The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-05

the south flank of the enemy
which block an Allied drive to
the Ruhr and Rhineland.
The north wing of four assault
ing divisions swung east four and
half miles, knitting through two
viNages-one of them a mile and
half from the vital Roer river
dams beyond the West Wall, where
the enemy has been opening gates,
flooding the valley and baking a
push farther north.
A front dispatch said the Dough
BOYS struck in snow, sleet and
freezing rain, overpowered the last
system Of German pillboxes at a
point eight miles east Of Monschau.
The Germans appeared to be
clearing out of the eastern Vosges
foothills rapidly. They gave up
Cernay, seven miles northwest of
Mulhouse and long an enemy
stronghold.
The Thur river line, along which
the enemy had prevented the
French from pressing north in this
area. likewise appeared to be
cracking. The French bridgehead
was widened to three miles and
deepened 10 two by an advance to
Berrwiller, eight miles northwest
Of Mulhouse.
German columns racing east for
the Rhine were bombed and STRAIT
ed by French fighter-bombers, and
U. S. fighter-bombers hit the Neuf-
brisach bridge. knocked out pom
toon bridge nine miles south and
bombed two others.
The Germans fought fiercely
against the tips of the pincers clos
ing from north and south on the
Colmar pocket in an attempt to
get as many of their troops as pos
sible back across the Rhine.
The U. S. Seventh Army in north
ern Alsace was hammering stub
born German last stand position
in Oberhoffen, Is miles north of
Strasbourg, and to the west in the
northern Vosges scored gain
against the enemy in the Bitche
salient.
Heaviest fighting ragged in Wes-
tern Germany, however, where the
Germans were trying to salvage a
deterorlating situation which
might undermine their powerful
Cologne plain first line of defense
On the Roer.
1t. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges
First Army troops now were
through a 12-mile section of the
double Siegfried Line in the Mon
schau sector, were as deep as a
dozen miles into the Reich, and
besides piercing the last fortified
wall on the north flank was within
mree-quarters of a mile of dupli-
Gazing that feat in the center of the
push.
The Ninth Infantry Division first
Captured Einruhr, six miles north
east OF Monschau and two miles
from the Roer dams, in a four
inne drive along the upper Roer.
linen Just to the south, another
elo| carried through the last main
h&ed notifications of the second
n We OF defenses. Here the town of
wolSeifen, a mile and a half south
VI me dams, was seized.
WollSelten is just east of the sec
una line Of bunkers and pillboxes
Ill On area where the enemy now
works. ''
n Meanwhile, the Ninth's right
,"ng was running into heavy fight
I ns Two miles to the southeast at
iileIhahn' two miles from the road
.aiIClon Of Gemund. The Germans
~ Icy me lateral roads running out
~ ~ Gelfluna and they threw a coun-
N- T That was Warded off.
on Two miles farther south the Sec
G T,.u olVlslon drew up it's assault
no .leS d mile from a second road
Iv,T'nnlef-ochleiden - capturing the
U " ''age OF Ettelscheid, three-fourths
4 NJ mile from the last main belt
i SANE tne Siegfried Line of which
'Gn nj is a part.
1Ar5 LIE FIRST Division, Selling Hol-
S as,, i've miles southwest of the
~ esono Division, struck some of
d n NJ iocMest resistance as the Ger
roads fought back at the cross
AUS and from fortified villages.
u tri 10. me ne western loop of the Sieg-
q so lTG me some two miles farther
3 We as4 W, me 82nd Airborne Division
q broI. "aIFS first defense line sou%
q Of ne ne through the pillbox-studded
8 and oSuellOreth, then swung aroNld
q tho res an attacking pillboxes from
u sn lear In a bruising battle.
4ie1lcan forces which drove the
y CONTINUED on Page Two; Col. 81