VAST HAUL MADE IN POCKET

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 280, 23 August 1944, Page 5

VAST HAUL MADE IN POCKET

Germans Lose 20,000 Men In Day SOME TANKS GET OUT (British Official Wireless and Press Assn.) RUGBY, August 21. Nearly 10,000 prisoners were taken by the Allies out of the Normandy pocket today, says a correspondent. The British figures were 2000. At a conservative estimate, 20,000 prisoners have been taken out of the pocket since the clear-out began, Since it has been stressed in the past few days that as many, if not more. Germans were being killed in the pocket as taken prisoner, it is fair to assume that the enemy losses in the pocket have amounted to at least 50,000. Moreover, these figures apply only to the British Second Army and the American fronts. Since the liberation of Falaise the Canadian Army has taken between 4000 and 5000 prisoners. The Canadians in the area between Falaise and Trun captured the third German divisional general to be taken in this offensive. He is Major-General Mennie, commander of the 84th Division. New Luftwaffe Effort. An exceptional number of air-sweeps was made by the enemy over the battle area yesterday. They were aimed at preventing our forces shooting up the Germans in the Seine area and also to reduce, if not black out. observation of his movements. Eleven enemy planes were destroyed and 11 damaged. Another desperate attempt by the Luftwaffe w-as the dropping of supplies to trapped troops in the now almost cleared pocket. These supplies fell in an area south-west of Trun. probably as a sign of encouragement to the suffering German soldiers in the Falaise area. There arc still a large number in the pocket.Dispatches from front-line correspondents make it clear that the Germans in the pocket in Normandy have made three attempts to break out. A correspondent with the Canadians says the pocket was quickly sealed when the Germans made the first attempt yesterday morning. The second attempt began three hours before dark last night, on a much bigger scale. The attempt was utterly crushed. Polish and Canadian gunners, firing over open sights, and machinegunners and riflemen, mowed the Germans down as they came up in waves in the wake of about 30 Panther tanks. Several thousand infantrymen who supported the attempt are still entrapped and under heavy fire. The German casualties are growing heavier and heavier. Took Gambler’s Chance.

A correspondent with the British Second Army, describing the third attempt today, says that von Kluge massed his routed armour in the forest of Gouffern and. taking a gambler’s chance, hurled it against an Allied cordon of steel between Chambois and Le Bourg St. Leonard, three miles south of Chambois. Bitter fighting was going on. Some of the German armour fought its way through and escaped. A later dispatch reports that today’s attempt was smashed by Canadians and rocket-firing Typhoons, which, destroyed 13 tanks, while Canadian artillery continued to pour in fire against the milling Germans. The attempt was aided by Germans outside the trap, who tried to rescue their entrapped comrades.

Describing today’s fighting in the German attempt to break out of the noeket, the British United Press correspondent says that the panzers sent an armoured car and a half-track car ahead, which tore along the road firing iu all directions and reached the outskirts of Trun, where they opened up with all their guns in a field, where there was immediate panic—the field happened to be filled with about 1000 German prisoners. A Bofors gun ended the armoured car’s progress. The panzers succeeded in reaching the road, but -were driven off again nnd took refuge in orchards iust inside the noeket. British and Canadians drove German vehicles filled with badly wounded. One German narachute doctor with a white flag asked to be allowed to bring in a comnlete hospital with 400 wounded. “I saw the column arrive, which was as dismal a snectacie of misery and broken humanity as I have ever seen.” adds the correspondent.

i Rapid New Drives. 1 The Canadian First Army, in extremely bad weather and in spite of vigorous rearguard actions, made very rapid advances along the north front and fought its way into the outskirts of Cabourg and surrounded Dozule, which the enemy 1 are believed to be evacuating, says a statement from the supreme headquarters late tonight. Our troops have also reached Cambremer and Bonneboscq. north-west of Lisieux. Two armoured . prongs have made progress in the direction of Lisieux: one has reached St. Marlin de la Liove and the other has reached the Orbec River at St. Cyr de Ronceray. British armour today struck out from 1 Livarot. which is 94 miles south of Lisieux. and advanced over eight miles to a point close to Lisieux. “The British armour has struck an unexpected blow in a fresh spectacular movement.” says the Exchange Telegraph correspondent. “Leading elements round the east of the British and Canadian battle area reached the outskirts of Gace, nine miles from Chainbois. It was a move which obviously caught the enemy on the hop. “The new threat, coupled with the advance toward Lisieux, means the dashing of enemy hopes of reinforcing the area round the pocket from the tattered, thirdrate forces in the Seine area. It is also a direct threat to those enemy forces which counter-attacked.”