The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-28

weak opposition.
 First reports did not locate the bridgeheadS, but they were believed to have been made by the lO4th "TimberWolf" division in the Sin dorf sector three miles north of the main Dueren- Cologne highway and about eight miles west of Cologne.
 Another armored force raced down the highway itself and reached the river at a point directly opposite Modrath, seven miles from the ruin- ed Rhineland stronghold.
 The first assault waves across the Erft ran into only scattered gum fire from Nazi rear guards dug in on high ground east of the river. Fan ming out through the enemy de- lenses, the doughboys were reported moving swiftly eastward through a maze of minefields and tank traps.
 United Press War Correspondent c. R. Cunningham reported from First Army Headquarters that the going was expected to be tough on the last miles before Cologne, prin- cipally because of the minefields that hampered the supporting American armor.
 All accounts indicated the Nazis were leaving a suicidal rear guard on the west bank of the Rhine to delay the American advance as long as possible The bulk of these forces were believed digging in amid the ruins of Cologne for Streetto- street and house. toulouse battle.
 Far behind the Rhine bound Dcughboys, other First Army tanks ana infantrymen were riding rough shod through the broken German defenseS south and southeast of Dueren. The Americans extended their lines eight miles south of Due ren late yesterday with the capture of Nideggen.
 12 Villages Fall
 A dozen other villages in the 12- mile corridor between the Roer and Erft rivers fell to the First army yesterday. Many of the Nazi gar rlson hung out the white flag at first sight fthe Americans, abandoning formidable steel and concrete forti- lCd ClOIlS WlIHOuG q 1lBIlU.
 Even greater demoralization grip ped the Nazi forces massed on the southwestern approaches to the Ruhr valley in the pat of It. Gen William H. Simpsons rampagine Ninth army.
 With German communications throughout the area completely dis rupted, Simpson clamped security blackout on the progress of his rac. ing tank columns, last reported g dozen miles or less from Duessel- ' dorf.
 Field dispatches said Vanguards O. the Ninth army already were 1T smelling range of the arsenal city and there was every indication tha the Germans had broken wide oper : on that sector.
 l Hundreds of tanks were roaring up and down the highways east l west and northwest of Muenchen l Gladbach, westernmost of the Ruh 7 valley factory cities and l2 mile vest southwest of Dusseldorf . American riflemen rode astrid ] the tank turrets and followed il y trucks and armored cars in break e neck sweep that threatened to reacl s the Rhine before Duesseldorf in matter of hours.
 At last reports, now more than l d hours old, the Americans had cap 5 tured Waldniel, 6A miles west C = Muenchen, and were driving throug = Rheindahhen, three miles Southwes
 of the city.
 Waldniel was overrun by motori2
 ed infantrymen of the 85th divlsio
 who raced up ten miles from Erke
 lenz in a sudden enveloping swee
 that cut in behind an entire Germa
 division still holding the Meuse-Rot
 line around the Roermond hinge,
 miles to the west.
 '. Hundreds of German replacement - ard artillerymen were caught fla