WEST OF CAEN

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 238, 5 July 1944, Page 5

WEST OF CAEN

Canadian Attack Gains' Village Stronghold AMERICAN PUSH GOING WELL

LONDON, July 4. The Canadians 1 in Normandy have struck out from the eastern base of the Second Army salient between Tilly and Caen. By 8 a.m. they had captured the village of four miles west of Caen and fierce fighting is now taking place on the airfield there. This is a German stronghold east of the base of the wedge. The attack was made'with the support of artillery, planes and naval guns, which developed a heavy barrage for an hour and a quarter before the Canadian infantry went in. Today’s communique says that the Americans attacking on the west side of the peninsula have made gains up to 2-J miles. A front-line report says that the attack was still growing in strength last night when the weather cleared.

The Canadians are attacking a heavily defended area. The Germans have not been able to use the airfield for some time, but it is thick with anti-aircraft guns which the Germans are using as artillery. Correspondents say that on the Odon sector, south-west of Caen, British troops have pushed forward and slightly unproved their positions. Troops Wade Tlu’ough Floods. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, July 3. The big American attack. began along the Normandy front from St. Lo to St. Lo D’Ourville, learns a correspondent at supreme headquarters. There are no further details yet. beyond a report that Allied troops are operating south of a flooded area below St. Lo D’Ourville, and that St. Jores, about five miles south of St. Sauveur, has been captured. ’ The Americans’ offensive began in driving rain which reduced visibility to nil and deprived them of air support. They are pushing down the western side of the Cherbourg Peninsula, on a front extending inland for more than 20 miles from the coast. Reuter’s correspondent in Normandy says that the offensive started from a line roughly from Saint Sauveur de Pierre, five miles from the west coast, through a point north of Saint Savour de Vicomte, and round in an arc to a position west of Carentan. The push was launched after a dav of artillery lire and patrol warming up which kept the German and American forces in constant contact and permitted the Americans to feel out the German strength. The Americans, slashing into thick hedgerows and moving across sodden but green rolling hills, drove in the direction of Le Haye du Puits, only a few miles south from the jumping-off line. American troops pushed one spearlieait 24 miles deep into the German lines today, says Reuter’s correspondent, llie Americans in the first 12 hours, of the offensive waded through water which was knee-to-chest-deep. They fought off German tanks and blasted their way through hedgerows to win key-points. One column grabbed a key hill which is less than three miles north of Le Haye du Pints. The troops pushed up the slopes through a maze of hedgerows, machinegun emplacements and mortar trenches. The Americans on the right and leit flanks experienced even tougher spmg. Both flanking columns had to beat oft groups of three to six tanks. The “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent says that Saint Jores, which the Americans have captured, lies just south ot the east-west highway connecting the two main roads running due south of the Peninsula and is some five miles east ot Be Haye du Puits.

No Kespito for Germans. The correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says that the barrage lit up the murky skies for hours, while the ground shook tor miles. Xue sudden attack after the Cherbourg victory gave the Germans little time to prepare for the new assault. With the Allies already exerting pressure against the Germans’ right flank and centre, this blow on the left flank gives the Germans a new problem. Two roads running north and south are almost certain to be the main routes to be followed if the advance develops into a major attack, says the ’ Daily Telegraph” correspondent. The Exchange Telegraph correspondent with the British forces in Normandy savs that since late yesterdfiy drenching rain has fallen,, and vehicles have churned up fountains of mud. Troops in- the front line crouched in slit trenches under waterproof sheets. The Germans, in spite of the weather, put in another small-scale infantry counter-attack early today near Gavrus, 1} miles north-west of Evrecy, which was quickly repulsed. The German news agency says that General Bradley’s men punched all day at the German barrier positions toward the south. All the attacks were repulsed. Allies Kegrouping. On every sector, there -were no attacks from midday to midnight yesterday, reports a correspondent at supreme Allied headquarters. The regrouping and relieving of Allied formations which held the big counter-attack on this sector has taken place aud there has been actnc patrolling. , , . In the past 24 hours there has been a moderate amount of naval bombardment in support of the Caen-Tilly fighting area. . . , , Allied naval formations, including three of the heaviest British. battleships, have shelled the German positions south of Caen at the rate of 2000 tons of steel an hour for several hours in the last three correspondent says that the German armoured divisions met with—at least seven are known to be facing the Second Army—arc not up to strength m tanks There should be three battalions, but there are only two at present. This means that some of the German divisions have less than 100 tanks; a German armoured division at full strength should have at least 250. ’■During Sunday afternoon there were only local clashes in the Cacti area,’ says a communique from supreme Allied headquarters. “Our patrols penetrated deeply into the enemy positions in some

parts of the Evrcey sector, and contact was maintained along the whole front. Yesterday Allied forces gained some ground to the south in the Con ten tin Peninsula.

