March 9, 1945; AMERICANS LAND ON MINDANAO:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, MARCH 9, 1945:

RACINE, WIS., FRIDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 9, 1945.

Daring Troops

Capture Bridge

At Remagen

PARIS. —(AP)—

The American First army steadily enlarged its Remagen bridgehead in inner Germany today to an east bank wedge at least five miles deep and 10 wide..

Daring armored infantrymen of the Ninth armored division captured the double-tracked Ludendorf  railroad bridge at Remagen and swiftly raced along its 1,200-feet length into the steep cliffs of Erpel, 276 miles southwest of Berlin and 30 southeast of Cologne.

Tanks quickly followed the foot troops, aware of the danger that the Germans at any second might blow up the structure. The Shermans reached the span at 3:50

p. m. Wednesday, it is possible to disclose for the first time tonight.

Rednce Wesel Pocket. Between the Remagen bridgehead and shell-rocked Coblenz, .

German resistance collapsed suddenly in the Eifel mountains trap and the lost nazi divisions raced toward the Rhine. British to the north captured Xanten and steadily

reduced the Wesel pocket.

The U. S. Third army won domination of the Rhine north of Coblenz tonight by capturing the ferry terminal of Andernach and the town of Brolil,

Russians Reported

Fighting in Kuestrin

By RICHARD KASISCHKE.

LONDON — (AP) —

The troops of Marshal Gregory Zhukov in their offensive toward Berlin have fought into Kuestrin a second time, the Germans reported today, and a bitter battle is raging in the ancient streets of the Oder river fortress.

Russian tanks and infantry attacked 17 times from the northwestern part of the city—which the Germans said yesterday had been bypassed on the north and

south by the Russians who had driven across the Oder to within 25 miles of Berlin—but were finally driven back to the suburbs, a German broadcast announced.

Kuestrin, 39 miles east of Berlin, was first reported penetrated about a month ago, before the momentum of Zhukov's drive from Warsaw was spent.

Mass for Lake Crossing

The Russians, however, had not yet confirmed officially the crossing of the Oder—an announcement which would signal that the Allies in the east as well as in the west have joined battle with the Nazis in the heart of Germany.

To the north the Russians pushed forward from an arc eight miles southeast, east and northeast of Berlin's Baltic port of Stettin and rushed up boats and landing craft for an assault across the Dammscher lake which fronts Stettin on the east.

Americans Land

On Mindanao,

Tokyo Reports

By JAMES HUTCHESON

MANILA. — (AP) —

Americans have landed on Mindanao, second | largest of the Philippines, said an

unconfirmed Tokyo radio broadcast heard in London today. An earlier report by Tokyo said U. S. warships were shelling Zamboanga. on the southwestern tip of Mindanao but “no landings had been made up to Thursday night."

A Tokyo broadcast, heard in London by the Associated Press, gave this "flash":

"Enemy trying to land at Zamboanga at Mindanao since March 8."

It added: "The landing was preceded by a heavy bombardment. On March 8 in the morning 30 enemy ships appeared from the west. Soon afterward three cruisers, four battleships, 20 other ships and 20 landing boats were lying off

Zamboanga.

Indians Assault

Mandalay Hill

CALCUTTA — (U.P) —

Fierce hand-to-hand encounters raged today on Mandalay hill, inside Burma's historic city as the Japanese fought savagely in attempts to stem envelopment by converging Indian troops.

The 800-foot hill, overlooking Fort Dufferin, seat of ancient Burma kings, virtually controls the entire northern section of Mandalay.

(The British radio said that according to unofficial reports British troops had penetrated the old walls surrounding Fort Dufferin.