European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 23, 1950, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tlmnd7r few my 13. 1950 the stars and stores Page 7 Allied armies drive germans from Roer to Rhine continued from off $ Tot the main attack North of Tjie Ruhr. To order therefore to exploit Che situation and establish a Ade quate Bridgehead consolidated in readiness Tor an offensive there from As Oon As operation South at the Motelle permitted i ordered general Brattle when he Tele phoned me to report the occur rence to put not Leas than five divisions onto the far  anticipating this decision by Hia commander Bradley had already begun strengthening the Bridge Bead. A combat command was a a duty passed Over and by March 9bis forces held an area three Miles deep. It look the enemy some Lime to recover from the initial Shock of having . Troops in his own front Yard but by the time he was a Leto take countermeasures it was too late. Long Range artillery was brought to Bear on the Bridge in an attempt to destroy it while the troops on the East Bank were still dependent on it for communications. The Luftwaffe oame out in the fullest Force of which it was Cap Able at the time trying with bombs rockets and cannons to de i Troy the Structure. J they succeeded Only in making highly dangerous 4he work of engineers engaged in trying to strengthen the weakened Center Span. Eventually the strains to which the Structure was subject cd became too much for it and on March 17,Long after a number of floating Bridges had been put up to supplement it the Center Span sagged into the River. On Iii corps right flank v corps was striking to the South to make Contact with 3d army which had eliminated enemy resistance in the Saar Moselle Triangle crossed the Saar River and taken Trier. Successive Bridgehead were taken by 3d army across the Ourand or Tieten Rivers and the Kyll laying the Way open for its and Vance to the Rhine. Advancing Northeast Viii corps spearheaded by the Lith army div reached the Rhine at Andernacht on March 9 and linked up with 1st army the following Day. To the South on March 5, the 4th army div under Xii corps charged along the North Bank of the Moselle toward its Confluence wit the Rhine. This was reached March 30. Great quantities of enemy material being taken in the Advance. By the next Day the left Bank of the Rhine from a Blenx to Ander Aach had been cleared find the enemy had been virtually eliminated along its length North of the  set the stage for joint operations by 3d army and 7tb army South of the Moselle the Colma pocket in Alsace had at last been reduced by a combined assault of 1st French army forces to which had been attached the . Xxi corp composed of the 3d, 28th and 75th inf dive and the 12tharmd div under maj Gen Frank w. Milburn the xxi corps carried the Brunt of the Battle by attacking Between the French i corps on the Southand the French ii corps on the  fell feb. 3 and by the 9th, with the collapse of the fortified town of neuf Brisach All organized resistance West of the Rhine in that area was ended. The operation Cost the enemy 22, 000 casualties and virtual destruction of his 13th army. This Victory and subsequent advances by 7tharmy in the Saa Brucken Forbach area paved the Way for operation undertone the major offensive South of the Moselle intended to destroy the enemy West of the Rhine and close on that River South of Coblenz. To this end 7th army assumed command of French forces known As the Gro Pement Montabert Andon March is the offensive began. While xxx corps of the 3d army struck East from Allie i it Only Bismarck stands in ruins of Duren just stump of town by Andy Roone stars and stripes staff writer Puren feb 25this place is just a stump of a town. There is no one Here. There Are no buildings Landing. Duren was one of the richest towns of its size in the world and according to the military govern ment officer capt Arthurh Lar suib of san Francisco there were i millionaires living there before the town a levelled. The Popula Tion at one time was 46,000, but it had fallen to about 30,000 in the last few  the German population of Duren appeared to be four. That was the total number of civilians who could be found in the ruins of the City by military government officials. I suppose if the germans still want a town called Duren after the War they will pick a Good spot a few Miles North and Start building la skins declared. Only a few hours after the first Duren 6nut House captured in Best Hollywood tradition by William , Stan and stripes staff writer Duren feb. 27a 25-year-old Captain from Hollywood wrote his own scenario for the capture of Ansylum High above this battered Roer City and his men of k co 413th inf regt believe it was Thebes to the first 24 hours of fighting in Duren. As a matter of tact the Duren health and welfare institution was not really an insane Asylum. The germans used it months ago for eged Blind and infirm As Wellas insane. But to the so men of co k who took it it was and is the nut  they say it adds a Hollywood touch for their co who lives in fee aim capital. And the Way they Pell it out the plot has most of 1be ingredients of a 5jx-reel thriller