March 3, 1945; Americans Cross Rhine at Two Points:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, MARCH 3, 1945:

  GALVESTON, TEXAS, SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 194

 Nazi Arsenal

Cities Taken ;

By Americans :

Trier Is Captured

in Great Offensive;

Germans Are Fleeing

Paris,. March 2. AP

The United State* Ninth Army smashed to the Rhine at two points today, engulfed all the arsenal cites in the Ruhr basin west of that formidable river, routed the German 15^th Army, and began shelling Dueseldorf in the greatest offensive in. American history.

It split the German defense and rent 'the mauled enemy in frantic retreat across the Rhine as the United States First Army fought to within four and a halt miles of Cologne and the United States Third Army captured the ancient fort  of  Trier, guarding the Moselle.

 River route to Coblene.

The Canadian First Army on the north knocked out two other strong points In a five-mile surge through the buckling lines, and was ten miles from a junction with the Ninth Army, threatening entrapment of thousands of Germans.

German broadcasts said that between the closing jaws of this nutcracker the British Second Army went over on the offensive, and broke across the Maas River in a

drive designed 'to pin down and destroy the German army west of the Rhine.

Russians Four Miles

From Baltic Coast in

Pomeranian Offensive

London. March S (Saturday). AP

The Germans announced last night that red army spearheads had rolled within four miles of the Balic Pomeranian coast, slashing the Berlin-Statin-Danzig; military superhighway near Koeslln and trapping scores of thousands of nail troops In a 9800-square-mile section of northeastern Pomerania, Polish "corridor," and Danzig.

The soviet high command did not immediately confirm this sensational development, telling only of the- capture of 30 villages on the western side of the Baltic salient. Moscow apparently was waiting until the narrow tank-tipped wedge

had been strengthened before announcing that Pomerania had been chopped In two and another great trap sprung on the reeling foe.

Marines' Gain on Iwo

About to Cut Enemy

Force Into Two Parts

United State. Fleet Headquarters

Guam, March 3 (Saturday).(AP)

 Maj. Gen. Graves B. Erskine's 3d Marine Division lunged into the rugged north end of Iwo Friday to within 600 yards of cutting the Japanese garrison in two and sealing off the point of greatest enemy resistance .

Driving 700-yard wedge and seizing a 362-foot hill, the leathernecks in the center of the marine line approached the cliff edge on the island's northeast coast.

The wedge threatened to trap Nipponese who have held Maj. Gen. Clifton B. Gates' 4th Marines, moving up the east aide, to allow gains for the past five days.

The incomplete count of enemy dead rose more than 2300 In four days 7127  by noon Friday.

Americans Land on

Island Near Manila

Manlla, March 3 (Saturday). AP

Men of MacArthur, making their 18th inland Invasion In the Phillipenes

The fifth in a little over  week have landed on Lubang Island, 36 miles southwest of Manila Bay's entrance and thus completed clearance of the shortest sea route through the Philippines from the United .States