FEINT OR NEW BLOW?

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 221, 15 June 1944, Page 5

FEINT OR NEW BLOW?

Reported Allied Move In Bay Of Biscay (Received June 14, 7 p.m.) LONDON, June 13. Vichy radio, quoting a Berlin military spokesman, said tonight: “Important Allied shipping movements have been observed in the last few hours in the Gulf of Gascony, which is in the Bay of Biscay, toward the Franco-Spanish border, but it is too early to say whether this is a feint or the prelude to a forthcoming attack.” “The peril lying in the massing of enormous forces and material just off tiie Continent has become a crisis,” stated General Dietmar over Berlin radio. “We are in the" midst of its first acute stage.-We have no illusions about the significance of the clash. Armageddon has entered its decisive phase. “It is no longer a battle in the ordinary sense. It is a question of win or die. There already has been a surprise between the Orne and the Vire. “We could not foresee that the enemy command would be prepared to flood us with men and material regardless of looses. This method reeks of the strategy of the Russian Genera] Staff. “General Montgomery has assembled only half his forces in Normandy. We have to make plans for more large-scale landings the range of which will only gradually unfold. “One fact emerges—the enemy, within a week, has established for himself a bridgehead some 50 miles broad, and at points has spread its depth bayond the range of his naval artillery.” Several new Allied formations, with a considerable amount of heavy material, were landed on the four main landing points in the beach-head today, states the German news agency. It claimed that a British parachute unit which landed south of Caen two days ago has been wiped out. A great armour battle is now raging in the three main centres in Normandy—in the Caen and Bayeux districts and between Vologne and Carentan, says a Berlin report quoted by “The Times” Stockholm correspondent. The Germans admit being impressed by the scale of the British air-borne operations, describing them as the greatest air effort ever, and referring to the. great part played in the invasion by “flying artillery,” though it is not clear exactly what is meant. Today’s German explanation as to why Rommel has ' not yet more Seriously joined battle is that he knows better than to throw in reserves near the coast to be mown down by naval gunnery. “The invaders so far have been protected by the fighter umbrella and warships," it is stated, “but once -.they move out of range of the battleships they will find that Rommel is able and ready to deal with them effectively. For a week he has been preparing a blow and he requires another week. The blow will, be more effective for not being hurried.”suppliesHflow in Changeable Weather LONDON, June 13. Heavy rain fell in the Straits of Dover this afternoon, and there was a freshening southerly wind and the seas were choppy. Later there was a steady improvement and the wind again moderated. Visibility was good, though the temperature was below average. The fall in the barometer had been checked before dusk. • S.H.A.E.F. reports that the Allied sea convoys are arriving and unloading satisfactorily. Eleven sky-trains- from the Ninth Troop-earrier Command landed on an American-held sector of the beach-head this evening with supplies, rations, ammunition and other material.

Three E-boats were destroyed, three damaged and another was hit today by Typhoon fighters and rocket-projecting aircraft. The Allied aircraft suffered no loss.