Evening star., 1945-02-20
whole northern part of the town was
cleared and only tiny sector Of the
southern portion was holding out

WAASAS AASA VAASA ~ RaAb VA tAAC tOW4A " 90
cleared and only a tiny sector Of the
southern portion was holding out
The tattered Germans. minus their
commander, who was captured in
bed, fought among rubbed sheds,
freight cars and wrecked locomo-
tives at the southern fringe OF the
town. The Germans already were
shelling Goch.
A thousand Nazis surrendered
yesterday, boosting the total for the
northern campaign above 5000.
Scottish forces which drove into
Goch from opposite directions Joined
in the heart of the city.
Farther east, Canadian troops cut
across the Goch- -Calcar road about
2 miles west of Calcar and beat
of repeated counterattacks In all
night fighting. Some troops were
within a mile Of Calcar (popula-
ton 2,053), and wading in icy flood
waters OF the Rhine, spread 2 miles
over flatlands to the very edge Of
the road town.
h, Supported by tanks, German in
fantry charged again and again, but
when dawn broke. the Canadians
were firmly astride the road.
Other Counterattacks.
Enemy counterattacks also boiled
out the woods 1000 yards south OF
Moyland, but failed to shake the
Canadians, who were throwing an
arc around Calcar. One counterblow
was made with 10 tanks and self
propelled guns. All were beaten
with considerable losses to the
enemy.
The Germans were using q sunken
road from Moyland into the woods
for reinforcements.
On the western fiank German bat
teries laid down q terrific barrage
against Scottish troops south of AZ
ferden on the road to Venlo, 10
miles away. Infantry did not fol-
low the enemy shells, however, and
the situation there was unchanged.
Between Afferden and. Goch the
Allies edged forward slowly south
of Hassum The road between the
towns was cut.
1t. Gen. Alexander M. Patch's
7th Army captured Etzling, 81. miles
south of Saarbr1ecken, and Oeting,
less than . mile from Forbach,
French border town Of 1850. High
ground overlooking Forbach was
seized.
The 7th Army crossed the Saar
River. To the east it captured the
border town of Frauenberg, less than
10 miles from the Saar city Of st.
Ingbert, which was shelled last De-
cember. Folpersweiler fell; Auger-
smacher, 2 miles inside the Reich,
was cleared and Q wood to the north
was taken.
Gen. Patton's Army in the center
met stiff to moderate resistance.
Winderingen was taken in a surprise
crossing Of the Moselle River into the
|Siegfried Line zone. The 94th Di-
vision, S miles inside Germany, oc-
cupied high ground near Kirk,
northeast OF Sinz.
The 5th Division advanced a mile
through clean cash in the Sieg-
fried Line and captured Stocken,
61a miles from the important Eifel
Mountain road center Of Bitburg
population, 1913. The warriors Of
the Red Diamond Division killed rs
Germans and wounded 100 in taking
the town, 8 miles north Of Echter-
mach. The 5th also approached
Enzen and sent elements a mile and
half north of the Enz. River. to
commanding high ground.
Another Sd Army unit captured
Herzfeld, 10 miles southeast of
Pruem. Moderate gains were made
elsewhere on the 55-mile Sd Army
front.
Pilots had clearer skies today than
on yesterday, when 5000 sorties
were flown. Chances were that the
attacks of obliteration would in
crease before dusk on key points in
the present battle of the Rhine
and the coming campaign beyond it.