The Wilmington morning star., 1945-01-03
Seventh Arnly
Front Denied
By New Drive
Foe Apparently Miscalcu-
lated Weather; Air
Force Active

PARIS, Jan. 2.-(P)-Ger-
man counterattacks in Alsace-
Lorraine were extended into
the Saarbrucken area today
while Marshal Won Rundstedt
made his first gesture OF
withdrawal from the Belgian
bulge under the hammering
of $500 Allied warplanes
which smashed at enemy
troops, armor and installa-
lions from the base of the
wedge to the Rhine.
A stable dent has been made
in the U. S. Seventh Army front
south of the Maginot Line bastion
of Bitche, close to the German
border, field dispatches disclosed,
but this push has been slowed al
most to a standstill after gaming
as much as two miles on a five
mile front.
A new series Of counterthrusts
has been opened by Won Rund-
stedt on the Third Army front
farther west.
These fresh blows tc the south,
delivered with the same fury that
marked the assault against the
First Army in Belgium and Lux
embourg last month, were launch
ed on New Years Eve.
An apparent miscalculation in
the weather mas worked against
the Nazis, however, since clear
skies have permitted complete
aerial support of the American
ground troops.
Disclosure that the Germans sp-
peared to be withdrawing from
their Belgian salient followed a
U. S. Third Army advance OF
more than two miles into the Nazl
southern flank.
Moreover, til e Allied High
Command lifted. the 36-hour en-
barge on news from the Belgian
bulge tonight, disclosing that the
fringes of the enemy wedge have
ceen stabilized comparatively
since the Third Army's thrust.
No startling developments in the
last So hours were revealed, al
though it was admitted that some
reports might have been delayed
because of the time required for
the order lifting the news ban to
reach the front through Army
channels.
Hubermont, six miles west Of
was reported now firm
ly in American hands, but 1t.
Gen. George S. Patton Jr.'s arm
ored drive was meeting consider
able resistance after pushing
ahead as much as eight miles on
d front more than 10 miles wide
in this area.
Fighting still is heavy around
itself, but Neffe, three
miles west of Bastogre, was cap
tured.
American airmen reported col
Lmns of German troops, tanks and
vehicles in the shrink
ing bulge were moving east in the
3rea of St. With, four miles inside
Belgium from the German from
Ier.
Ninth Air Force fighter-bomb-
srs tied into two eastbound enemy
columns, Wrecking SO Of more
han 100 tanks and other vehicles
md leaving more than Is German
roops lying dead or wounded.
1t was considered likely that Won
had the withdrawal Of
ome of his arsnor in mind yes
erday when his supporting air
orces struck their heaviest blow
ince D-Day a: Allied air bases
Belgium and Holland.
This possibly was an effort to
a large portion Of AL
led air units to keep them from
laying havoc with retreating Nazi
rmor, as they did in Normandy.
AS reports from antl-aircraft
nits continued to pour in, the to-
al of German planes doWned by
9th air and ground gunners Mon
ay mounted to 1853 - the Luft-
7affes greatest single days loss
I the war. Battlefront dispatches
aid the Germans threw nearly
90 planes into the costly attacks.
Included in the new total were
en- planes accounted for by Ninth
ir Force anti-aircraft gunners.
he Germans succeeded in shoot
lg up a number of parked Allied
lanes, but the exact tally was not
isclosed