The Wilmington morning star., 1945-02-19

old to the Ruhr industrial
basin.
The U. S. Third and Sew.
enth armies invaded Ger
many at two new points from
the west and south as the
feeling grew that the great
Allied storm was gathering
in the west.
Field Marshal Montgomery sent
a message to his troops declaring
that 1--WE now come to the last and
final round" in which knockout
blows will be aimed from more
than one direction"
The German radio, saying N
about offensive was near, declar-
ed that Montgomery had thrown his
British Second Army into battle
alongside the Canadian First
Army at the approaches to the
Ruhr.
British infantry who cut the
Goch-Calcar highway fought into
the northeastern perimeter Of
Goch's defenses, and other forces
were battling through antitank
bitches and other obstacles little
farther away on the north and
northwest.
Patrols returning from the en-
envy lines before Goch said oppo-
sition was lighter than expected
the city OF II 900 was under cease
less artillery and mortar fire,
and all roads but one on the
south were in Allied hands.
The U. S. Third Army broaden
ed it's front in western Germany's
Eifel hills to 81 miles, hacked out
gains of nearly two miles, deepen
ed new breach in the West Wall,
and forced a crossing of the Enz
river seven miles south of the big
enemy base at Bitburg.
Five German towns were cap
tured as the Third plunged five
miles or more into Germany. Ten
miles northwest of the fighting
here, mechanical cavalry made
a new crossing into the Reich near
Vianden.
simultaneously, the U. S. Sew
enth Army was disclosed to have
re-invaded the Saar Basin of Ger
many six miles southwest of Saar-
brucken, biggest city and capital
of the Saar.
There was no intimation that this
was a big attack, but an an
nouncement from the Sixth Army
group said heavy casualties were
inflicted on enemy troops trying
to infiltrate lines north OF the Saar
town of Auersmach three miles
north of the French city Of Sar-
reguemines.
Stiff fighting also was reported
to the west at Gros-Bliederstroff,
four and a half miles south Of
Saarbrucken, and two enemy coun-
terattacks with Is tanks and self
propelled guns were launched east
of Sarreguemines.
German patrols felt out U. s.
First Army positions southeast OF
Aachen in the areas Of Gemuend
and Schleiden. One German pris-
oner said the High Command plan
ned to turn the biggest Rhine cities
into fortresses and hold them long
after Allied armies press on be-
yond
Montgomery told his 2lst Army
Group-which by last official ac-
counts embraces the U. S. Ninth
as well as the British and Cana
dian armies-that the war had
reached it's final stage and with
1.-The terrific successes of our Rus
sian allies on the Eastern Front
victory was in sight
The battle in northwestern Ger
many reached a new peak of saw
agery on the 18th day of the Of
fensive.
British infantry with fixed bay
onets slashed through the outer
defenses Of Goch from positions
a mile and a half to the northeast,
where the enemy line was split
yesterday by two and half
mile surge.
A front dispatch said Germans
rose from concealed positions and
met the charge with a whitening
fire, and furious struggle was
raging there tonight in mist and
rain.
A force of $50 British heavy
bombers strove to seal off the
front by unloading 1000 tons of
explosives anG incendiaries on the
feeder point of Vessel, in the wes-
tern Ruhr basin Is miles east Of
advanced British and Canadian
forces.
Only one road and railway still
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