AMERICAN PUSH

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 23, 27 July 1944, Page 6

AMERICAN PUSH

SECTOR IN NORMANDY

BREACH ON FOUR-MILE

FRONT

(By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright.) Rec. 2 p.m. LONDON,- July 26. The American adi'ance has become a break-through in tho Marigny sector, says.the Exchange Telegraph agency's correspondent in Normandy. The enemy infantry are fighting Avithout any cohesiA-e artillery support,because American tanks are ranging through their artillery positions. The offensive front, folloAving neAV attacks ivest of Saint Lo to the sea and cast of Saint Lo, is noAV some 40 miles Avidc. Besides Marigny the Americans have taken Saint Gilles, which is a highway hub 3_ miles Avest of Saint Lo. The capture of Marigny represented an advance of nearly four miles from the original starting point, and the taking of Saint Gilles an advance of three miles, stated the British United Press correspondent. . Reuter's correspondent says that a slight gain has been scored generally south-ivest of Carentan, and an advance of one mile has been recorded in the area where tlie rivers Seves nnd Ay join. Other units entered the town of Montrabot, about ten miles east of Saint Lo, and found it deserted. The American advance on Marigny and Saint Gilles engulfed at least 20 hamlets. The Exchange Telegraph correspondent says that one American column secured Marigny and another entered Saint •Gilles. The correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says that the break-through by American tanks and infantry ivhich captured Marigny is the first American armoured blow of the Normandy campaign. The initial break-through to Marigny was made on a four-kilometre front. Light and medium tanks formed the spearhead, and soldiers rode into battle on tanks, ready to' pick off with their rifles any enemy'anti-tank troops Avho tried to knock out the tanks at close range. The Americans, who moved in after Avaves of bombers had subjected the Germans to heavy battering for the third successive morning, smashed their way forward before the dazed Germans had time to rally their thinned forces. Other infantry units further east moving on on a front of five miles, advanced a mile and a half and captured Li. Chapelle-en-Jager, five miles west of St. Lo, and south of the St. Lo-Pariers road. OFFENSIVE SPREADS. The offensive has spr ead eastward from the American sector. Units Avhich were on the left frank in yesterday's attack jumped off V'his morning behind a heavy artillery and air barrage. The Germans are lar.ving down intense artillery fire in an yttempt to slow or halt the Americans. The sector east of St. Lo' Jhas also flared into action. The Germans .launched a number of counter-attacks against the Canadian positions this morning, but- were repulsed with losses, says Reuter's correspondent. The Germans stabbed at Verriexes. south of Caen, but the Canadians Iheld their position intact. Rommel is committing infantry to a "hold at all coats" battle on a front of four miles south of Caen between the Orne and Tilly-_,3-Campagne. The ferocity of the German counter-attacks at Tilly-la-Cam-pagne forced the Allies to make a slight AvithdraAval to an orchard on the' northern outskirts of the village, where fighting is going on. It is a welmatched fight. The Allied grip on Verrieres is still strong, despite a series of counter-thrusts, supported by tanks, against our lines. The counter-thrusts continued to a late hour last night. The enemy made no gains and took a beating before his armour recoiled. "In the western sector the Allied advance has continued to make steady progress, and the battle area has been extended," says the SHAEF night communique. "East of the Orne the enemyis making every effort to block our entry to the open country south-east of Caen, and additional enemy reinforcements have been brought to the area. The Allied attacks have been heavily engaged by defensively-sited armour, artillery, and mortar fire. In one locality our forces repulsed a heavy enemy counter-attack, which Avas strongly supported by tanks. "Small forces of medium bombers. operating in poor weather, bombed enemy positions in the St. Lo area and a fuel dump naer Alencon this morning. Formations of fighterbombers struck at enemy bivouac areas, machine-gun positions, and other tactical targets indicated by our land forces."' ' "