The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-03-13

river, expanding It's hold to 54 miles The Germans still held Six-mile stretch between Kochem, g miles southwest of Coblenz, and Bullay.
 The Third Army also reported advances up to five miles at other key points along It's fluid front west of the Rhine.
 The remainder of the western front was quiet except for patrol and artillery activity. The Amer lean Ninth and Canadian First Armies hurled shells into Germany's s vital Ruhr war plants and were rec grouping for thrusts across the Rhine north of Remagen.
 Lieutetnant General Courtney Fl. Hodges First Army forces east of the Rhine rammed to within three and a half miles southwest of the Cologne Frankfurt super-highWay after capturing Hargarten, i've miles east of Remagen.
 The super-highway was the main transportation link over which Marshal Karl Won Rundstedt, sup- rene German commander in the west, has shifted his troops and armor between the Ruhr and upper Rhineland fronts to counter Allied offensIves.
 Once the highway has been cut, the Germans will be forced to detour over secondary highways with inevitable traffic jams in the bomb- battered large cities through which they pass.
 The super-highway already was under American artillery fire, but not in sufficient weight to deny it's use to the Germans. The First Army previously had cut the high way and railway running along the east bank of the Rhine.
 The next to the last secondary north-South road west of the sup er-highway was severed yesterday with the capture of Ginsterhahn, a mile and a half south 10 Hangar ten.
 First Army forces in the bridge head were reported fighting in the streets of Honnef and Hoenningen five miles north and five miles southeast respectively of the Lu- dendorf bridge at Remagen.
 The unreliable Brussels radio re. ported that Hoenningen has beer captured, but this was not con. firmed immediately by front dis. patches or official sources.
 Air Protection
 The Ninth Tactical Air Force was protecting the Ludendorf bridge with one of the greatest around. -tiie-clock umbrellas ever assembled
 Twelve Lightnings patrol tht bridge itself ceaselessly while three other gorups are on constant watcl over its approaches. still othel planes were beating Up railway line' over which the Germans might move up endorsements On call for af emergency was every air command in Europe.
 Only one enemy division ha' been identified so far around thu Remagen perimeter.
 German planes have attempted hit-run raids on the bridge. bu none in strength. Thirty-one en- emy raiders have been shot dowr by American fighters and anti air craft batteries in the bridgeheat area.
 On the Third Army front, ele' ments of the 10th Armored Division captured Bengel, Kindnerbeurnc ant Rel, all 2l miles south of Maven then pushed on another two mile to the vicinity of Bullay. hal way between Trier and Coblenz.
 Other infantry forces gained tw' miles southwest of Maven and con tacted clements of the Fifth Divi sion driving southwest to Q poin lS miles southwest of Mayem. Tn the German salient along sIx.mile stretch of the Mosel be- tween Kochem and Bullay wer' clements of several shattered divi siorls. All bridges across the Mo sel river have been destroyed.