The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-18
British Split
German Lines
In Coch Area
Americans Advance Into
Rohrbach With Little
Opposition

PARIS, Feb. 17-P)-The Cana
dian First Army swept steadily
,head today after sudden two
mile advance in which it outflank-
ed the important Siegfried Line
;,astion of Goch and the U. S. Third
Army's 8Oth Division drove q new
breach in the West Wall with the
capture of Rohrbach in the Ester
mach sector.
British troops of the Canadian
Army split the German defense
line is miles from the Ruhr valley
in their lunge that threatened to
topple Goch and came within less
than three miles Of the enemy's
rear communications base at
Uedem.
The advance into Rohrbach met
little opposition and carried the
Third Army beyond the last ring
Of Siegfried Line pillboxes in that
area. This constituted the fourth
break in the line by the Allies,
the others being at Kleve, Pruem
and in the Aachen-Monschau area.
This charge by infantry-de-
scribed in a front dispatch as a
near observation-disclosures the
Coch-Calcar highway, cutting off
the garrisons of the twin strong
holds from direct commune alton.
The British fought clear of rear
West Wall fortifica atoms that had
ensnarled them.
Elsewhere on the blazing Is mile
'front.' Field Marshal Montgomery's
troops fought to within a mile OF
Goch, a mile and a half of Calcar
seven miles to the northea St
and battered both with artillery
and mortars.
Goch was being outflanked on
the east by the British moving
on Uedenl, and by Scotch and
British on the west, who seized
Asperden, a mile and a half to the
northwest, and were battling
through Hassum, three miles west.
More than 1900 prisoners plod-
ded back to Allied prison cages,
the biggest single days bag since
the opening of the offensive ten
days ago.
On the south flank, Stotch in
fantry with flamethrower drove
mile up the Mas river and into
Afferden, five miles south of where
the Germans made their first
strong stand at Gennep.
Here they were Is miles north
OF the German Mas river strong
point OF Venlo, and were gradual
~ rolling up the eastern Dutch
defense line which has held back
British Canadian eastward drive
10 the Rhine. Floods kept the north
Hank along the Rhine relatively
static.
Farther south the U. S. Third
army kept up pressure on the
si1el mountain traffic center Of
bitourg, and the Germans resisted
excessively to keep it from going
me way of Pruem and forcing
VI uIoad Withdrawals from the West
Wall VAN Wv
but the Fifth Infantry Division
hacked out half-mile advance,
ueepened its bridgehead to three
no half miles. and fought half
way through Schankweiler, on the
, river eight miles south of Bit
,. inundated roads and flooded low
Ishos stood in front of the U. S.
, ,nsI and Ninth Armies poised
lung the Roer facing the Ruhr
. .au hnlneland. A front dispatch
i In me river was subsiding, and
'D m patrols were out.
.,a .ne u s. Seventh Army in north
Nas AlSace also sent combat par
,o1 y Saying al into the enemy lines
~ tO s OF the German industrial city
fighting. anu Tan 'r'o s'iii
to mlohg the entire Mas Rhine
wsra s' British and Canadian troops
Blow, a a for the trip-jammer
Ca1oauu eSlgned 10 overwhelm Goch,
ona sai and Uedem and reach the
ton s country s?,! leading to the num-
no w.. e,les OF the Ruhr. There is
for l sa defense line behind them
'Vr ~ several miles
ed ' th. days advances had outflank
" T Ie state forest of Kleve. south
mada 'e, "here the Germans had
stsus s one of their most bitter
W., ,4us ), Ihree-fourths Of the forest
ra an cleared and mop.up squads
''hsed on through the renai,,der,
'0it dispatch said the next
''''ued on Page Seven; Col. s.