FILL OF CORTICES BELIEVED IMMINENT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 178, 29 July 1944, Page 5

FILL OF CORTICES BELIEVED IMMINENT

HEIGHTS CAPTURED Americans Fighting In Sight Of Town N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 1.30 p.m. LONDON, July 28. The fall of Coutances, on the western side of the base of Cherbourg Peninsula, appears to be imminent. Two American columns, driving from north and east, captured some heights overlooking Coutances and are now fighting within sight of the town, says the correspondent of the Associated Press with the United States First Army.

Coutances is already under artillery fire, but observers and French civilians report that the enemy has been able to pull back the major remnants of his mauled divisions.

German radio, reporting the imminence of new Allied assaults after big regroupings, says General Montgomery has concentrated from 3000 to 4000 tanks for the coming clash on the St. Lo-Coutances road.

The Associated Press correspondent in Normandy says that, advancing five miles overnight southward of Le Mesnil Herman, the Americans have expanded their break-through to the sea, reaching 4000 yards from Coutances. .

Prisoners from six German divisions were brought into one American advanced post within 15 minutes to-day, but the main forces probably slipped out of the Coutances tsap during the confused night fighting. About 4000 prisoners have been taken in two days. Rommel's Frantic Retreat Rommel's frantic retreat southwards through Coutances is more disorderly than his retreat to Tunisia, according to fighter-bomber pilots, who are veterans of the Desert campaign, says Reuters cor--respondent. One pilot who made several sorties over the Coutances area, said: "Over a network of small highways I saw burning vehicles of some sort every few yards."

The National Broadcasting Company broadcaster in the American sector said: "The Germans are in general retreat almost everywhere on our front. It does not mean that they have dropped everything and run. It is not a disorganised rout, but they are pulling back. Some prisoners say the order is for a four-mile retreat daily."

Moving forward under drizzling skies, the United States First Army presented a formidable sight.

The Daily Express correspondent, Alan Wood, who visited New Guinea, in a dispatch from the Caen front, from where no change has been reported all day, says: "I have seen nothing in this war which exceeds the bitterness of the battles the Canadians are fighting here except the battles the Australians fought in New Guinea. The Germans are fighting with almost the same fanaticism as the Japanese, and they are digging in in the same way."

Sonth of Lessay "In the western sector in Normandy there has been some progress south of Lessay, where Allied troops have advanced down to the LessayCoutances road to the vicinity of Marguerin," says Supreme Headquarters, in a night communique. "Further east our forces have advanced up both banks of the river to the Corbuchon area. On the Periers-Coutances road a strong armoured thrust has joined the westward drive from Marigny in the outskirts of Coutances.

"Our forces have passed through Notre Dame de Cenily and are continuing down the road in a southwesterly direction. Another force has passed through Maupertuis, north of Percy. Our forces have taken Tessy and continued, along the road south-west of the town. We are 11 kilometres from Gavray. "South of St. Lo our forces hold high ground east of the river. In the area between St. Lo and Caumont we have improved our positions.

"Our aircraft have continued to support the ground forces, concentrating on road and railway targets as the weather has permitted. Light and medium bombers have cut the railway lines radiating from Pai-is to Montargis, Dijon Moulins, Tours and Rouen. Supply stores near Brecy and Caillouet were also hit. Fighter-bombers later destroyed rolling stock in railway yards at Bueil and near Mamtenc-n."