THE OBJECTIVE

Evening Star, Issue 25224, 11 July 1944, Page 5

THE OBJECTIVE

OUTFLANKING OF ENEMY OPPOSITE CAEN FORCING HIM INTO TANK COUNTRY (Rec. 11.45 p.m.) LONDON, July 10. The new British assault opened with strong aerial support after hundreds of heavy guns had laid down a barrage. The Associated Press correspondent with the Americans says stubborn enemy defences cracked open when the Americans stormed through La Haye du Puits, and the Germans began falling back to their next line of defences. The Americans are swifly pushing on against scattered knots of resistance. The Americans along a line from the Vire River to the sea are smashing against the Germans in cold drizzling rain and mist, adds the correspondent. The Americans since last night have kept heavy artillery fire pouring on the enemy's positions. There is scarcely a time when one cannot count 200 rounds a minute. Guns, armour, and lorries continue to roll along the muddy roads towards the front. The German News Agency admits that the Americans gained some ground southward between the Vire and Tauto rivers, and captured St. Eny. Correspondents with the British forces say that if the new offensive succeeds in its obvious objective of outflanking the new German positions opposite Caen it will render unnecessary a frontal attack on those positions across the Orne. In that case the enemy, who has now 20 miles of open plain—good tank country—behind him, may be forced to withdraw to a line running from Falaise (about 20 miles south-south-east of Caen) to St. Pierre sur Dives (about 18 miles south-east of Caen). Here the terrain is considered unsuitable for prolonged resistance against Allied armoured thrusts.

Router's correspondent says that all resistance in villages north of Caen has now been wiped out, and another projected counter-attack against Gramville has been broken up. The British and Canadians solidly hold all of Caen west of Odon while westwards almost to Esquay two of the five bridges across the Odon are now held by the Allies, and two more are denied to the enemy, although he is on the other side. One is destroyed.