MASSIVE FORTS

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

MASSIVE FORTS

Americans’ Attack (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copy right.! • (Received June 27, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 27. The keypoint to Cherbourg was the Fort du Boule, an armed bastion rising to a height of several hundred feet from the heart of the city. American infantry, equipped with bazookas and bangalores, stormed the fort, and enabled the other units to -enter the streets of the city. The Americans tackling Fort du Roule blasted pillboxes one after another, dropping grenades and bangalore torpedoes down the ventilators and chimneys, and forcing the surviving Germans to capitulate. Huge stores of German food, liquor and ammunition were found in the multi-storied fort, which fell only because the Americans had killed or blasted out the occupants. The Germans had machineguns and some heavy guns jutting from the roofs and parapets, while a network of tunnels connected the outer pill-boxes. Germans were found dead at their posts holding weapons but shot through the forehead. Underground Forts. Reuter’s correspondent with the troops says the Americans today also uncovered an amazing subterranean fort while climbing a hill within A platoon looking over a cliff of aw feet of sheer rock discovered an opening at the bottom, into which they fired several bazooka shells, lhen a soldier, pistol in hand, walked in and shouted: “Come out, you sons of Hitler! To the platoon’s amazement, 300 Germans rolled out, hands over their heads. The Americans then entered the fortress and found cement fortifications, with suppfies for months. Full-sized railway tracks ran through tunnels hewn into solid rock, with engines and other armoured equipment. Endless rooms full of armament and food led off fioin the main channel. Dead and wounded soldiers were found at many points. One large store-room contained Hundreds of cases of cognac, rum, and wine another dozens of radios, another large naval-tvpe torpedoes approximately 20tt. in length, apparently for' transport ny rail to meet the expected attack from the sea. Later investightion disclosed that the fortress contained a lift connected with a pill-box on the hill above.