Evening star., 1945-01-11
Allied Troops Capture La Roche,
Nazis Admit Bulge Withdrawal;
Yanks Take 20 Towns on Luzon
British Patrols,
Gain 10 Miles at
Ardennes Tip
MAP ON Page A-4.)
Ey the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PARIS, Jan. 11.-Allied forces
on the northern flank of the Ger
man bulge in the ArdenneS cap
tured La Roche today as the
Germans announced a withdraw
al from the entire tip of the
Ardennes salient west of the
Ourthe River in a e-shorten-
ing maneuver.
British patrols stabbed 10 miles
into the Sagging tip of the salient
reaching Champion on the north
south road between La Roche and
st. Hubert, and other British. pur-
sued the withdrawing Germans
through the W-covered, mine
laden terrain.
Strategic La Roche, IL miles
northwest of Bastogne, was by
passed by Allied forces which had
cut the road from there to Veil
salm 1t was recaptured during a
swirling blizzard in freezing tenn
peratures, as the Allies gained 3
miles or more around the bulge.
(The German high command
today announced withdrawal
from the entire tip of the
Ardennes salient west of the
Ourthe River.
("In order to support the deep
flanks of our front bulge in the
Ardennes more effectively the
outjutting part across the Ourthe
toward the west was taken back"
the broadcast communique said)
New Stand Expected.
Indications were that Field Mar
shal Won Rundstedt was pulling
back his infantry for a new stand
in the east half of the snoW-drifted
ArdenneS salient around Houffalize,
which the American Sd Army ap-
preached from point miles away.
Gen. Eisenhower's communique
said German attacks were repulsed
In the Alsace plain between Stras-
bourg and Colmar," where rein
forced enemy columns have struck
to within 10 miles of Strasbourg.
American 7th Army troops stormed
into Oeting, suburb of Forbach
and only 5 miles southwest of the
4Saarland capital of Saarbrucken.
British I'd Army troops captured
half dozen towns in the western
tip of the Belgian bulge in advances
of more than 2 miles around 25-
mile arc from by-passed La Roche
to Bure. These were Roy, Harsin,
Charneux, Nassogne, Masbourg and
Halleux.
American 1st Army troops on the
north side of the salient fought on
the outskirts of La Roche and in
side Vielsalm, 9 miles west of ST.
With. They captured Bihain and
moved 1000 yards southwark
through stiff opposition to points
within miles of the Houffalize-St
With highway, last major German
road in the bulge.
Won Commanding Ground.
1t. Gen. George S. Patton's Sd
Army on the south won command
ing ground outside st. Hubert, IA
miles west of Bastogne. The Ger
mans said they had evacuated St.
Hubert, their southwest anchor
Third Army troops also captured
Harlange, 6 miles southeast of Bas-
togne, cutting another mile into the
rough Harlange pocket where the
Germans were fighting back with
tanks and cannon.
(The German radio said Cana
dian troops had launched an
attack against German positions
south of Nijmegen in Holland
This broadcast declared the at
tack ''broke down under concen-
trated German defensive fire.
At no point in the Belgian bulge did
Won Rundstedt appear to be in seri-
GUS difficulty. Unless Field Marshal
Bernard L. Montgomery on the north
and 1t. Gen. Omar N. Bradley on
the south are able to turn the Ger
mans guarded withdrawal into an
outright retreat and slash more rap
idly into the eastern sides of the
bulge the German commander may
yet win the second round of his cam
paign.
1t did not seem assured that the
Allied commanders would be able to
turn the withdrawal into a rout.
Weather and terrain conspired
against that. The Germans were
pulling out behind a cover of fields
of wooden and plastic mines, used
because they were. more difficult to
detect than metal ones. The mines,
covered by snow, considerably re-
tarded pursuit.
Snow Impedes Armor.
The snow, now melting in spots,
has further impeded the Allied use
of armor which otherwise might
have pressed hard on German heels.
Fog which hung over the battle
areas grounded the tactical air force.
With his armor punched in a
shortened arc from Houffalize back
to the German border, Won Rund-
stedt would be able to fight an even
sitter defensive action, perhaps let
ting the volksstrum and volksgren-
adler infantry take over the fight
along the rising ridge lines.
Won Rundstedt's tank divisions
have been thoroughly mauled during
their four weeks in the bulge. They
have been whitfield to only a frac-
ton of their strength at the outset,
when two powerful panzer armies
One additional man from the
District area has been reported