnef, wher they were locked in savage house toulouse fighting early today.
 Unkel, Rheinbreitbach and Bruck hausen, between the bridge an Honnef, also were in Americal hands, along with Erpel at the east ern end of the bridge, and Ohhen berg, two miles to the east.
 On their southern flank, tn Americans captured Linz and Bat tenberg. two and three miles up stream from the Remagen crossini and Berlin spokesmen said the also took Leubsdorf and entere Hoenningen. 3 1-2 and i've mile southeast of the bridge.
 While no major German force had been met in the first five days c the bridgehead battle, the Americal drive was hampered by the wors imaginable terrain. Lined by tower ing cliffs rising steeply from tn Rhine bank. the bridgehead was un der direct fire from well-emplace' German batteries that had to be Si fenced by American counter-fire o captured by infantry assault.
 South and east Of the bridge, tn Yanks faced almost impossible ter rain studded for miles with higl cliffs and mountain gorges tha could be defended easily by sinal NaI forces.
 | The main weight of Hodges driv appeared to be directed agains Honnef to be directed agaips miles beyond leading into the south ern flank of the Ruhr basin.