STREET FIGHTING INSIDE AVRANCHES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 180, 1 August 1944, Page 5

STREET FIGHTING INSIDE AVRANCHES

AMERICANS SPEED ON Planes Smashing- Fleeing Germans N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 1.30 p.m. LONDON, July 31. The American First Army is fighting in the streets of Avranches, states a dispatch received to-night from the correspondent of the Associated Press. Columns racing south are encountering only isolated pockets of resistance. There is not yet a sign of any German defence capable of holding the offensive, let alone stopping it. The Allied air forces, under sunny skies, are smashing at the fleeing enemy. Columns of prisoners now total more than 10,500. Thousands more are awaiting transport to Army cages. Some of those captured stated that their companies have been reduced from 150 men to 25. The speedy American advance has saved many French towns and villages from pounding by planes and artillery. Into Battle On Tanks Under a broiling sun General Dempsey's forces of the British Second Army are plunging through the Normandy "jungle" delivering a succession of quick blows into the solar plexus of Rommel's thin, stretched-out line south of Caumont, says Reuters correspondent with the British forces. It looks as though summer has come at last to France. This favourable change in the weather is not too late to fit into General Montgomery's big plan. More than a score of villages were liberated yesterday in a rough arc ranging from about eight miles south-west of Caumont, six miles to the south and six miles to the northeast. British tanks are carrying troops into battle. Hill 309 was stormed after tanks and infantry together had raced into battle and fought heavily-defended strongholds, mainly villages, wooded and palisaded defence points among trees.

The British United Press says there is still no indication of the Germans being able to plug the gap which the British.Second Army has forced in their lines. The rate of our advance is not revealed, but it is definite that the British forces are moving at a faster pace than at any time since the landing in Normandy. One headquarters staff occupied the same place for two days, but it is now moving twice each day. Roads behind the front are packed with convoy after convoy bringing up supplies which are completely immune from attack. The village of Cahagnes, south of Caumont, is now being cleared of the enemy "Allied forces in the • western sectors entered the town of Granville and are topping up the whole 1

area between Avranches, Granville and Brehal," says to-night's communique from Supreme Headquarters. "Other pockets of resistance are being cleared. Heavy fighting continues. North-west of Tessy and in the Percy area the enemy has been driven from ground immediately south of the Gavray area. Allied forces have also advanced on each side of Torigny sur Vire.

"Allied progress in the Caumont area continues. We have taken St. Germain d'Ectot, Cahagnes and St. Martin des Besaces. Hill 309, east of St. Martin, remains in our hands despite several enemy counterattacks.

"Railway targets south of the battle area were attacked by escorted medium and light bombers. Railway bridges at Forges and Chartres, south of Domfront, and across the River Loire south of Tours, were bombed with good results. Elsewhere poor visibility prevented an immediate assessment of results. Fighters and bombers were active in close support of our ground troops. Two airfields in northern France were attacked by small formations of heavy bombers shortly after noon."

WANTON DESTRUCTION Germans Leave Wreckage In Coutances RADIO VALVES REMOVED Rec. 2 p.m. LONDON, July 31. The Germans carried out wholesale wanton destruction of houses and public buildings before leaving Coutances, in Normandy, The Times correspondent states. They smashed furniture, fittings, glass and crockery and left no water, gas or electricity services or communications. The correspondent saw in a large upstairs room of the damaged Town Hall 150 radio sets, from which all of the valves had been removed. Most of the sets appeared to have been kicked. HEAVY LOSSES NAZI ARMOUR AND TRANSPORT Rec. 2 p.m. LONDON, July 31. Keitel, chief of the German Supreme Command, has issued an Order of the Day to the German troops in the west saying that th6ir losses of armour and transport are so great that they cannot be replaced for some months and threatening punishment for carelessness.