BATTLE FOR CHERBOURG

Grey River Argus, 23 June 1944, Page 5

BATTLE FOR CHERBOURG

allied advance on entire front

GERMANS CONTINUE DEMOLITIONS

Heavy Enemy Fire in Tilly Sector

rAust & N.Z. Press Assn.l (Rec HAS.) LONDON, June 22. To-day’s first S.H.A.E.F. commun que says: The Allied drive agamsr, Cherbourg continued to make good progress with an advance of from two to three miles along the entire front. ■ Allied forces on the right reaching th e River Saire, near the village of Letheil, and on the left penetrated to within three-miles of the sea in the vicinity of Saint Croix Hague. Letheil is seven miles south-east of Saint Croix Hague and seven miles west of Cherbourg. Cherisy is four miles east of Druex.

In the centre, substantial gains were made along the main road from Valognes to Cherbourg. Enemy artillery and mortar fire was unusually heavy in the Tilly sector. Patrol activity continues in other areas.

Fighter-bombers operated successfull against the rail system leading west, from Paris, scoring hits on bridges at Chartres, Coltainville, Conches and Cherisy. Slight enemy opposition was encountered in attacks against rail targets in the Aunay ana Evreux areas. At least five enemy ’planes were destroyed without loss. Forces of heavy and medium bombers attacked flying bomb bases across the Channel. Fighter escorts later strafed railway yards and canal barges at Ribecourt, Montdidier and Chauny. Both missions were carried out without loss. Six oil storage tanks at Niort were .set afire after a low-level attack. CITY SPARED BOMBARDMENT (Rec. 1.15) LONDON, June 22. The “Evening Standard’s’’ correspondent with the Americans outside Cherbourg says: The Germans can hardly hold out long against our eager troops awaiting the command to advance. Our artillery pounded the German defences vesterday and last night, but left the city itself alone, probably from humanitarian considerations and a desire to have the city and port as nearly intact as possible. Similarly our planes ignored this inviting target. Should the Germans defend the city to the last they will be able to inflict heavy casualties on our troops, for they hold excellent positions. GERMANS CONTINUE DEMOLITIONS. (Rec. 12.55.) LONDON, June 22. The German Overseas News Agency says: While the bulk of the twentyfive United States divisions landed in France are pounding the numerically inferior German garrison at Cherbourg. the demolition of harbour installations continues and has already reached such an advanced stage that most of the installations are unusable. Many of the entrances to the harbour are also blocked. These measures were taken to prevent Allied Naval forces attacking from the sea. We are trying to destrov the installations, so thoroughly that, if Cherbourg is lost, even the use of mobile loading installations would be difficult and delay the use of the port. German military circles are of the opinion that as things are now the town will be able to hold out for some time. CHANNEL GALE .BLOWN OUT IMPROVED WEATHER YESTERDAY. (Rec. 11.40) LONDON, June 22. The Channel gale has apparently blown itself out. The weather in the Straits of Dover improved considerably overnight, and there was only a light wind this morning. The rough seas had subsided, leaving the Channel practically calm.

Earlier Reports

ENEMY’S AREA DIMINISHING

LONDON, June 21.

A S.H.A.E.F. communique says:— Allies forces have made further progress in f.he battle for Cherbourg, and . the area the ■. enemy holds is steadily diminishing. Our advance Up the entire peninsula has been rapid. On the east we have driven forward astride the main road north of Valognes, and to the west, a broad thrust has taken us within five miles of the sea, liberating the villages of Tourthevillehague and Acqueville. Heavy fighting continues in the Tilly-Caen area, where attacks and counter-attacks left the front generally unchanged. On other sectors there has been patrol activity.

A dense cloud over the battle area limited air operations this morning., Medium and light bombers attacked flying bomb sites between Calais and Amiens.

