NAZI DISASTER IN NORTH-WEST

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 281, 24 August 1944, Page 5

NAZI DISASTER IN NORTH-WEST

Loss Of 300,000 Men Out Of 400,000 CAMPAIGN ESTIMATE LONDON, August 22. It is doubtful whether the Germans have more than 100,000 troops in north-western France, says the Exchange Telegraph agency’s correspondent in Normandy. It is estimated that at least half of the German divisions which the Allies have encountered in Normandy have been wiped out. This means that in manpower the German losses represent roughly 300,000 men. The remaining divisions number about 20, but their strength has probably dropped from 12,000 to 4000 each. Since D-day well over 700 German tanks have been destroyed, and 500 others damaged, a total equivalent to six armoured divisions. On the southern sector of the British and Canadian fronts yesterday the main activity was clearing out the last vestiges of the enemy in their death throes in the pitiable remains of the Normandy pocket. Masses of prisoners surrendered to the Canadians again this morning. A Canadian staff officer said he estimated the Allies had taken over 30,000 prisoners already from thp pocket, and there were still a lot to come. He would be surprised if the total was less than 50,000. Grim, Spectacular Finale.

A correspondent wrote: “The enemy was still milling round in the pocket this morning, but made" no further attempts to break out after his failures on the previous two days. Wet, unhappy Germans are coming into our lines everywhere. They drift in in small groups, usually without officers. They say their officers deserted them in trying to get out of the trap. Our guns are still pounding at the pocket unceasingly.” A British United Press correspondent said : “Our roads are massed with a vast odd mixture of British and German transport, the latter flying white flags and red crosses and driven by British- troops bringing in German wounded. Every available British. Canadian, and Polish lorry has been rushed into service bringing in the wounded enemy.” Reuter’s correspondent says that most of the prisoners taken since the pocket massacre began to look as if they had been through a meat r grinder. Their clothing is blasted to shreds, they are stunned, seared, and burned, and like walking dead, with no love for fight in their eyes. In commenting on the battle of the pocket a Canadian staff officer said :

“The Germans have been compelled to use their reinforcements from the Seine area against the Americans on the south sector. This saves our men the trouble of having to chase them: instead, we can write them off as they come up. Already half the Germans in Normandy have been eliminated, and the quicker the mangled remnants of the other.half come up for the quietus the better.” Headquarters Gift. He added that the enemy ■ airborne supplies to the pocket fell mainly as to the Allies. On Sunday night -.he enemy dropped a precious oil cargo neatly at Allied headquarters, without she secondary consideration of causing either damage or casualties. What was left of the enemy armour in the pocket was now derelict, without drivers. The enemy was deliberately destroying tanks because of the petrol shortage, and one armoured formation set fire to 20 tanks in the Gouffern forest rather than surrender.

"Tonight the pocket will bo completely written off tile map,” ho added, "and at any moment a big forward movement of British troops toward the Seine may be expected. Neither in quality nor in quantity has the enemy any important formations with which to deny our progress. and our advances will probably bo swift and wide.”

REPORTED NEW LANDING

NEW YORK, August 22. French military authorities at Henrlaye, inside the Spanish frontier, said that a third Allied landing in France has started at Bordeaux. LONDON, August 23. There is no confirmation, of the Bordeaux landing report.