Evening star., 1945-02-10
Canadians and
British Crack
Siegfried Belt
MAP on Page A-7.)
By the Associated Press.

Army troops, bursting through
the main concrete belt of tn,
Siegfried Line in the Reichwald
struck today to within 21a mile
of Kleve, while the German
flooded the Roer River OF
the American 9Th Army from
through the spillways of tn
Schwammenauel Dam.
Canadian and British forces, gain
Ing 2 more miles, were aSsaultin
earthworks of the Siegfrieds sec
ondary defense in power driv
rolling toward the outskirts Q
Kleve, northern anchor of the orig
inal West Wall.
Other units battled in the Rhin
town of Millingen, 6 miles north
west of Kleve, in the army's swift
developing threat to slice behin'
the Rhine and the rich Ruhr in
duStrial area.
Waters of the lower Roer River
along which the American 9th Arm,
is arrayed, rose foot and a half il
an hour at some points as the Ger
mans opened f1oodgates of tn,
Schwammenauel Dam impoundint
170,000,000 tons of water.
Yanks Reach One Side of Dam.
American 1st Army infantrymer
upstream reached one side of the
great dam and prepared to go or
across to clinch its capture
The Germans had opened the
valves on the north side of the
1880 foot long structure, whose
pentup power if released all at once
might send an 18-foot tide storming
down the Roer Valley. Built of
earth around concrete core, the
dam Is 180 feet high and has a
drainage area of 258 square miles.
Still farther south American Sd
Army troops fought within three
quarters of mile of the Siegfried
prize of Pruem, and scored advances
of up to mile northeast and SOUTH
west of the road hub. Germans re-
sisted desperately.
German reinforcements were flung
against the Canadian 1st Army push
which apparently had preached
completely the main pillbox line
protecting Kleve.
Nuetterden Captured.
Gen. H. D. G. Crerar's men seized
Nuetterden, 21a miles from Kleve
on the main road to Nijmegen, in a
2-mile push beyond Kranenberg
The town of Mehr, also north of the
forest, fell, and Gen. Crerar's troops
fought into Millingen.
At least 16 towns and $500 pris-
oners have been rolled up in the
Canadian onslaught gaining about
miles, but forward troops now have
engaged elements of at least three
veteran German divisions.
The Canadians bored through the
Reichswald itself, and some of the
heaviest fighting flared on the
southern flank in the lower edges
Of the forest. Allied progress there
was slow.
The 1st Battalion, 309th Regi-
ment of the American 18th Division
reached the Schwammenauel Dam
after half-mile advance from the
north, with artillery and mortar fire
the main resistance.
The troops had no way of know
ing whether the huge structure
largest of a series of II dams at the
Roer's headwaters, had been wired
for demolition.
Three Explosions.
Just after midnight there were
three explosions-one at the control
house on the south side, another
at spillway bridge, and third
not Immediately traced-but the
big dam remained intact.
American 1st and 9th Army troops
reached the Roer east of Aachen in
November, but the menace of the
wall of water which the Germans
might send down the river pre-
vented their crossing.
Third Army troops made two
fresh crossings of the Pruem River
overnight, and in new advances of
up to mile reached points 2 to az
miles northeast of Pruem, and a
mile and three quarters on the
southwest.
Late front dispatches said no addi-
tional progress had been reported by
other Sd Army units which already
were within three-quarters of a mile
Of Pruem on the northwest and west
The Germans counterattacked
three times in the Pruem area, twice
with tanks, but were beaten back.
Twenty more pillboxes were
cleared in the Habscheid area south
west of Pruem, completing penetra-
ton of the main Siegfried belt and
widening. the breach to miles
Bridgeheads over the Our and Sure
Rivers in the Dasbourg, Wallendori
and Echternach areas were built up
against strong Nazi opposition.
South of this sector the American
7th Army cleared long contested
Oberhoffen, southeast of Haguenau
The French 1st Army had liquidated
the Colmar pocket, taking $4,000
prisoners.
One field dispatch from the Ca
madam front said the full extent OF
gains there could not be disclosed
for security reasons.
Associated Press CORRESPONDENT
Ned Nordness described the offen-
sive as IAN avalanche Of Allied
power, and added 'it Is difficult tc
see how the Germans can stop 1t. >
Nozis and Reds Predict
Major Drive in West
LONDON, Feb. 10 R.-A full.
scale offensive along the whole
western front was predicted today
by the German and Russian radios
Screen additional men from
the District area hare been |
reported killed In this trar. See |
"On the Honor RoH," Page AZ. |
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