February 9, 1945:Canadian Assault On Rhine and Rhineland:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1945:

Friday Morning, February 9,1945

By AUSTIN BEALMEAR

PARIS, Feb. 9—(Friday)— (AP)—

The Canadian First Army, striking behind a thunderous 11-hour barrage

with flame - throwers and tanks, launched a grand-scale offensive yesterday morning apparently designed to turn the westwall's north flank and break into the Ruhr and Rhineland.

In the first hours the assault along the long-dormant northern end of the western front southeast of Nijmegen, Holland, gained two miles and Canadian and British

troops battled inside the westwall's fortifications.

With two U. S. armies already battering three breaches in the westwall on a 70-mile front inside Germany, and two others poised to strike along the Roer before Germany, the final battle for Germany

By W. W. HERCHEK

LONDON, Feb. 9—(Friday)—(AP)—The Red Army, threatening to trap scores of thousands of enemytroops, yesterday drove a new spearhead within 38 miles of Berlin's Baltic port of Stettin, while the Germans reported that other Soviet shock units had expanded six bridgeheads across the Oder river 30 to 43 miles from the imperiled reich capital.

Enemy broadcasts said Soviet armored columns striking through Pomerania northeast of Berlin were within 22 miles of Stettin, and reports reaching London said that Stettin and Berlin now have independent commands—a German precaution' against the danger of a sudden Russian airborne attack or a land

break-through which would isolate either city. The Russians were said to have ferried a large number of tanks and fresh troops across the Oder  may be at hand .

By C. YATES McDANIEL

MANILA, Feb. 9—(Fri-day)—(AP)—

Riding in amphibious vehicles, 37th Division Yanks of Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beightler crossed the Pasig river Thursday near Maacanan Palace to root out Japanse who had wrecked the river ridges and have kindled fires in the closely congested Intramuros district.

The point of crossing into the east sector of Manila in which the Japanese suicide squads are extensively active was nearly two miles east of the docks.

This suggested a wide encircling movement around the Intramuros (walled city) and docks toward the 11th Airborne Division of Maj. Gen. Joseph M. Swing trying to break into Manila from the south by way of suburban Pasay.

There was nothing to indicate that the llth Airborne Yanks, five and one half miles south of the Pasig, even yet had succeeded in eliminating or by-passing enemy

pockets at Nichols Field. The llth reached that point Sunday.

Fires Are Reported

Considerable fires were reported burning in the Intramuros which is a commercial-residential section, leavily populated, particularly by Filipinos and Chinese.

(Arthur Feldman, Blue Network war correspondent, said the hot blasts of the Intramuros fires could be felt.