POWERFUL BLOW

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

POWERFUL BLOW

British Offensive Resumed

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.)

LONDON, June 27. Just before dark last night the attacking forces in the Tilly-Caen area took the village of Fontenay, 2| miles south-east of .Tilly, and at 7.30 this morning our barrage started up again this time further east. Hundreds of field, medium and heavy guns joined in, and also naval guns from ships off shore. As the barrage went forward the infantry moved up. Heavy British tanks went with them, shooting through the mists of battle. The Germans were stunned by the barrage, but they recovered quickly, and the ground had been well prepared for defence. Our infantry went forward in the teeth of these defences, and at noon had advanced several thousand yards. By this evening British and Canadian troops were advancing toward the highway running south-west from Caen and were fighting at Bretteville, a village seven miles west of Caen. Casualties have been comparatively light This large scale attack was launched under cover of the biggest barrage yet seen in Normandy. The move may be intended to outflank the important town of Caen, to which the Germans have clung tenaciously since the invasion began. A correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain with the British Army says: “The attack is beginning to shape tip as a sequel to the original DDay offensive after the hiatus caused by bad weather and the necessity for massing supplies before the resumption of operations’ . <Got cracking Now.”

Reuter’s correspondent says that at noon a staff officer said: “We have got cracking now. The attack is going satisfactorily.” The correspondent adds. We had a gun to every eight yards. I spent an hour with one battery which kept pumning shells into the Germans till the gnn barrels were almost red hot. ine battle is still in its first stages, but with the Allied tanks committed and with a superiority of armour the progress of the British infantry is described m the first clash as absolutely splendid. “A well-known British general summed up the measure of the battle to me with ‘Don’t run away with the idea that Ibis battle will be easy. The German morale is still good, but while the Germans are still fighting well I believe they are definitely stretched.’ ” The British United Press correspondent says that British troops west of Caen went forward under cover of a threehours’ creeping barrage, moving southward from the Caen-Bayeux road toward the Caen-Villers Boeage line, thus resuming the attack which was begun yesterday between Tilly and Caen. Twenty-five pounders, mediums and heavies began a slow barrage as infantry pushed out through thickly-wooded country toward their objectives. Behind the infantry came our tanks, trundling down lanes and through orchards toward the enemy positions. After an hour the barrage quickened and the skies seemed to be filled with a one-way traffic of bigh-ex-nlosi--'-. Guns cracked from behind every hedge, sending shells whistling over into the enemy positions.

Strong Defences.

“Nearly an hour after the beginning of the attack we heard the first crackle of machinegun fire,” the correspondent says. “This came when infantry encountered a platoon of German infantry with anti-tank guns and four or five tanks holding a farm just outside and south of Fontenay. Our infantry got right round the farm and mortared the enemy from the farmyard, but the Germans retreated through the orchards, in which they had dug positions.” The Exchange Telegraph correspondent says. “There was • fierce hand-to-hand fighting in some places. Good progress was made during the morning, and by midday substantial advances had been made and some villages had been captured. The enemy defences were very strong, with thick belts of barbed wire, minefields and concrete gun positions in woods and orchards. There was house-to-house fighting in some villages before our infantry drove the enemy out with grenades and mortars. Panther tanks appeared from woods mid engaged our Churchills. battle Crescendo

(Received June 27, 11.20 p.m.) LONDON. June 27. Reuter’s correspondent with the advanced British armoured forces on the Tilly-Oaen sector says that the British general commanding the attack, who went forward in a tank to see for himself how things were going, reported: 1 am satisfied with the battle at this stage. The Germans look like fighting, it out and giving us a scrap. Considering this was a strongly defended area, things are shaping well.”

The correspondent says the deafening din of the battle lias been at crescendo pitch throughout the day. The German dead are piling up. The enemy has been ordered to fight to the last man and the last bullet, and troops will be shot if they show any signs of faltering. Our attack is along a front of several miles, and has penetrated several miles.