A PORTION OF MUENCHEN-GLADBACH. After crossing the Roer the U. S. units advanced to within seven miles of the Rhine and closed in on Muenchen-Gladbach by 28 February. On 1 March one infantry regiment cleared the city which had a population of 170,000 and was the largest German city captured up to that time. Located twelve miles from the Rhine, it was one of the approaches to the Ruhr. On 3 March contact was made with the British and by 5 March the U. S. Ninth Army had closed up along the Rhine on its entire front.] [Illustration: GERMANY MEDIUM TANK M26 WITH A 90-MM. GUN equipped with a muzzle brake, introduced in combat early in 1945 (top). Both the light tank M24 and the medium tank M26 used a torsion bar type suspension which replaced the volute spring suspension of earlier models. Troops of the U. S. First Army approaching the Rhine (bottom). In the First Army area an attack was launched on 23 February simultaneously with that of the Ninth Army in the north. By 5 March First Army troops had secured all their initial objectives west of the Rhine.] [Illustration] [Illustration: FRANCE AND GERMANY A GERMAN ANTIAIRCRAFT GUN on medium tank chassis (Pz. Kpfw. IV with 2-cm. Flakvierling 38) (top). German 380-mm. rocket projector on Tiger E chassis (Sturmmorser) (bottom). The German insistence on holding west of the Rhine cost two enemy armies large quantities of material and heavy losses in manpower.] [Illustration] [Illustration: GERMANY 155-MM. MOTOR GUN CARRIAGE M12 firing on enemy installations (top). Infantrymen searching for snipers in Pruem, Germany (bottom). In the Third Army area probing attacks toward the West Wall were resumed on 7 February 1945. Self-propelled 155-mm. guns proved particularly effective in knocking out pillboxes, and by 12 February Pruem was cleared.] [Illustration] [Illustration: GERMANY AND BELGIUM C-47’s DROPPING SUPPLIES TO INFANTRY TROOPS (top). 2?-ton truck bogged down in the mud (bottom). Weather and terrain placed a heavy burden on engineer troops maintaining the roads. As the ground began to thaw one of the main supply lines became impassable for a time. Over 190 plane loads of rations, gasoline, and ammunition were dropped to one division to maintain its attack.] [Illustration] [Illustration: LUXEMBOURG INFANTRYMEN MOVING PRISONERS to the rear across a river near Echternach (top). Assault troops crossing the Our River (bottom). Bridgeheads were secured over the Our and Vianden was cleared by 20 February. Between Vianden and Echternach troops pushed into the West Wall.] [Illustration] [Illustration: GERMANY