FURTHER STRENGTHENING OF BRIDGEHEAD

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 237, 4 July 1944, Page 5

FURTHER STRENGTHENING OF BRIDGEHEAD

Allied Improvement South-West

Of Caen GENERAL LULL CONTINUES

(Received July 3, 11.50 p.m.) LONDON, July 3. Today’s communique from supreme Allied Headquarters states: “Our Odon bridgehead, south-west of Caen, was further strengthened yesterday morning. Enemy activity was on a reduced scale probably because of the severe mauling he received on Saturday. There were some enemy attacks, but they were firmly is nothing, to report from the remainder of the front. “The weather continued to restrict air activity yesterday, but fighter-bombers attacked bridges over the Orne. Fighters attacked vehicles on roads behind the enemy's lines. Twenty-one enemy planes were shot down. Three of ours are missing. One enemy plane was shot down over Normandy last night.

A correspondent says that panzer divisions in the. area are at present considerably understrength in tanks. Allied gunners were active, but bad living weather cut down air support. Repair work at Cherbourg, continues aud yesterday’s bad weather did not hinder the build up of Allied supplies. Quietest Since D-Day. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, July 2. Ou the British Second Army front in Normandy it has been just about the quietest day since D-Day.. A correspondent, speaking from Normandy tonight, said it would have been logical to suppose that after the day-long jabbing and thrusting of yesterday the Germans would have thrown in something really big today. The Allied forces were fully prepared for it.. They have been standing confidently in readiness., but enemy activity has been practically negligible. . . . , , n The Allied initiative is still firmly he d, and patrols have been very active in the enemy’s forward areas. Artillery has maintained an almost ceaseless shelling of German key positions. . The correspondent'says that it.may well be that the Germans are licking their wounds after the beating they took yesterday when repeated counter-attacks were repulsed. , . British troops were patrolling south of the Odon River in the area of Evrecy and Esqifay today, but the Germans were lying low, states Reuter’s correspondent on the Tilly-Caen front. By midday the Germans had not reacted to our patrols, though they have been so sensitive and nervous in the past few days that the rustle of leaves or the snapping, of twigs has been sufficient to draw a violent reaction. ■ , , The British United Press correspondent says that our troops were mainly resting in muddy slit trenches and barns, while French civilians, in their Sunday best, a few thousand yards from the front, were out walking under threatening clouds and in occasional rain showers. Some Allied advanced patrols coming in this morning spoke of finding no mans laud littered with German dead. Courageous Infantry. A correspondent says that the most striking thing about the recent fighting is the way our infantry and infantry weapons stood up to the German tanks in this close country. Often they let tanks come to within a few yards before opening up with mortars or sticky bombs. The correspondent gives au example of one German Tiger which overran one of our six-pounder guns in a wood. The Allied gunners had no chance to fire. They got away and reached the next gun post. This gun was quickly . man-handled into a new position, , opened fire and knocked out the Tiger. A correspondent at Supreme Headquarters said that whatever surprises Rommel may still ha’'e up his sleeve, his conduct of the battle so far has been about as costly for the Germans as he could make it. The patching policy.be has adopted has got him nowhere, in spite of the commitment of strategic German reserves. The enemy’s abortive attacks yesterday went on ceaselessly for 14 hours. The German infantry losses in fierce close-quarter clashes with our infantry were heavy in proportion to the numbers The enemv continues his counter-at-tacks on the Tilly-Caen sector. All were repulsed up to midnight yesterday. It is now known that 40 enemy tanks, not 2a, were destroyed in Friday’s attack. Appreciating the value of the high ground between the Odon .and Orne Rivers, the Germans have tried hard to drive us from this useful crow’s nest. Their efforts so far have failed, aud Hill 112 remains ours

Temporary Penetration. On one sector yesterday, the enemy penetrated our positions. This temporary success was gained at heavy cost, and the position was restored later. Enemy tanks assembling for a large-scale coun-ter-attack were dispersed by artillery, and the attack petered out. The Germans launched another smallscale counter-attack yesterday morning in the Granville area. A piece of high ground which we lost on Thursday was recaptured. About two companies of infantry. supported by a score of tanks, made’the attack, but they never succeeded in makiiiff the slightest progress, and the attack dwindled into nothing. On the British-Canadian front there has been activity in the Esquay area, to the south of the salient. The beach weather is good, with a fresh south-west wind, and unloading is proceeding satisfactorily. The Allied bridgehead across the Odon stands firm, in spite of continuous enemy assault, savs the Allied communique. All Saturday there was fierce fighting, particularly on the west of the deep salient. The enemv repeatedly counter-attacked in a vain effort, to cut off our wedge at the base. Heavy units forminsr up for a. major attack were broken up by a concentration of Allied artillery fire, and the attack collapsed. Attacks by smaller forces, supported by a few tanks, have continued to prove very costly to the enemy.