DRIVING ONWARDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 45, 22 August 1944, Page 6

DRIVING ONWARDS

EAST OF THE SEINE

AMERICAN FORCES

(By Tetigraph—Press Association—Copyright.) Rec. 2 p.m. LONDON, August 21. American forces on the east bank of the Seine have driven forward without -opposition. Reinforcements yesterday crossed the river and joined up with the forces already across in a combined forward movement.

It had baen expected that the Germans who had been streaming over the river from the escape tunnel of the Falaise-Argentan pocket would put up stiff resistance from prepared positions on the east bank. The Americans were anticipating hotly-contested crossings, but the whole German defence area seems to have collapsed. These American troops are part of the force which made the sudden sweep northwards from the. direction of Dreux. American guns are plastering German pontoon bridges and barge traffic, which is also taking a pounding from the air. American^ infantry, during the night Of August 19-20 began river crossings in assault boats, and consolidated their positions. ' Other troops later crossed this section of "She river while engineers were building pontoon bridges. Reconnaissance pilots reported that for the second day German transport is moving east along the roads from Paris "bumper to- bumper." Pilots again tell of Germans trying to swim the river. ■ ' • . . "iSkIS APPROACH TO LISIEUX. Reuters correspondent with the Canadians says that the British armour today struck out from Livarot, which is H miles south of Lisieux, and ad- \ 7anced over eight miles to a point close to Lisieux. British forces operating with the Canadian-Army Command have almost reached the river Orbec in the drive towards the Seine. Allied forces tonight are throwing out several arms eastwards. There was no defined front tonight anywhere from Chambois to the sea. '■; -■ The Exchange Telegraph agency correspondent says that -German rearguards which attempted to delay ■ the armoured drive to the Orbec River were swept aside by our tanks as they rolled through narrow lanes and byroads running through this hilly, close country. 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. SPEEDY CANADIANS. The Canadian First Army, iinder extremely bad weather conditions and depite 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 are believed to be . evacuating, says a statement from SHAEF late tonight. Our troops have also reached Cam'bremer and Bonneboscq, north-west of Lisieux. Two armoured prongs have also made progress in the direction of Lisieux, and one has reached St. Martin de la Lieve and the other has reached the Orbec River at St. Cyr de Eonceray. . .'.' The enemy made another attempt in the area of the forest of Gouffert to break out"of. theTpbcket; Only a small amount of armour escaped. A heavy battle resulted, with casualties on both sides. '