Sea-borne And Air-borne Forces Make Contact

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24279, 9 June 1944, Page 5

Sea-borne And Air-borne Forces Make Contact

\ BOMBING FROM SEINE TO BAY OF BISCAY (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON. June 8. “The town of Bayeux has fallen to our troops and the BayeuxCaen road has been cut at several points,” says to-day’s first com* munique from Supreme Allied Headquarters. “Progress continues in spite of determined resistance. There is fierce armoured and infantry fighting. “Contact has been established between our sea-borne and airborne forces. The steady building up of our forces continues. “Forces of enemy E-boats unsuccessfully attempted to interfere with the arrival of supplies.

“Advantage was taken of favourable weather yesterday over northern France to - attack from the air enemy road and rail centres, concentrations of men and material, and other targets, up to 100 miles in advance of our troops. More than 9000 sorties were flowp in tactical support of the land and naval forces. Airfields north-west of Lorient were attacked, and many focal points from the Bay of Biscay to the Seine. Our fighters shot down 94 enemy aircraft in combat and destroyed more than a score on the ground. “Medium and light bombers strafed gun emplacements, staff cars, and other targets just behind the enemy’s lines. Armed reconnaissance aircraft made low-level attacks on bridges north of Garentan and elsewhere on the Cherbourg Peninsula.

“Heavy bombers in strong force last night attacked railway centres in the outskirts of Paris and also concentrations of troop transport.”

The communique says that very strong forces of air transports and gliders yesterday landed anti-tank guns, jeeps, and other Equipment. The weather, which yesterday stopped unloading on the beaches at times, was better to-day, with a light north-west breeze which did not interfere with unloading.

A 8.8. G. correspondent at Allied Headquarters says that Ihe forces which captured Bayeux made their first contact with the enemy east of the town, where they met a small group of German armour. These forces were last reported to have joined up with the Canadians on the outskirts of Caen.

[Bayeux had a pre-war population of 7000. It stands on the river Aure, five miles from the coast and 18 miles by railway north-west of Caen.]

The enemy E-boats which attempted to interfere with British supply craft in the Channel were attacked by aircraft of (lif Coastal Command. Two E-boats were destroyed, another probably destroyed, and three others damaged.

Havocs of the 9th United States Air Force yesterday smashed a German army headquarters which was carefully W|den in a wooded area in the rear of the battle line. 1 Enemy air opposition slightly stiffened during yesterday. The Royal Air Force lost 23 aircraft, mainly by flak during the widespread operations behind the enemy lines. The German radio says that strong Allied air formations attacked Lorieijt and Nantes early to-day. It adds that at the Hme time dummy parachutists were dropped in Saint Bneuc area, on the north coast of Brittany.

The first German prisoners from the invasion front reached Britain to*nlght. Among them were four Poles and one Russian, who had been captured and drafted into the German army.

Supreme Headquarters stated at midnight that the operations were running pretty well to schedule, but emphasised that a tough time lay ahead. The enemy attack in the Caen area on Tuesday might be regarded as a foretaste of what might come very soon, y