The Wilmington morning star., 1945-02-24

SOLID fOOthOldS ~ to ~ miles
from Cologne and Duessel-
dorf.
They kicked off at $3.50 am,
and behind the greatest American
artillery barrage in history, quick
ly shredded the Roer river line
which had kept them nired east
of Aachen since last autumn.
Progress was described officially
as satisfactory.
Enemy broadcasts declared the
big push would be synchroniz-
ed with tempestuous Russian
blows from the east designed to
knock Germany out of the war
and said the offensive was on a
35-rnile front which might be
broadened by a British Second
Army onslaught lat any hour"
BY assault BIO s, infantry
bridges and amphibious jeeps and
tanks the Americans struck in the
moonlight behind a 45-minute bar
rage in which guns massed 100 to
the mile caved in dug-outs and
trench systems and left many en-
envy front line troops too stunned
to resist.
A field dispatch called it Rus
sian style of attack combining
man and gun power.
By 9 am. the attack was get
ting along well and the first
streams of prisoners came back
an exhausted dispirited lot. They
told their questioners that they
knew the attack was coming, but
did not expect it this morning.
Neither did they expect such a vio-
lent assault, they said.
A front dispatch from Associat-
ed Press Correspondent Yves Gal
laher said that every bit of ground
across the Roer river had been
carefully plotted for the artillery
rain of death which preceded the
infantry lunge across the stream.
Under this steel curtain the
Americans waded out into small
assault boats and padded across
the Roer or dashed over tiny foot
bridges. They were followed by
amphibious "alligators' splasning
across carrying heavier equip
ment.
Smoke generators also laid down
a thick blanket to camouflage the
attacks into Germany.
Waiting to receive the shock Of
the assault were six German di-
visions spread thinly along t he
arching front guarding their indus
trial might in the Ruhr Basin and
the Rhineland.
At least ten Of Field Marshal
Won Rundstedts carefully-hoarded
divisions had been pinned down
by the Canadian First Army Of
fensive on the north flank, and
that many or more were trying
to hold back the U. S. Third Ar
my, hammering toward the Rhine
through the Eifel mountains.
The Third Army ripped across
the Saar river at third point
south of the rocking fortress Of
Trier, and welded two other cross
ings into one bridgehead at least
two and half miles wide and as
much as two miles deep.
To the north in the Eifels, the
Third Army also Widened two
West-Mau breaches to nine and 10
miles, narrowed the gap between
them to four miles, captured 10
more German towns and was
threatening to force the enemy in
10 a 12-nile retreat back TO the
Pruem river.
To the south, the U. S. Seventh
Army pounded at the gates OF Saar-
first city and capital of
he Saar coal and steel basin, az
Ter capturing nearly all the gate
way town Of Forbach.
The Canadian First Army re-
sumed its drive after a temporary
oreather, scoring advances at a
number Of points, particularly in
he sector where it last was two
miles from the enemy base of
Jedem and Is miles from the
northwest corner of the Ruhr.
Scottish infantry in the center
cleared large wooded section and
ought south to little more than
| mile of Weeze, crossroads town
Continued on Page Two; Col, eN