NEARING SAINT LO

Evening Star, Issue 25225, 12 July 1944, Page 5

NEARING SAINT LO

AMERICANS SMASH SOUTHWARD PLANES ROUT GERMAN TANKS LONDON, July 11. Smashing southward along a 48-mile front, General Bradley's troop 6 drove the Germans back to a point 3J miles from Lessay, near the sea, while elsewhere advanced troops neared Saint Lo, states an Associated Press corresponden with the Americans. Rommel rushed some of his prized paratroops into the line, and also threw in a panzer division, which has been used as a demonstration unit in training. Fifteen tanks filtered into our lines last night, south-west of Garentan, near Ponthebert, and 20 more tried the same thing later. Captured orders showed that, they were under instruction to " drive through the American lines to Isigny and cut the bridgehead in two." Allied dive-bombers roared in this morning against a pocket of 15 tanks and destroyed at least seven and probably damaged others. American Thunderbolts blasted two armoured columns moving towards Saint Lo, Carentan, and Froy in the most decisive plane versus tank battle of the Normandy campaign, says Router's correspondent. The Thunderbolts destroyed or damaged. 28 or 50 tanks, and tho rest made off in confusion. Nineteen were left burning, completely

destroyed or damaged, and nine were damaged. All the planes returned safely. It is officially stated that the Americans since the landing in Normandy have killed 5,030 Germans and captured 46,819.