The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-03-28
Entire German Front
 Seems Disintegrated
Ccontlnusd from Page l)

would be only lss miles southwest of Berlin.
 The United States 7th Army also (was across the Rhine in great strength on a l9-mile front south of Pattons men, charging g miles and more beyond the river in bid to cut across the enemy's line of retreat southeastward into the Ba- varion mountains.
 Everywhere the Allied armies were reversing the Wehrmacht's lightning march across France and the Low countries in the black sum- mer of l940-and doing 1t at fast CT pace.
 Front reports told of demoraliza- ton and panic in the enemy lines as Allied tank colupns raced far into their rear to chop down Ger man stragglerS and round up thousands of beaten Germans wait ing only for chance to surrender.
 Armored vanguards of the British Second Army in the north swept forward six miles on broad front this morning, riding triumphantly thorugh flaming towns and villages abandoned by the retreating enemy.
 United Press War Correspondent Richard D. McMillan reported that British tank columns were strung out for ten miles and more along the main roads leading westward across the Westphallan plains to Muenster and Berlin.
 British infantrymen everywhere were being shunted off to side roads and farm tracks to clear the main highways for the laundering armor.
 Erie Captured
 One British column captured Erie, 18 miles east of the Wesel cross ing, and 35 miles west-southwest of Muenster. Another force seized Alt Chermbeck, 1-2 miles to the south. and drove ahead another 4 l-2 miles to enter the German anchor town of Dorsten.
 At Dorsten, the British linked up with American Ninth army forces who had been attacking the town from the west and southwest.
 British units between Erie and Dorsten were moving steadily east ward within about 30 miles of Muenster.
 Twenty miles to the northwest, German resistance before the Rhine river town of Emmerich and the highway hub of Bocholt broke un- der converging attacks from Ca- nadian troops and Scottish units ot the Second Army.
 The Scots captured Dingden, 1-2 miles south of Bocholt, and drove forward another 2 l-2 miles against weakening opposition
 Canadian First Army troops on their left flank slogged across the swamp Rhine flats to capture Dor nich, three miles east of Emmerich and advanced another half-mile to take Vrasselt. Other Canadian units struck northward to within a mile Of Anholt, ' 1-2 miles east-north- east of Emmerich.
 On the British southern flank. elements of the American Ninth army were croWding slowly into the factory towns along the northern and western edge of the Ruhr basin, facing somewhat stiffer opposition.
 The 79th infantry division gain ed about two miles on 8 narrow front extending three to six miles east Of the Rhine to capture Hors- terbruch and Holten. There the Tanks were within mortar range of the Ruhr cities of Sterkrade and Duisberg, 1-2 and four miles away, respectively.
 Three miles farther north, units Of the 18th beat off a sharp coun- ter-attack led by Is to 20 enemy tanks around Waldhuch.
 On the northern flank of the Ninth Army front, the 3Oth infan- try drove the German 116th panzer division from Gahhen, three miles west of Dorsten, and Besten, l l-2 miles to the southeast. The 3Oth apparently pushed on into Dorsten to join up with the British there.
 Ninth Army headquarters also revealed that the 35th infantry division commanded by Maj. Gen Paul w. Baade is now in the Rhine bridgehead, along with substantial armored forces.
 Meanwhile the First and Third armies were continuing their blaz- ing armored sweep across the heart of southwestern Germany, riding hard on the heels of broken, dis organized German divisions.
 It. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges first army columns rolled up sen- sational advances east and south east of what was once their Rema- gen "bridgehead." In "A hours the Tanks raced anywhere from IA to 25 miles without meeting more than scattered German opposition. sending five armored spearheads eastward on both sides of the Lahn River.
 Hodges men were barely 10 miles from the big German road center of Giessen last night and advanc- ing rapidly northwest and south west of the city. Capture of Gies- sen would put the Americans al- most 60 miles east of the Rhine and would close one of the mair supply and escape routes for the German garrison holding out in Frankfurt, 30 miles to the south. 
 SARAH BROWN DIES