BATTLE FOR CHERBOURG

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 227, 22 June 1944, Page 5

BATTLE FOR CHERBOURG

Enemy Bastions Reached SURRENDER CALL

ißy Telegraph.—Presa Afisn.—Copyrlgbt.» (Received June 21, 11.20 p.m.) ' LONDON, June 21. ' American troops advancing through hilly country are now coming up against the German strongpoints defending Cherbourg. AmoX toTe latest unofficial report, they are . nule or two from the outskirts of the city. _ _ ~ A British officer, broadcasting m German from the 8.8. C. ttas morning, called on the Cherbourg garrison to surrender, sajnng. “You are cut off. Rommel cannot assist you, and your is impossible. It is not dishonest to surrender. Von Arnim s troops at Cape Bon understood that, and they stopped fighting. This oucht to be an example to you.” .... • * A correspondent late yesterday said the Americans at one point were four miles from Cherbourg. Tins morning s munique, however, refers to reconnaissance troops within five miles south-west of the city and other forces within seven miles south. of Cherbourg. The American National Broadcasting Corpo " atl °" W r Americans are now less than two miles off Cherbourg, whose W6cSlns m oHhe <1 X‘ l a't their” Z'sa!, force a drawn-out ciege the fate of Cherbourg may be a matter of hours, judging by t lightning progress made by the Allies,” said another correspondent (quoted by British Official Wireless) in a message last.nig . Near Tilly-sur-Seulles British'forces have repulsed three Ge man attacks and have captured a village miles to the south-west.

LONDON, June 20. Chasing the last remains of two German divisions into Cherbourg, the Am®?’ 1 ' cans have begun the last battle for the port at its gates, states the British United Press correspondent before Cherbourg this evening. ‘■l passed through thousands of American infantry men as I drove toward the battle line,” he said. 'The thunder of cannon roared over woodlands running within two miles of the outskirts ot the city. Clouds of smoke rose from fires. “The attack began at 5 p.m. I watched the assault begin as our artillery barrage began its last shattering blows to break what may be the last line guarding the port. I saw many bridges which the Germans should have blown up, roads and tracks strewn with German armour, burnt out and twisted. “Miraculous pin-point shooting by our artillery had picked off enemy guns, lorries, and transports carrying infantry. Many of these were hit on the roads, increasing the disorder of the Germans flight.” In Full Fury. Reuter’s correspondent with the United States forces, in a message lodged at » o’clock tonight, says: “The last battle for Cherbourg is under way in full fury. The city, which the Germans are trying their hardest to demolish, is considered likely to fall soon. The Americans ere halving their time-table to reach the high ground dominating the city itself. , “The forces from the west have traveiled approximately 14 miles since yes- ; terday morning, and captured more than < 600 prisoners.” ~ \ r . , „ i Americans today occupied Montebourg and Valognes, and swept 1} miles beyond Valognes to within four miles of Cherbourg. They also advanced 5J miles north of Bricquebec. A correspondent says the Germans fell back from Valognes without attempting a major stand. . The progress of the Americans all along the line is described by a correspondent at Allied Headquarters as spectacular. Men of the Ninth Division are. thrusting out through the rocky country in the west of the peninsula at great speed, and have left Barneville well to the south. Toward the centre and the east, the Americans have met with more opposition, and the use of tanks is restricted by the nature of the ground,, but there is no indication so far that this has held up the advance. In some places German pockets of resistance and strongpoints have been by-passed and still have to be dealt with.

The Americans are aided by patriots who have taken up arms and volunteered for service as guides, scouts, and frontline troops, and are fighting alongside the Allies. American troops have advanced to within four miles of Cherbourg, and according to the German news agency commentator Hdllensleben • have already penetrated the fortified approaches to the port, where advance spearheads are battling with the German defenders. Rennes radio, quoting a late report from Cherbourg, said that the Allies are blasting the German positions wt Cherbourg from land, sea and air, and that heavy Allied naval guns and four-en-gined bombers carried an the attack all day. It added that the Germans expect new Allied landings near the tip of the Cherbourg Peninsula. No Escape for Enemy. The Associated Press correspondent with the Americans says that the thunder of explosions is heard from within Cherbourg. Smoke hangs over the city. There is no escape' now for the enemy except by sea. A British naval officer stated that it will be impossible for the Germans to evacuate Cherbourg by sea, owing to the limitations of the enemy shipping in the port. The “Daily Mail” says that British light naval forces are standing off the port ready to intercept any attempt to evacuate the German garrison to the Channel Islands. It is stated at the Allied supreme headquarters that there are three definite areas of fortifications at Cherbourg—the coasal defence, which is a ring of gun emplacements, probably facing north ; secondly, the inner defence zone a few miles inland; thirdly, the outer defence zone about six miles from the town and running in a great semi-circle from sea to sea.

FEROCIOUS BATTLE NEAR TILLY LONDON, June 20. The British positions in the Tilly area are now firm, and formations are also well established in Hotot, two miles south-west of Tilly, after having withstood strong counter-attacks from armoured and infantry forces. A correspondent says that a great armoured battle is being fought out near Tilly and has reached a new intensity. The fighting was described by a staff officer who is usually careful in his choice of words as “ferocious.” In the centre of the Allied front, patrols are advancing toward the important junction of St. Lo, and were last reported about two miles north of it.

LULL IN UNLOADING Allied Headquarters Not Concerned LONDON, June 21. Tbe weather is still bad, with a 25 miles an hour wind hindering the unloading operations in Normandy. A correspondent at the Allied headquarters says there is nothing really serious about the hold-ups. The Allied command did not expect continuous unloading, and_ we have got the cargoes ashore at a very good average rate since Dday. We have built up so much material on the beaches that the lulls in unloading give us a chance to clear it away,