Evening star., 1945-01-19
Situation Grave;
Patton S Army
Again on Move
MAP on Page A-5.)
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
PARIS, Jan. 19.-The Germans
today burst out of the northern
end of the Rhine bridgehead
above Strasbourg and linked ur
with other forces in Northeast
Alsace, forming solid front
against the United States 7th
Army along 40 miles of the Mag
mot Line as far west as Bitche
The situation on the southern
front was regarded at Supreme
Headquarters as increasingly grave
Into this potential springboard for
another big attack, the enemy was
pouring a steady stream of rein
forcements over ferries and pontoon
bridges, thrown across the Rhine
from Strasbourg to Karlsruhe.
In Northern Luxembourg, 1t. Gen.
George S. Patton's Sd Army was on
the move again under fire of Sieg-
fried Line big guns after breaking
the German Sure River Line.
The Americans were pressing the
enemy back against the Our River
boundary within miles of heavily
fortified Trier. His latest advances
ranged to miles or better. The Sd
Army men fought in white camou-
flaged suits, blending with the deep
snow.
British Cantrrra Hopoan
The British on the north captured
Hongen, 2 miles inside Germany in
their thrust from the Dutch pam
handle between the Mas (Meuse)
and Roer Rivers.
German stands on the north side
of the bulge solidified within 4
miles of st. With.
American 1st Army troops were
blocked miles north of ST. With,
key to the road chain through which
Field Marshal Won Rundstedt first
struck into Belgium through the
snowy Eifel and Ardennes Noun
tains.
CThe Berlin radio said the Sd
Army had opened an offensive on
broad front between Witt and
Wallendorf on the southern
flank of the ArdenneS salient.)
The German gains above Stras-
bourg resulted in the capture of
Dalhunden, Stattmatten and Dem
golsheim.
The American 7th Army also lost
its toehold in Herrlisheim and Ses-
senhelm, II and 16 miles north of
Strasbourg, but captured Aunheim
and Lauterheim below Hatten in
the area where the Maginot Line
closes up to the Rhine.
Advance Up to 2 Miles.
Won Rundstedt was trying to
catch his balance between Luxem-
bourg and Holland, where American
and British attacks gained up to 2
miles in slushy snow
Any of the thrustS by the three
Allied armies in the north and CEN
ter might burst at any moment into
full-force onslaught, endangering
Germany from the west as the Rus
slams endangered her from the east.
The German commander had man
aged to get few pummeled tanks
and guns of his 5th and 9th Panzer
Armies back out of the smashed Ar
dennes bulge, but these constituted
his only known mobile reserve. Most
OF the units needed refitting.
Hongen, which fell to the British
End Army with American artillery
support, is 38 miles from Dusseldorf
on the Rhine. 1t lies about 8 miles
from the Roer River, along which
the United States 9Th Army held
static positions within 26 miles of
Dusseldorf, an arsenal city of $40, 900.
Nazi Defenses Stiffen.
All along the British front curling
from Geilenkirchen to Roermond,
German defenses stiffened after the
TONNES had gained more than 4
miles and driven the enemy from at
least eight villages. The main Roer-
mond-Sittard road was broken. The
British crossed that road from Echt
and fought into Schilberg. They also