The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-11
Canadian list
Army Boosts
Kleve Threat
Allies Use Great Barrage
To Capture Wrecked
Schwammenauel Dam
BY BOYD ID. LEWIS

1AAsAA, L CO' 1O' W.
1t. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges
American First army won the
bitter week-old battle for the
Roer river dams today by cap
turing Schwammenauel while
the Canadian First army,
gaining three miles, reached
the Rhine river at Milligen
and drove double spearheads
to within two miles of Kleve.
American patrols marked the
victory of the dams by stabbing
for the main Roer river in the
area of Hasenfeld under an in
tense artillery barrage. The Ger
man radio said other crossings
were being attempted all along the
river.
The Canadians were advancing
steadily to the north. They cap
tured three vital towns and assault.
ed a fourth, widened their front
to II miles and smashed through
the Germans first line of Sieg-
fried defenses guarding the west
wall anchor fortresses of Kleve
and Goch.
Nearing Pruem
A fourth vital Sic ofried bastion
appeared about to fall lis miles
south of Kleve as 1t. Gen. George
Patton's Third army drove with
in a half mile of Pruem in a dou-
BILE development and spread the AL
lies widest breach in the west
wall to a 10-mile gap.
The battle of the dams was won
with a thunderous artillery bar
rage that drove the defenders of
Schwamnenauel into retreat, but
the roar of the guns WIS accom-
panied by the din Of German de-
molitions.
In the last minutes OF their hold
en- Schwammenauel. the Germans
blew the gates Of the giant dam,
loosing a flood that raised the le-
vel Of the Roer three feet within a
hours and inundated a 375-foot wide
area on the Roer valley north OF
Duren.
The German decision to blow the
comparatively narrow floodgates
and not the huge earthern struc-
ture of the dam itself meant that
the river now will rise slowly in.
stead of roaring through the val
ley in a destructive 18-foot flood.
May Delay Plans
The rise may delay slightly any
Allied plans for full-scale assault
along the Roer river north to
Roermond, but it cannot long hold
the impending blow. The Allies
now know the problem they face
and can plan to meet it without
the threat of a tidal wave hanging
over their movements.
Front reports from the First
Army said American guns have
been hurting 1000 tons of shells
a day into German lines along the
Roer for the past six days. Patrol
which frontline cor
respondents were permitted to re-
port only guardedly indicated
scouts already were out to deter
mine the extent of flooding along
the valley.
Only light artillery and mortar
fire greeted Maj. Gen. William
Parker's 18th Division doughboys
when they broke through last Ger
man defenses and reached the dam
in the early morning. The enemy
was believed to have Withdrawn
into woods well behind the dam.
In the Pruem sector to the south
Patton's troops crossed the Pruem
liver in four places north Of the
fortress town and fought their
way into WillWerath against de.
'perate resistance. A slow quar-
.er-mile gain was made northwest
If Pruem to bring advance troops
within half mile of the town,
While other forces clamped a dou-
'le development on the strategic
ortress by forcing the Mehlen
liver at two points one and tire.
ourths miles southwest.
The Canadian first army raised
is three-day total Of German pris.
ners to more than 5000 when
British spearhead swept south out
f the Reichs forest and encircled
everal hundred Germans in a loon