Late War News BATTLE CRISIS NEAR

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 217, 10 June 1944, Page 8

Late War News BATTLE CRISIS NEAR

Observer’s View becoming more FIERCE Tanks The Main Test (By. Telegraph.—Press Assu.—Copyright.) (Received June 10, 1.20 tt.m.) LONDON, June 9. A “Daily Mail” correspondent, Alexander Clifford, writins from the 21st Army Group beadquarters, states. "The crisis in the battle of Normandy is not far off now. It is all a question of whether we or the Germans cau be the first in getting a really big armoured force to the battlefield. “The first German reserves are already engaged, but their incessant coun-ter-attacks all along the line so far have been piecemeal .affairs. They are simply aiming at keeping the situation under control for the moment, but the real m and organized counter-attack will not be long delayed, and that will be the true test for our invasion. Through all the havoc of our bombing the German main reserves, with their panzer units, are forging their way to the scene of action and already the fight is very tierce. The aeronautical correspondent oi “The Times” says that the air battle has entered its second phase. This opened during the latter part of Wednesday, since when the Luftwaffe has intervened more often. It is thought that the Germans have reinforced the Luftwaffe by transferring squadrons from western Germany, and there is likely to be an increase in the scale of the air fighting during the next few days. \ • Fierce Tank Battle,

A roaring tanks versus tanks battle raged for nearly three hours on Wednesday as Canadian armour and infantry prevented a German battle group from seriously penetrating their perimeter reports a combined Press correspondent. The Canadians yesterday on another part of the front were bracing themselves for a German counter-attack. In the last 24 hours they had met several German armoured and infantry thrusts aimed at probing their perimeter. “The Canadians, dug in deep on the slopes, are holding off German attacks made with 30 to 35 tanks at a time, thanks to strong support from our tanks and massed artillery. The Canadians from one position can see the Germans milling round to the south as they assemble for new efforts, and Allied planes hitting these concentrations. A Berlin radio commentator says: “Caen is now a mass of flames. Whenever German dive-bombers attack the Anglo-American positions near the town they meet a veritable hell of hot lead. Columns of enemy tanks are being attacked by dive-bomber specialists who participated in the bombing raids on Malta and North Africa. Pilots who try to dive-bomb Allied convoys and shore guns now meet walls of, fire.” The Swiss radio quotes a Berlin report that the Allied bridgehead at present is 38 miles long and reaches the greatest depth four to six miles near Bayeux. Luftwaffe Dilemma. The “Daily Mail’s” air correspondent says: “Behind all the apparent mystery surrounding the whereabouts of the Luftwaffe, at present there is one essential fact —the Luftwaffe is faced today with the same terrible dilemma which confronted the Royal Air Force in 1940 in the Battle of France. It lias to choose quickly between throwing its full strength into support of the German armies in France and holding it back for a ‘last stflnd.’ It cannot do both." An Australian pilot, after returning from over the front, said that the towns of Lisieux and Argcntan were “well alight” last night. It is learned at S.H.A.E.F. that reconnaissance photographs show that in the heavy bomber attack last night a 12,000pound bomb fell in a deep railway cutting near the entrance of a tunnel at Saumur. The results, it was stated, may be “interesting.” '• “Monty’s” Landing. General Montgomery’s landing in France is described by the "Evening Standard’s” naval correspondent in a dispatch from Normandy yesterday: "Today I stepped on to the beach at a little Fiench seaside town. A short time ahead of me had gone a ‘duck’ its wheels taking it easily over land as its propeller had through the water. It looked just like one of hundreds, but it was different for it carried General Montgomery down a dusty lane so typical of France toward the centre of the town through the gateway of liberty. “As I followed its track British Tommies, already filmed in white dust, grinned and jerked their thumbs over their shoulders. ‘Monty has just gone by,’ they said, with an implied, ‘Look out, Rommel” in their voices. I never caught up witli the little general, who was en route to the forward areas, passing through country still considerably mined and containing an unpleasant number of German snipers.” “The battle can now be seen in its full perspective. It will have three phases.” says the “Daily Express” military correspondent. "Phase One has ended. It was between coastal defences plus the local reserves and our landing parties to establish a foothold, and it was won decisively by the Allies. Short of a major defeat in Phase Two it is probably accurate to say that we cannot now be driven off our foothold.

“Phase Two is the fight between our growing array of troops and armour and Rommel's tactical reserve, that is, the men and machines in the locality on which he could draw. It Ims reached its crisis. Phase Throe will be the battle with Rommel’s strategic reserves. These are the distant reinforcements which he is summoning to his aid.” The writer adds that people should always bear in mind that we are lighting without a port, and he refers to the time on Wednesday when tlie weather became so had that the unloading on the beaches had to stop.