Evening star., 1945-01-25
Ndzis ATTACKING
7th Army Along
20-kiIe Front
New Assault Seen
As Sturt of FinuI
Bottle for AIsoce
map on Page A-4.J
Ey the Associated Press.

Ey the Associated Press.
PARIS, Jan. 25.-The Germans
today launched an attack against
the American 7th Army along a
20-mile front from Haguenau
northwest to the Lower Vosges
Mountains, and at places crossed
the Moder River, Is miles inside
France
Gen. Hermann Balck opened the
drive with heavy artillery and
mortar barrage, while other Ger
mans to the north were continuing
a great eastward exodus from the
Ardennes salient. Roads and rails
were so Uttered in the north that
the Germans resorted to routes. in
the center.
The British I'd Army closed within
a mile of the Roer River in North
east Germany, fighting close to the
Siegfried Line. At no point were
the British more than miles from
the Roer, which the United States
9th Army to the south guarded from
Linnich to below Duren. The fresh
British advances swept up seven
towns in IL hours, some less than
80 miles from Dusseldorf Lime. 3
miles from Roermond, was among
those taken.
Can Trade Space for Time.
The German offensive in Alsace
was in an area where the 7th Army
had plenty OF rugged space to trade
for the time in which to reinforce.
1t was by no means on the scale of
the Ardennes offensive OF mid
December.
The assault may signal the start
OF the final battle for Alsace," Asso-
ciated Press Correspondent Robert
c. Wilson wirelessed from 1t. Gen.
Alexander M. Patchs 7th Army
headquarters.
Earlier. the 7th Army had with
drawn from to 10 miles along 90
mile sector sof the Karlsruhe corner,
leaving Strasbourg jutting out at the
end Of an Allied salient.
Mr.. Wilson said the Americans
were reported infiicting heavy
losses and had destroyed at least
I'VE tanks and IA arrnored vehicles
in early hours of the drive.
The American 1st and Sd Armies
captured nine more towns in the
Ardennes salient, now reduced to
about l20 square miles.
The Germans last were reported
using FIVE or six first-class divisions
along the attack front in Alsace.
The 7th Army had taken up posi-
tions near the Moder after with
drawing from the Hatten area north
Of the Haguenau Forest.
Haguenau Outflanked.
The enemy punched forward into
the woods on the south bank of the
Moder River in the Schwieghouse-
Senneubourg area, 2 miles west of
Haguenau, traffic center of 10000
and once major German base.
Haguenau appeared to be outfanked
also to the southeast.
Farther northwest and about 2
miles north of the Moder, the Ger
mans attacked in the Bischholz-
Mulhausen area Is miles south of
the Palatinate. Farther into the
snowy Vosges, the enemy threw
strong blows at Reipertswiller, 8
miles southeast Of Bitche.
Other Germans snapped back in
Southern Alsace below Strasbourg
and made strong counterattacks
against French troops on both the
northern and southern fanks of the
Colmar- -Mulhouse pocket. The Ger
mans. were within 10 miles south
and II miles north OF ,Strasbourg,
the capital of Alsace which the
French and Germans both claim as
their own.
Whether by design or accident.
the German offensive started in
weather similar to that prevailing
when Field Marshal Won Rundstedt
attacked in the Ardennes. Deep
snow. cold fog and poor visibility