“Air activity from midnight to noon yesterday was again reduced by had weather. Our fighters destroyed eight, enemy aircraft for the loss- of two during the forenoon over the battle area.”

PATRIOT ACTIVITY

German Panzer Division Held Up (Received July 4, 8 p.m.) LONDON, July 4.

French patriots have held up a complete German panzer division which set out from Toulouse on June 6 for Normandy, 400 miles away, and has not yet arrived at its destination.

This is reported in a communique from the French Ministry of the Interior in Algiers. The communique adds: “The engagement of this armoured division gives a new indication of the strength of the patriots; In one part of central France, all rail traffic has been suspended. Sabotage at the Paris marshalling yards has reached such proportions that the Germans no longer attempt to repair the damage. French forces.of the interior have launched an offensive in areas from which the Germans might draw reserves. There is bitter fighting in Brittany. Patriots recently captured and held for two days Barcelonette, a key-point in south-east France on the route to the Riviera.” ' ' '

The “Daily Express” correspondent on the Franco-Spanish frontier says, that Rommel, alarmed by patriot activities, ordered mass arrests in southern and western France before he left to take over command of the Normandy forces. In certain districts all men between the ages of 16 and 70 were arrested. Numbers of Mediterranean coastal villages were completely evacuated, including Portvendres, Oolioure and Banyuls.

CHERBOURG INCIDENT

1000 Germans Persuaded To Surrender (Received July 4, 7.5 p.m.) LONDON. July 4. How four British n.c.o’s caused the last Germans holding out in Cherbourg to surrender, thereby winning United States Broiize Stars and the honour of being the first British soldiers whom the Americans decorated in Normandy was told by a British officer at a Press conference. The n.c.o’s were one sergeant•major and three corporals who were members of an amplifying unit lent to the United States Army. One of them spoke German. They went forward from the American lines with a loud-speaker truck and told the Germans occupying a powerful position that their outlook was hopeless and that the only sensible thing was to surrender. They made the appeal from the truck, exposed to the German guns . and liable to be blown to bits at any moment. The appeal had the desired effect and brought out more than 1000 Germans under the white flag.

U-BOATS DISCREDITED

Failure As War-Winning Instrument LONDON, July 3. “The fact that for 27 days a mass of Allied ships of every description has lain off the beaches of Normandy, comprising a standing challenge to Admiral Doenitz’s U-boat fleet, and has got away with it in an unspectacular fashion is as great, a sea victory as the British-American navies have even won,” says Reuter’s correspondent at Supreme Allied Headquarters. “Even four years ago naval opinion would have considered the maintaining of so many vessels, anchored so far from their home ports, as impracticable. The fact that the operation proved successful is final proof of the defeat of the U-boats in this war as an effective- war-winning instrument. Our naval losses off Normandy have been light. It is thought most improbable that the merchant shipping losses will be announced.”

RESTRICTED BY RAIN

Air Support For Troops (Received July 4, 11.55 p.m.) LONDON, July 4. “Allied troops in the neck of the Cherbourg Peninsula advanced at several points yesterday morning.’ ' reports today's comumuiquc from supreme Allied headquarters. Gains up to two. and a half mib's were mifde in spite of heavy rain, which severely restricted air supporl. “The weather improved somewhat. last evening and fighter-bombers effectively attacked defended localities, gun positions and fuel dumps in the Lessary area, “Our positions on the Odon salient remain firm. Other air activity yesterday included successful attacks by medium bombers on a fuel dump near Argeutau and by rocket-firing planes against an electric power station near Mur de Bretagne, in the Brest Peninsula. MID-AIR SURRENDER Incident Over Normandy (.Received July 4, S p.m.) LONDON, July 3. A Messerschmitt pilot virtually surrendered in mid-air to a Canadian Spitlire pilot over Normandy yesterday. 'I he Canadian said: "I fired a hurst from 150 yards and saw a pattern of machinegun bullets form along the enemy's wing. I then found 1 was without ammuuition. The enemy's engine was smoking as I ran alongside.' He shook his head, waved to me, and pointed downward. I took it he was going to crash-land, which he did. 1 followed him down and saw a wing tear off as he landed."

IMPORTANT mission

LONDON, July 3. The correspondent, of the Associated Press of Great Britain says that a divebombing mission of such unusual importance that Major-General Elwood Quesada. commander of the .Ninth Air Force, led it himself, was carried out late today south of Ibe Cherbourg Peninsula. Details of (be mission will not be released for several days. The planes dropped 500 lb. delayed action bombs from a few feet above the ground