Reuter’s correspondent with the United States forces on the Cherbourg Peninsula says that American troops, snapping the trap on doomed Cherbourg, have seized the arc of high ground around the city and have begun fighting through the bristling defences. The striking forces sweeping against Cherbourg from the west’ and east crashed into the city's defences this morning and

\ fought hard against the Germans '.throughout the day. \ Reuter’s correspondent says the Americans raced through the night to establish lines on the high ground around the city three and a half miles from Cherbourg. The most serious opposition was felt on the western flank, where the Americans as they fought their way to a line overlooking Cherbourg, struck pre- ; pared fortifications. > The Columbia Broadcasting System’s correspondent in Normandy says the American forces are now one mile from the Cherbourg harbour area POSITION OF ALLIED LINE RUGBY, June 21. A correspondent at S.H.A.E.F. reports that Allied advance troops reached and are attacking the inner defence rinp- of the port of Cherbourg. Behind these foremost units, supporting troons are moving swiftIv across the country from many directions. The Allied line ran yesterday from three miles north of Quineville to' four and a half miles north-east of Valognes. to one mile north of Valognes, to six miles northwest of Valognes, near St. Thomas, to one mile east of Acaueville to near La Croix Frinon, then southwest to the west coast. Patrols are probablv well.beyond these points by now. The advance reached a general

line on 400 ft ground rising fairly steeply southward from Cherbourg. Everywhere reconnaissance patrols are pushing ahead of the mam advance columns and probing the defences of the port to the sou th, south-west and south-east. By now, heavy artillery which has already been pouring salvoes into the outer city defences is likely to be witnin closer range. With reinforcements pushing hourly north the weight of fire upon the enemy ramparts may be expected to increase. While reports have been coming in of enemy demolitions in the port itself there is no strong reason to expect early capitulation. There are two alternatives to surrender either to withstand a seige or temporal ily hold off the Allies with a rearguard while the attempted evacuationof more useful elements place. Against the latter alternative is lack of a practicable exit. The enemy lacks sufficient shipping to make a large scale retreat by sea except u - der cover of darkness. .If he ae cides to withstand a seige the difficult terrain and strong fortifications could resist or considerably P a frontal attack. allied RING drawn tighter. FIGHTING IN SUBURBS REPORTED. LONDON, June 21. The Exchange Telegraph correspondent at Twenty-first Ain y Group Headquarters, in a dispatch timed at five p.m. to-day, says that, the Allied ring around has been drawn tighter, and the troops are now battling with the enemy’s . perimeter defences all along the Peninsula front. The nearest point of the Allied line to Cherbourg does not appear to have been drawn closer to the town since last night. This was because we had struck the outer ring oi strongpoints. There is a notable difference however in the rest of the entire line on the northern peninsula front Which has made a broad sweep forward. The Algiers radio to-night reported violent street fighting had occurred in the suburbs of Cherbourg. The Americans are attacking Fort Docteville and Fort du Roule west and east of the railway station respectively. “The Telegraph” correspondent with the United States forces before Cherbourg, says: Everything now points to the possibility of the Germans trying to make a last stand from Fort du Roule Which is a small-scale Gibraltar. Big guns, protected by concrete bunkers, scores of machine-gun pillboxes and a network of underground passages make this a formidable position. The fort can be blasted by bombs and shells, if it attempts to hold up our advance.

GERMANS ADMIT FURTHER ADVANCE LONDON. June 21

The Berlin radio, this afternoon, said the American forces had made a further advance towards the suburbs of Cherbourg, an f ] the Paris radio, quoting a late dispatch from Berlin, stated that American advanced units had begun their assault on the southern fortifications. The German News Agency reported, this evening, that wave after wave of powerful bomber formations, since noon yesterday ha r ] been blasting the port and fortifications. "Bradley’s men are crashing against the inner defences,” it stated, “but extremely vicious fighting is raging in some of the outer defences. Considerable American reinforcements have arrived on the tip of the peninsula, including heavy artillery.

