Late War News FALL OF TOULON IMMINENT

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 277, 19 August 1944, Page 8

Late War News FALL OF TOULON IMMINENT

Enemy Making Oniy Delaying Action

POLISH ADVANCE . IN NORMANDY Gap Almost Closed

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received August 19, 1.35 a.tn.) LONDON, August IS.

A correspondent, broadcasting from the south of France this morning, said: “Toulon has not fallen at the time of shaking. but you can be certain it will nor. be long before we have entered it. Yesterday our men met with slightly more resistance some miles in front of the port. The Germans had blown tip. bridges at one village and set up guns in defensive positions, so they may try to hold us up a little longer while they complete demolitions in the port.” The news continues to be good from all sectors of the front . in northern France, with General Patton’s armoured advances not overshadowing the latest developments in the dwindled pocket east of Falaise and the new advances east of the Troarn-Falaise line. Polish armoured forces have burst south-east from the bridgehead over the Dives to Chambois, thus reducing the gap in the Argentan area to two or three miles. The Allied advance in the pocket is gathering momentum. “Allied forces, driving east, liberated Dreux, Chartres, Chateaudun and Orleans,’’ states today’s Allied communique. “East of Chartres we crossed the Autiay River and established a bridgehead over the Eure at. Dreux. St. Calais and Anthon, both in the path of the eastward drive, were nlso liberated. f Heavy Opposition. “In the Normandy pocket heavy opposition is being encountered north of Ranes. We have freed Bremen tel, northwest of Ranes. Our troops north of La Ferte Mace advanced 3000 yards against light and scattered resistance. American patrols have contacted British forces along the line north and north-west of Domfront Allied troops advancing from the Flers area have taken Athis and crossed the Rour River east of La Corneille. “Our forces cast of the Ornq River are pushing to Rafilly and to the vicinity of St. Philbert. have further compressed the area still occupied by the enemy. Our forces yesterday morning cleared the enemy from Falaise, and' are established on high ground south of the town, while to the south-east they have advanced down the railway from Damblainville to take Fresno le Mere. Our forces, after capturing Baron Norreyenaugc, drove on to the area of Trim and Chambois. “We captured St. Pierre sur Dives and Mezidon, and are pushing eastward along the whole of our northern sector. Our troops north of Mezidon have reached the line of the Dives River as far as Bures, and taken Troarn and Ba vent. , „ • “In Brittany the citadel of St. Maio hns fallen, and the town is now liberated. The German commander and his staff were captured at Dinard, which is now liberated. Numerous enemy pockets which were isolated in the drive through the Peninsula are now being mopped, up along the north aud south coasts with the aid of the French resistance forces. Swiss Frontier Fight.

The Maquis has opened an assault against a few hundred Germans who are barricaded in tut hotel in the centre of the frontier town of Annemasse, says a report from the Swiss frontier. The Maquis earlier chased 120 German frontier guards into Switzerland. The Germans lust night began an effort to regain their grip on the rebellious Haute Savoie, bud late in the night at least two fair-sized battles were raging in the Annemasse region. The battles are going on round La Roche, where a German convoy from Annecy is trying to break through to Annemasse, and also at Bonneville, which the Maquis are reported to be holding. . Reporting on the air operations. General Eisenhower’s communique says: “Heavy bombers yesterday afternoon attacked shipping at Brest. Medium bombers and light bombers in two operations during the day attacked lo bridges spanning the Risler River from loulbee, near the mouth, to Irt Friere sur Rislc, 35 miles upstream. Other medium bombers attacked a fuel dump near La Mailleray sur Seine. Fighters- systematically patrolled railway lines from Belgium to b rance as far as the Seine River. They successfully attacked locomotives, tunnels, bridges and a large number of railway cars. Fighters heavily attacked enemy road transport, particularly in eastern Normandy, and also hit tanks, strongpoints, troop" concentrations and barges on the Seine. Light bombers during the night attacked transportation in Normandy and south-east of Paris. A Mediterranean Air I’orce communique states: “A medium force of escorted heavy bombers yesterday attacked oil refineries in the Ploesti area. Other heavy bombers carried, out. jittacks against the enemy airfield nt. Nish, in Yugoslavia. Tactical aircraft continued to give elose support to the ground forces in southern France and also attacked enemy objectives iu northern Italy and Yugoslavia. Our 'bombers last night again attacked oil refineries in the Ploesti area, ... , , , “Two enemy aircraft were destroyed. Twenty-four of ours are missing. The Mediterranean Air. Force flew I;>W sorties.”