Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (March 3, 1945)
FROM
(A) SHAEF MAIN
ORIGINATOR
PRD, Communique Section
DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN
031100A March
TO FOR ACTION
(1) AGWAR
(2) NAVY DEPARTMENT
TO (W) FOR INFORMATION (INFO)
(3) TAC HQ 12 ARMY GP
(4) MAIN 12 ARMY GP
(5) AIR STAFF
(6) ANCXF
(7) EXFOR MAIN
(8) EXFOR REAR
(9) DEFENSOR, OTTAWA
(10) CANADIAN C/S, OTTAWA
(11) WAR OFFICE
(12) ADMIRALTY
(13) AIR MINISTRY
(14) UNITED KINGDOM BASE
(15) SACSEA
(16) CMHQ (Pass to RCAF & RCN)
(17) COM ZONE
(18) SHAEF REAR
(19) SHAEF MAIN
(20) PRO, ROME
(21) HQ SIXTH ARMY GP
(REF NO.)
NONE
(CLASSIFICATION)
IN THE CLEAR
Communiqué No. 329
UNCLASSIFIED: Allied forces have fought their way through the Hochwald Forest despite strong resistance, and farther west have taken the strongly defended villages of Kervenheim and Weeze.
Targets in Kevelaer, a communications center, were bombed by medium and light bombes, while fighter-bombers attacked enemy troops and gun positions near Weeze.
Other fighter-bombers attacked rail and road transport and communications in the Ruhr, to the north and northeast of the Ruhr, and barges on the Rhine River between Wesel and Dinslaken.
To the south, our advance has now reached Straelen, and Roermond and Venlo have been captured.
North of Munchengladbach we have occupied Dülken and Viersen. Our units have entered Krefeld and have captured Neuss.
Our forces west of Köln, have advanced to Bedburg and Buchholz. Berghem has been cleared, and we have reached Niederaussem and Habbelrath. Fighting continues in Mödrath. Enemy resistance is stiff in the area east of the Erft River and the Canal.
Communications and other targets at Cologne were bombed yesterday morning and again in the afternoon by escorted heavy bombers in great strength. More than 3,000 tons of bombs were dropped in the target areas.
East of Düren, our units entered Gymnich after a gain of about two and one-half miles. Wissersheim and Erp have been cleared and our armored elements are in Borr and Friesheim. In the Zülpich area, we have reached Bessenich, Junkersdorf and Embken. We have cleared Heimbach and advanced 1,500 yards farther south on the east side of the Roer River.
In the Prüm area, our forces reached high ground two and one-half miles northeast of the town, and to the south and southeast have captured Winringen, Plütscheid and Seffern.
Fighter-bombers attacked fortified places east of Prüm, and targets in the towns of Badem and Eisenschmitt to the south.
Trier has been captured by armored and infantry units. Our forces advancing from the northwest are two and one-half miles from the city after taking Kersch and Newel. Southwest of trier we have captured Konz-Karthaus at the junction of the Saar and Moselle rivers.
Fighter-bombers attacked targets in Schillingen, Greimerath and Losheim, fortified towns south of Trier.
Enemy patrols which crossed the Rhine north and south of Strasbourg were repulsed.
Allied forces in the west captured 7,053 prisoners 1 March.
Communications and transport west of the Rhine River from Krefeld southward to Landau and east of the river from Dortmund southward to Haslach were struck at by medium, light and fighter bombers in strength. Among the targets were communications centers at Sinnersdorf and Meckenheim, and bridges at Sinzig, Eller, Zell, Bernkastel-Kues and Simmern.
A motor repair depot at Iserlohn and ordnance depots at Giessen and Wiesbaden were hit by medium and light bombers.
Railway yards at Chemnitz and Dresden, synthetic oil plants at Magdeburg and Böhlen, an oil refinery at Rositz and the Krupts Works at Magdeburg were attacked by escorted heavy bombers in very great strength. Airfields near Leipzig and Magdeburg were strafed by some of the escorting fighters.
Targets in Berlin and Kassel were bombed last night by light bombers.
COORDINATED WITH: G-2, G-3 to C/S
THIS MESSAGE MAY BE SENT IN CLEAR BY ANY MEANS
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Precedence
“OP” - AGWAR
“P” - Others
ORIGINATING DIVISION
PRD, Communique Section
NAME AND RANK TYPED. TEL. NO.
D. R. JORDAN, Lt Col FA4655
AUTHENTICATING SIGNATURE
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