The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-03-25
Allied Armies Smash
Rhine River Front
CONTINUED from Page One)

expected for at least another day,
which showed how well operations
were progressing.
The U. S. Ninth in the first IA
hours of the attack established a
bridgehead IL miles wide and as
much as five miles deep, extending
from the Lippe canal at Frieder-
ichsfeld, just south of Vessel, down
tn west side of the Ruhr railroad
to Dinslaken, thence south to Wal
sum and beyond to the Rhine.
Sewers Highway
In smashing into Dinslaken, a
Ruhr city of $4,000 population, the
Ninth severed the Wesel-Duisburg
highway. 1t captured Spellem,
three miles south of Vessel, near
by Friederichsfeld Torde, farther
south, ard Stockum.
ALI along the front, from the
Vessel area down through the u.
S. First Army's Burgeoning bridge
head and on southwark to where
the U. S. Third Army was begin
ming to tear at the heart of Ger
many with tanks and troops, the
feeling grew that the end Of the
war in Europe was no. lar away.
Naval landing craft of the type
used in the Normandy invasion
brazenly piled the Rhine-Iong a
symbol of Teutonic patriotism
feeding tanks, guns, troops and sup
plies into the four Allied bridge
heads scattered along some 200
miles Of the river.
First reports from the front said
Montgomery's northern forces had
captured 1,50O prisoners and the
Ninth had taken 700 more.
Field dispatches said the Ger
mans were gathering tanks for an
expected counterblow, but the feel
ing persisted that with the terrific
losses suffered west OF the Rhine,
this time the enemy could not stop
the Allied drive.
Planes Rule Skies
More than 10000 Allied planes
ruled inner Germany's skies, fer
rying parachute troops, scattering
the ground defenders with bombs,
bullets and rockets, or heaping
fresh destruction on already tAt-
tered communication lines to the
flaming front.
Eisenhower had committed posi-
bly, 1,250,000 men to the battle of
the west with this latest often
sive, and to the south 1t. Gen.
George S. Patton, Jr., crossed the
Rhine personally to direct the
Third Army's offensive into mid
die Germany, now powered by
tanks
The Rhine had been bridged by
pontoons both in the Ruhr and the
Third Army's middle Rhine cross
lngs and the big and final push
was on to knock Germany quick
ly from the war.
Alarmed German broadcasts said
that more Allied troops of the air
were descending tonight over
broad front north of the Ruhr
whose loss will rob the enemy Of
power to resist.
German forces, stunned by the
terrible drum fire Of 1,1OC guns
massed on the Rhine's west bank.
began surrendering by the hun
dreds as the first waves plunged
out on the east bank from naval
landing craft like those used on
Normandy's beaches.
Driven Into Corner
Smashing into open country 200
miles from Berlin the troops of
Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgom-
cry were told by the 21st Army
group commander that "the enc.
my IS driven into a corner"
1T will be interesting to see how
much longer the enemy can stand
1t; the complete and decisive de-
feat OF the Germans is certain y,
declared Montgomery.
The long-rested British Second
army out OF action since last Sep
!emoer' opened the attack by cross
ing on the north flank at 8 pm.
last night. An hour later waves
began moving across on the south
flank. 'o"''i
In the dark Of 2 am, went the
U. 5. Ninth Army, and at 10 am.
went the Allied First Airborne Ar
my-posslbly 10000 strong - leap
ing into the struggle from a fleet
OF l'5Oo troop planes and trains of
gliders 500 miles long in it's first