BEFORE FALL OF CHERBOURG

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 232, 28 June 1944, Page 5

BEFORE FALL OF CHERBOURG

Scattered, Bitter Defence STUBBORN ENEMY (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.} LONDON, June 26. Front-line dispatches say that organized resistance in Cherbourg ended about 6 o’clock this morning. In a cold, grey drizzle of rain American infantry moved into the town in force. The Germans tonight are still fighting desperately in scattered groups. The American command this afternoon sent the beleaguered commander, Lieutenant-General von iSchlieben, a second ultimatum to surrender, states neuter’s correspondent. The ultimatum stated: The defences have been breached and the city is isolated. Your troops stubbornly and valiantly resisted our advance. You. are overwhelmingly out-numbered. It is .merely a question of time till the city is captured. The immediate and unconditional surrender of Cherbourg, 'is demanded. Answer by radio, and raise a white flag or shoot white rockets and flares from the naval and Pasteur hospitals. Then send an officer with a white flag via Fort du ■Roule to the farm of La Montague to receive the conditions of surrender. Today's German High Command communique says: “The demand remains unanswered.” It adds that all important harbour installations have been blown up. Easy Break-through, Jleuter’s correspondent says that only light opposition was encountered in the break-through of the city to the harbour. Fort du Roule was captured after stiff resistance. Three hundred prisoners anil an immense amount of ammunition were The city today is full of the smell of war and death. The streets are littered with German bodies, rifles, and papere which the retreating forces left behind. The city’s last defenders, being cornered, are throwing away their rifles and helmets and anything to lighten their load. The correspondent of tlie Associated Press of Great Britain says that while the Americans are mopping up pockets 01 enemy resistance in Cherbourg the Germans have gathered remnants of their shattered divisions at Cape de la. Hague (opposite the strongly-fortified Channel island of Alderney) for a last stand, and that many Germans who were overtaken by the swift American advance are trying to make their way there. Th» Americans in Cherbourg found a great underground arsenal near the docks at the western end of the harbour area, .-ind also many-E-boat pens, states the British United Press correspondent Before surrendering, the Germans put their machineguns out of action and blew oft the muzzles of the coastal and', antiaircraft guns. , . A correspondent says the Americans are all over Cherbourg tonight, but when he left it this afternoon it was an unquiet place. Smoke from burning buildings drifted over it. There were un-pleasant-periods of silence which would be broken by a sudden flare-up of mortar and machinegun fire or by muffled explosions. Little companies of Germans were fighting on, the officers determined not to surrender, the men«being afraid of both their officers and what their fate might be as prisoners. American infantry ducked and ran aloii" the sides of the streets and cross-roads. 1 hey collected prisoners in groups of six, 12 and 20. Stand at Naval Base. Tonight fierce fighting is gtill going on in the dock area, specially round the heavily fortified naval base, which still seems to be in German hands. A correspondent describes the destruction in the town as not nearly so bad as that seen in the villages on the way. “Cherbourg is still very much a city, he ft a fs S 'announced that out of more than 20,000 prisoners taken by the Allies so far in Normandy 3400 were captured in the 24 hours ended at 6 a.m. today. These are understood to have been from the Cherbourg area.