CALL TO SURRENDER. BOW RUGBY, June 21. Leaflets have been dropped at Cherbourg, telling the Germans then position is hopeless and calling on them to surrender. A message from General E’senhower. broadcast to the people of Cherbourg, urges them to protect tho industrial machinery, locomotives and public utilities from destruction. PROMISE TO GERMANS. (Rec. 5.5) LONDON, June 21. Leaflets dropped on Cherbourg told the Germans that they were trapped in a similar way to those based on Cape Bon at the end of the Tunisian campaign. According to the phamphlet stated. There s only one question: How many must die senselessly before the inevitable end 7 ” The leaflet promised the Germans who surrender decent treatment, good food, medical attention, letters home, vocational training -> prisoners, and return horn- after tne Another leaflet told the Germans that the whole, of the Germans in tne 716th Infantry Division had been killId or captured in the first three-lay 9 of the fighting in France and that the survivor! are now prisoners m England.

STORY OF ADVANCE. “VILLAGE AFTER VILLAGE IN ’RUINS.” ■ LONDON, June 21. Describing the push up .the Pinsula which forced the Germans; back on Cherbourg, th e Daily E x ? ress correspondent says: "It has been <• astonishing breakthrough. The whole German western wing for thirty nines behind us has been chopped up into,, little pockets, and hopelessly outmanoeuvred. Village after village is in ruins. The destruction is appalling. It is the nearest thing to complete annihilation I ever have seen in this war. While the Americans keep pushing through the debris, bulldozers smashed a way past the rubble. Bridgebuilders followed and signallers kept paying out their lines for miles, in the almost impossible job of keeping up with the advance. The Germans abandoned one roadblock after another. Their snipers left behind were mopped up by sec-ond-line troops. This final push is a lesson for all commanders. The Americans were weaving back and forth across the promontory, always running around centres of resistance, ana always sacrific’ng everything to the principle of pushing on and getting behind the enemy. There was also a sharp line where the German resistance abruptly turned into a rout—that is where destruction ends, and the break out into clear country around Cherbourg began. The Germans had no time to lay mines or boobytraps, or deface direction boards in the last score of villages.

Tilly-Hottot Area

SAVAGE DAY AND. NIGHT FIGHTING. (Rec. 5.5) LONDON, June 21. Reuter correspondent with the forward British forces stated that savage fighting is going on night and day In the Tilly-Hottot area, but staff officers said that we are well on top of the Germans and have, stacks of tanks. T'he Lehr Panzer Division is fighting frantically, despite enormous losses, added one officer. British units who are about three thousand yards beyond Tilly in one sector are meeting very stiff opposition. “ The Germans make a stand wherever there is a natural defence position. There is often house-to-house fighting, and even hand-to-hand encounters. Every hundred yards’ advance means another hundred yards to be cleared of snipers. The British- United-Press correspondent with the Aljjed forces says: Nearly four thousand men fought all last night and this morning for tne little hamlet of Hottot. It was a battle from hedgerow to hedgerow, from barn to barn, and from house to house. IV was a case of clenching the teeth and fighting back grimly— I and we held. • TILLY IN RUINS. LONDON, June 20. A reporter who visited Tilly to-day described the scene of the recent fighting as one of intense devastation. The road was completely wrecked and was lined with soldiers’ graves, some British, but the majority German. Almost all the buildings were either smashed or gutted, and the town was a mass of charred and blazing walls and smoking rubble. There were a few smashed 1 German guns at the sides of , the road, and an armoured car was ' still burning fiercely. But there was not a soul to be seen. Sappers nad placed notices.warning traffic to keep to the centre of the road and it was death to touch anything in the town. Half a mile from the town the Germans were waiting. NO IMPROVEMENT IN FLYING WEATHER. (Rec 7.45.) LONDON, June 21. The “Exchange Telegraph’s” correspondent at a Normandy airfield says: Allied pilots in Normandy spent the year’s longest day standing by ready for an immediate take-oft under skies laden with low cloud, but there was no sign of improvement. There has been almost a clampdown on air activity from Normandy airfields, but Hurricanes which fly between England and Normandy with special communications kept up the service. No matter how low the clouds, the Hurricanes arrive at Normandy bases on time and after the briefest halt, turn around and take despatches back to British headquartcrs It is officially stated that four Mustangs of the Second Tactical Air Force attacked fifteen Messerschmitt 109’s west of Evereux last night, and without loss shot down four and damaged others. Air Vice-Marshal Harry Broadhurst commands the Fighter Group of the Second Tactical Air Force operating from advanced bases in Nor- [ mandy.