including even a sex  Neon Friday eight and one half hours after the first yank jumped off across the Roer cos and k of the 3d in were dug in to the slaughterhouse the paper Bill and the sugar factory in the Western half of the  a Vantage Point in the institution Alop a Hill 140 feet High Jerry artillery machine guns an mortar batteries were raising hell. Capt Bower was ordered to take the nut House Fay 1500. He outlined a plan of direct assault straight up the Hill and requested artillery for 1415. At 1417 the barrage began blast ing a path. First it John m. Crook of los Angeles and t sgt Lucky c. Harkey of Davidson n.  took the first platoon up the Road be Hind it hugging the fire they said no More than 50 Yards away. Second it Harold e. Coffin s 3d plat took a different route aiming directly for the collegiate appearing Cam pus and its quadrangle of build Ings we double tuned up that Hill like a Bunch of wild West cowboys s sgt James a Mcbride of Sanaugustin tex., said. We did t have time to clean out All the continued on Page 8 press views push in West As finishing blow to Hitler by Gene Graff the stars and stripes to it. Bureau new York feb. 24the Home tront press heralded the Western front offensive As Likely to be the finishing blow to hitler1 totter ing Empire but cautioned the Public against too much optimism lest the push fall to crush the nazis Western  the first time in several weeks the new York papers broke out in a rash of maps of Central Europe showing the distance be tween the Forward russian lines and those of the americans. The general reaction was summed up by Ernest Crown in the news paper pm. He quoted a 9th army Soldier a saying Ivan Here  the Soldier had just surged Noroes the Roer with Hie unit. . Troops cleared Duren american bulldozers trundled their Way across the Bridges the engineers had built and like Snow lows started cleaning the streets of rubble so that traffic could push through the City s Mai roads. Headquarters of american outfits wer set up in cellars because there were nothing but cellars left. Wind ing Steps leading to the cellars of what had been Fine Duren mansion were so littered with rubble that the Steps were indiscernible and the stairs twisted Down like Flat ramps. In the Center of the ruins of Duren there was a statue of Bismarck standing 20 feet above the rubble. One of the Lour germans found in d Tuen explained that Bismarck had originally been looking toward France and Belgium but two nights ago the terrific bombardment from american artillery on the other Sid of the Roer had turned the statue completely around so that Bismarck like All germans was now facing the Rhine Russ decorate Bradley twelfth army a Phi feb. 28alexander Bogomolov so Viet ambassador to France pinned the order of Kutuzov first Grade on it Gen Omar a Bradley com Mander of the 12th army up her yesterday. At Goebber Birthplace outside the House where German propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels was born citizens of Weydt Greet american War  Hugh Schnek and British writer Alfred be. Nate the White Flag Bein waved by one of the German Keystone . Armor races Halfway to Rhine by Robert l. Moora stars and strikes staff writer 12th army up he feb. 26 american Armor was hurled Toto the drive for the Rhine today. Tank elements of the 1st army rumbling across Ine Treadway Bridges spanning the Roer sped up tip main Highway from Duren to wards Cologne traced through the advancing 104th inf div and by Nightfall were Halfway to the Rhine first army placing the armoured spearhead officially 12 Miles from Cologne said the tanks had reached the Vicinity of Blatzheim a Small Community on the South Side of the main Duren Cologne motor Road. Troope of the 104th followed the tanks to Clear Golgi Zeim an important Junction on the Highway and the towns of me Mut and Buir on either Side of the Highway. Ardennes baffle held costliest in . History new Yolk feb 23 Bobert a Patterson under Secretary of War Aid today the Battle of the ardennes was the costliest engagement lit . History. Between dec. 16 and Jan. 11, be said we sustained 55,400 casualties namely 37,008 killed and to funded and 18.440 prisoner of War. Losses of equipment also were  1st army set to open own radio station first . Army he feb. 28 a so beginning at 5. �5 am thurs Day the lat army Wylli have its own radio station broadcasting 18 hours a Day seven Day a week. The entire broadcasting unit studio control room and transmit Ter is housed in a trailer. Station manager and chief announcer is sgt Joan Mcnamara of new York. Eto quartermaster shares i meal by Jules p. Grab Star and stripes staff writer Allied Advance command Post feb. 28sgt Van Ostenberg of grand rapids Mich looked up from his desk outside Gen Eisen Hower s office today. Waiting patiently was a flock of  can i get something to eat asked maj Gen Robert m. Littlejohn Eto quartermaster Gen eral. I can get you a car for the officers mess the sergeant offered. Where do you eat the general asked. Downstairs Van told him. Let s get going then Littlejohn  few minutes later the Eto chief of All mess Halls a quietly eating lunch out of a mess kit alongside some of Tim amazed Kitchen Crew