March 14, 1945; Amricans 1 mile from Frankfurt-Ruhr- Autoban:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, MARCH 14, 1945:

MANITOWOC, WIS; WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14,1945

CLEAR HILLS BEYOND

RAMAGEN; PATTON AT

MOSELLE, NAZIS SAY

BY JAMES M. LONG

Paris (AP)—

First army troops slugged their way through the hills rimming the R e m a g e n

bridgehead today to within a mile arid a q u a r t e r  of  t h e  Frankfurt-Ruhr autobahn. .

The German radio .declared Lt. Gen. George S. P a t t o n was trying to cross the Moselle at several points west of Koblenz, but there was no confirmation from the

Allied side.

The Germans said the Third army attempts were beaten back but, t h a t now P a t t o n had brought up four infantry and t h r e e  to four tank divisions ' for: a large scale attempt to forge the river.

The Germans; said crossing attempts were being made at Borettenbach

and Hatzenport, the latter 16 miles southwest of Koblenz

The captured Ludendorff bridge leading to American cross-Rhine territory, meanwhile was reported in better condition than ever although it had been hit by enemy my shells several times.  Work done to repair the harm caused by American air raids accounted for the, improved condition of the bridge, front line dispatches said.

Watch For Crossings

There were indications that the Germans were not committing all their available! strength against the bridgehead; because they were wary of possible crossings at other points.

Reds Cut Nazi Line Before Berlin

Beriiners Ordered

To Defend Capital

To The Last Bullet

BY RICHARD KASISCHKE

London, (AP) —

Russian troops h a v e broken through one of  the  main German lines west of 'the

Oder in Berlin's forefield, a Reuters dispatch from Moscow declared today, while the German commander in Berlin , ordered the Reich capital defended "above and under ground", to the last bullet.

The German high command announced a powerful new Russian offensive aimed at wiping out Nazis in Last Prussia, but

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      London, (AP)-

The Second  Ukrainian army has captured Zvolen, Slovanian stronghold on the Hron river, Marshal Stalin announced tonight. Zvolen is 11 miles south of the former Czechoslovak headquarters city of Banska Bystrica, and 75 miles north

of Budapest. "                                

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declared Soviet attacks from the Lebus bridgehead west of  the  Oder north 'of Frankfort 'broke down.

BY HENRY B. JAJ^ESON

London, (AP) — Germany was mauled from the air today for t h e 30th straight day as the 'U. S. Eighth air force--carrying: t h e manpower equivalent of a full infantry division—made another mass bombardment of  Nazi railways, oil refirieries, and armament plants and submarine pens.

Hundreds of Allied fighters provided close cover for t h e Rejmagen bridgehead and other American bombers from Italy gave transportation targets another going over.

U. S. heavy bombers from Italy struck into Hungary and Austria in support of Russian armies, h i t t i n g  railyards at Komarom on the Danube and Wiener Neustadt. near Vienna.

The giant force of 1.250 U. S.  heavy bombers and 650 fighters from Britain split into a dozen; attack groups after crossing the North sea. Their targets included a camouflaged U-boat hideout at Ijmuiden on the Dutch coast, three' truck and t a n k factories at Hannover, oil objectives at Misburg,. near Hannover, and at Nienburg,

25 miles northwest of Hannover: metal casting plants at Hildesheim, 20 miles southwest of Hannover, and freight yards and bridges on two main rail routes

leading north from the Ruhr coal fields.

Railyards were bombed at Giessen. Guetersloh. 10 miles southeast of Bielefeld. Seelze, just west of Hannover , and Lohne. 25 miles west of Osnabrueck, and bridges were attacked on the Wester river east of Osnabrueck.