MANY GERMAN TROOP TRAINS.

RUGBY, June 21

Returning Allied pilots report that dozens of troop trains are moving across Belgium towards Paris.

WORK OF TRANSPORT COMMAND.

SUPPLIES TAKEN, CASUALTIES

BROUGHT BACK.

RUGBY, June 21. The Air Ministry says: Aircraft of the R.A.F. Transport Command, after delivering heavy loads of war material and supplies in Normandy, yesterday, returned with the biggest lift .of air-evacuated casualties yet. Over 400 stretcher cases and walking wounded were brought home for hospital treatment, which means that nearly 1500 cases have now been evacuated by the R.A.F. Transport Command. Hundreds of tens of bombs, shells, artillery, tanks, and general supplies are being flown across the Channel regularly by more than a thousand aircraft of the Transport Command. Jeeps, motor trailers, howitzers, and 5001 b bombs are among the 30-ton cargoes carried by some aircraft. Nearly 2000 maps were sent on one occasion, and pint tins of ether and canisters of blood plasma have been carried at the request of field hospitals. Any S.O.S. f ( rom CR.A.F. Allied armies or U.S.A.A.F., is so dealt with that supplies are delivered within a few hours. British and .American Air and Army officers maintain the closest liaison in. this new service which had its beginning in North Africa. They work together in the combined air transport operations’ room at the country headquarters of Marshal Leigh-Mallory’s Command, and are in constant touch with the fighting zones as well as with the bases, whence aircraft operate in Britain, and with the supply depots. Enormous reserves have been accumulated. When the first strips were established in Normandy, the Transport Command flew over complete ground crews and supplies. FEW MINES AND BOOBY-TRAPS. _ RUGBY, June 21. German mines and booby traps have been .encountered in smaller numbers in France than expected. Engineers reported that the first airfields constructed by 9th Air Force engineers’ battalions in France were built without and delay caused by mines. Hidden explosives are usually sown thickly over areas abandon!ed by the German Army. _ However, the engineers are continuing to take all precautions and are fully equipped to deal with mines in enormous numbers,” if and when met. COMMANDO LEADER WOUNDED. RUGBY, June 21. Brigadier Lord Loyat, the famous Commando leader, is commander of the special service troops in France, yt was revealed to-night. It was also Xsclosed that Lord Loyat is m hospital in South England, after suffering abdominal wounds received, m France' The wounds are not serious and his condition is satisfactory. help given by maquis. LONDON, June 21. Reuter’s correspondent at an Allied command post says that thousands of recruits flock to the Maquis with each Allied advance in Normandy. French natriots are cutting railway lines in Brittanv daily and have even fought share engagements with the German troops. Harassing actions in South-western France are stated to have delayed the advance of one panzer division. A high degree of organisation has been perfected, resulting in co-ordin-ated action against railways and bridges, also telenhone cables at key noints surrounding Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse and other important places. The Allied Command has. not relied on the action of the natriots, tjut 1 these have assumed such a scale that they are now a tremendous help in the Normandy operations. The Ger-

mans have apparently found it necessary to assign certain . troops especially to combat the Maquis. Four hundred Frenchmen of tho underground movement have. been iaken to Germany for questioning and possible execution. This was revealed when a train carrying a number of repatriates stopped alongside a train bound for Germany in which were French prisoners. The repatriates, who included five Britons and seven Americans, were travelling from Poland to the Spanish border to be exchanged for German civilian prisoners. The train had to take a circuitous route across France to avoid sabotaged tracks, but it was delayed every few hours while repairs were effected. Because of the sabotage four days were occupied in crossing France.