Evening star., 1945-01-07
British Pushed Bock;
7th Army Coins in
Bottle in South
MAP on Page A-4J
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
PARIS. Sunday, Jan. Amer
ican troops of Field Marshal Ber-
nard L.. Montgomery's Allied
offensive against the northern
flank of the Germans Belgian
bulge yesterday captured Frai-
ture, less than half a mile from
the northernmost of two main
eaSt-west highways on which the
Germans must rely for the bulk
of their reinforcements and sup
plies.
Other American units advanced
nearly mile and a half in a new
attack launched south of Stavelot.
British forces pressed their main
drive between Marche and Hotten
at the western end Of the northern
flank, although enemy tanks pushed
them back nearly q mile at Bure,
10 miles southwest of Marche and
5 miles south of Rochefort.
To the southeast, field reports
said the German spcarhead north
Of Strasbourg not only was con-
tained- but had been reduced by
American 7th Army attacks. A ring
of steel had been drawn around
trapped Germans at Wingen, at the
apex Of a 15-mile deep wedge %
miles northwest of Strasbourg. The
Germans, who had crossed the Rhine
north of the Alsatian capital, were
being hemmed back into a narrow
shelf along the west bank OF the
river.
Nazis Cleared from Towns.
Doughboys of the 7th Army COM
pressed the Nazis into the town Of
Gambsheim, 9 miles north of
Strasbourg. Other Germans were
cleared from villages they had
seized in driving 5 miles westward
from the Rhine. In reducing the
drive, the 7th cleared the Germans
from Rohrwiller and Herrlisheim in
the interior as we'll as from Offen-
dorf and Stattmatten along the
Rhine bank.
The American 1st Army, in the
new drive on the northern flank of
the Germans Belgian bulge, was
paced by the 82nd Airborne Di-
vision, which jumped on yesterday
morning and drove down the west
bank OF the Salm River southwest
of Staveiot. The 30th Infantry Di-
vision pushed south on the Binds
west flank against slight opposi-
tinn. A few miles west heavy fight
ing ragged inside Lierneux. : miles
from the second German lAteral
supply route.
In the Bastogne area, the Ameri-
can "a Army broke up an at
tempted German counterattack by
artillery fire. The Sd Army earlier
made emile gain in North Lux
embourg east OF Bastogne.
Mani Losses Put at 1oe,o 900.
Supreme headquarters announced
that the Germans had lost at least
100, 900 soldiers killed, wounded OF
captured since they launched their
offensive December Is, and said
Allied losses-mostly American
were nowhere near as heavy.
At least 685 of the 900 tanks with
which the Germans drove into Bel
gium and Luxembourg have been
knocked out and $4,000 prisoners
have been captured, headquarters
said.
Field Marshal Karl Won Rund-
stedt's bold shift of armor into the
deepest recesses of his Belgian posi-
tions apparently weakened the roof
for front dispatches said the LIST
Army struck soft spots among the
hard cores of resistance on the north
and made gains of more than a mile
While Won Rundstedt was driv-
ing the British from Bure, ths
United States Sd Armored Division
one of the authors of the st. Le
breakthrough pounded up to q
crossroads near Fraiture, which /.
IS miles northeast of Bure.
Gate German broadcasts re-
ported that the Americans had
punched breaches in the lines
along the northern flank)
Devantave Mopped Up.
Eight miles west Of Fraiture an.
other st. Lo veteran outfit, thu
United States I'd Armored Division
mopped up Devantave, miles
north of the enemy road center ol
La Roche. Here the Germans threw
in strong armored forces.
All along the northern front thu
1st Army was on the move in thu
snow, cold and fog, which deniet
lit air support, striking with at least
six divisions and part of q seventh.
/ The British were running intt
the stoutest opposition, but tht
4 Germans also were throwing ir
countless smaller counterattack,
lagainst the 1st Army.
Won Rundstedt's decision to com.
nit his armor In the deepest por.
ltion Of the bulge at time wher
1.-THE Allies were drawing {he line
tighter at the 12-mile vide waist
was puzzler and high Army OH.
Icer declared tonight it was "botf
unmilitary and unlike Yon Rund.
lstedt."
|. However, the Germ1 marsha
was known to have res5rves Is yel
Iuncommitted although 80 divisionl
have been identified.
Counterattachs Repulsed.
The Sd Army, stalled in m 1t.
tempt to close the pincers north o.
1Hastogne, lashed out both east ant
west Of Bastogne after stopping sil
more counterblows vridaS.
/ Thirteen miles east of Bastokni
the S0th Division crossed the sur
River and in 4 a. mile advance
Icaptured Goesdorf and pressed
lon into Dahl, 2 miles south Of tn.
Northern Luxembourg strong poin,
lot Wiltz.
4 Thirteen miles west of BastoCnt
other Sd Army troops cut latera
troad and reached 4 point 2 mile.
east OF st. Hubert, ct the southwest.
III One additional man from the |
District area has been re-
| ported killed in this irdr. See |
/ "On the Honor Roll Page Az. /
4 - -.....-. :.