The Wilmington morning star., 1945-03-24
Third Arm v
Is Driving
Toward East
Greatest River Crossing
Catches Enemy To.
tally Unawares il.

PARIS, Saturday, March A.-tR)
The U. S. Third Army sWarmed
in strength across the Rhine
Thursday night in the wars great
est river crossing, overwhelmed
the startled enemy and struck in
land with lightning speed from
firm bridgehead on the shorteast
road to Berlin-265 miles ahead.
By Friday the Americans had
seized STABLE strip Of territory
east of the river, for an official
announcement referred to the posi-
ton as a bidgehead, which in Ar.
my Technology means the Cross
ings are beyond enemy light artil-
lery range. Chat might mean they
were as much as five miles beyond
the Rhine.)
Carrying out to perfection a
coup rehearsed for months. It.
Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., put
the first American assault waves
across at an undisclosed point on
the east bank without the Germans
firing shot and without the loss
Of a man in the actual crossing.
The crossing, which the Ger
mans said was made with amphi-
bious tanks as well as assault
boats, came without a preliminary
Commandment which might have
tipped off the enemy.
Patton was pressing home what
might well prove a mortal blow
without giving the enemy time to
recuperate from the Nazi catas-
trophe west of the Rhine. The
charging Doughboys were talking
in high spirits Of beating the Rug
SLAMS to Berlin.
The enemy was so startled bv
this swift assault that some troops.
resting from their defeat west Of
the river. were caught eating and
not single heavy shell was tired
until two hours after the first
troops touched the east bank in
the moonlight Of 1925 pm. Thurs.
day..
Thus Patton showed his contempt
for the Rhine, Germany's historic
moat which never before had been
stormed, although the U. S. First
Army won the honor Of beng the
first across by taking the Luden-
dorff bridge intact at Remagen
more than two weeks ago.
The Germans, giving the first
hint of the dazzling coup, said
earlier in the day that Patton had
crossed near Oppenheim, 10 miles
south of the fallen city of Mainz.
The ease Of the crossings and
the swift push inland pointed up
the tremendous victory which the
Third and the U. S. Seventh ARM
les had won on the west bank.
The German First and Seventh
Armies, which might have been
on the east bank for the defense
of inner Germany, were destroy
ed-10O,O00 of their troops in pris.
on cages and their tanks, armored
vehicles, trucks and guns strewn
by the thousands on the battlefield
west of the Rhine.
If the Germans are correct In
saying that Patton crossed at
Oppenheim, then his forces are
out on the Frankfurt plain on one
Of the best natural approaches to
Berlin through the waist Of Ger.
many.
There the Rhine is 500 yards
wide, and a short distance north
it turns into the narrow gorge that
leads on to Coblenz.
That would place it about s.
airline miles south of the First
Army's east bank front, which il
bursting out southwark and IL
nearing the Rhine opposite Co.
blenz.
Oppenheim is 20 miles southeast
Of Frankfurt-on-the-main, and IL
little more than 300 airline miles
west Of where the Russians are
swinging westward.
Wave on wave Of hard-hitting
veterans crossed in what Associa-
ted Press Correspondent Edward
D. Ball declared from the front
was "the greatest overwater as
sault since the Nor m ndy
beaches"
The Germans then began pour
ing in some mortar and anti-tank
fire and they were answered and
silenced by thunderous salvos from
American artillery drawn up along
the river.
By dawn the first wave had
Continued on Page Three; Col. 81