Evening star., 1945-01-04
Western Front
(Confinuad I,,.o,,, ISrs4 na \

-NSoIltIHueu from F1rSC PaRe.)
Aachen sector. He did not make
clear whether 9th Army forces
actually were engaged in the
attack on the north side of the
salient, He declared British
tanks, however, were aiding the
American drive.)
Nazis Reinforce Flank.
Marshal Won Rundstedt sent 100
tanks and two infantry regiments
crunching into snow around Bas-
togne against the l01st Eagle" Divi-
sions sky troopers in two counter
thrusts. Some tanks filtered through
the lines of the l01st Division, which
had refused a German demand for
surrender when surrounded at Bas-
togne.
Several tanks were destroyed. The
enemy infantry was checked. The
fighting was in blizzard with tenn
peratures down to zero.
The 101st Division, commanded by
Maj. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor of
Arlington, Va, opened its lines
north OF Bastogne yesterday AFTER
noon when attacked by so tanks
5000 meD in bad weather, front
dispatch said. - ~ Sc ~5rt.
Some tanks passed through.
The ranks of the Eagles then
snapped shut and the parachute
troopers tangled with the infantry
A front dispatch said that by Z pm,
five hours after the first attack
started. the line was restored fully
with German foot troops repulsed
and some tanks bottled up inside
American lines.
Number of Tanks DESTROYED,
Bazookas and tank guns destroyed
a number of tanks yesterday. Amer
lean tank destroyers were tracking
down survivors today.
In the fluid battle around Bas-
togne, the Germans recaptured
Wardin, 3 miles to the east. but by
nightfaA yesterday the Americans
had surrounded the village and re-
pulsed an attack in company
ST. ength.
st. Hubert, Is miles west of Bas-
togne, was increasingly threatened
by American troops slogging through
the woods just east of the road CEN
Ter. Reports reached headquarters
that an American force of undis-
closed size was holding out in the
town, invested by the Germans for
10 days or more, but this was with
out specific confirmation.
Gains Measured in Yards.
The 26th Infantry Division re-
ported heavy fighting in the noun
tain battle in North Luxembourg
south and west of Wiltz. Gains were
measured in yards. American ele-
ments were miles southwest of
Wiltz and slightly less than 4 miles
southeast OF armored units fighting
north and east of Wardin.
The infantry also was only a mile
and half from Doncols, astride the
only major road out of a smile
oeep box at Harlange, where Won
Rundstedt has committed up to five
divisions in efforts to break through
the 35th Division and cut the Arlon-
Bastogne road.
Gen. Hodges uncorked his 1st Army
offensive early yesterday in a bitter
blizzard. Tanks spearheaded the
advance. Atop the steel vehicles
rode infantrymen who clashed with
NaA ground troops in the path.
American attacks on the north
and German blows on the south
Kept the Belgian bulge the hottest
spot on the western front. for the
forces employed here were far larger
than in the Saar-Lorraine or other
sectors.
Front dispatches said Gen. Pat
ton was posing two entrapment
threats around Bastogne. One was
across the 14-mile neck of the bulge.
The other was southeast of Bastoene
where four or five German divisions
were penned on three sides with
only 4-mile corridor open between
Witt and Wardin. One road only
leads from the pocket, but the Ger
man-held opening is in dificult ter
rain, adaptable to defense.
Thickening weather made visual
bombing almost impossible, although
Allied planes kept st. With and
Houffalize, functions Of the two
roads. under day and night attack