U.S. FORCES CLOSE IN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 56, 4 September 1944, Page 2

U.S. FORCES CLOSE IN

BITTER FIGHTING AT BREST j NEW YORK, September 2. ! The Americans, against bitter ' opposition, are closing in on Brest* says the New York "Herald Tribune's" correspondent. ■ • The German strategy in Brest and Lorient is obviously to maintain these positions as long as possible, as a menace to Allied shipping and also in the hope that if the ports can be denied to the Allies till' the bad autumn weather the Allied campaign in the north will be retarded. The Germans seem to have plenty of food and ammunition. The American Third :Army has been marshalling forces for

a major attack against Brest, and an overwhelming assault is expected in the near future. The German news agency said today that the Americans in Brest, after enormous artillery preparation, penetrated the western sector of the fortress. RUGBY, September 2. This afternoon Laneasters of the R.A.F, Bomber Command ' attacked shipping at Brest, where the German commander, Lieut-General Ramcke, is playing everything to gain the time he needs. He knows that the Americans honour a flag of truce, and under every pretext he calls for truces, all of which give his men rest from the incessant bludgeoning by the artillery and allow him a chance to move about in the rear areas and pull a few tricks, none of which are legal under a truce. The latest proposal by Ramcke was to set up direct radio communication with the United States commander to converse direct on matters of handling wounded, and other administrative problems. The American general declined the invitation. He said he kne\v Ramcke would treat the American wounded all right, and he expected to do the same to the German wounded.—B.O.W.