ENEMY RESERVES

Grey River Argus, 3 July 1944, Page 5

ENEMY RESERVES

Being Used Against British BUT SALIENT STANDS FIRMLY, (Rec. 7.30.) LONDON, July 1.. The enemy is still forced to commit reserves both of armour and of infantry in the Tilly-Caen sector.

The indications are that a new arm-v of armoured divisions has been established against the Allies ini the sahem to the south-east of Caen. While there have to date been seven Panzer divisions reported in actions in the battle area, only some may have so far taken part in the actual fighting. The enemy has made many attempts to nip off Allied positions south-west of Caen. All have been repelled. Appreciating the value oi high ground, between the Odon and Orne Rivers, the Germans have tried hard; to drive the Allied troops from this useful crow’s nest Their efforts, so far, have failed. Hill 112 remains in Allied hands. The Germans launched anothei small-scale counter-attack on Saturday morning in the Granville area. A piece of high ground there which was lost on Thursday was recaptured. About two companies of infantry, supported by a score of tanks, made the attack, but they never succeeded in , making the slightest progress, ana the attack dwindled into nothing. “Altogether twenty-five German tanks were,knocked out on Saturday in fruitless small-scale counter-at-tacks, which were launched by the enemy against the western wall of the Allies’ Caen salient,” writes one Normandy correspondent. “From early morning the enemy made a series of attacks. Usually they were made by about a dozen tanks. Every one of the attacks met the same fate. Our losses were practically negligible.” The correspondent continues: “If Marshal Von Rommel has, in fact, taken command, it may now be expected that enemy tanks will be used in large numbers, and heavier attacks are being predicted. In St. Lo area, west of Caen section, local action has now ceased. Local fighting which was reported to the south of St. Ourville, has also subsided. “On the British-Canadian from: there has been activity in the Esquay area to the south of the salient. On Friday night, enemy forces succeeded in infiltrating to the shoulders of the Odon bridgehead. They were promptly pushed out and the Allied positions are reported to be now firm. North of the Odon River the ground is infested with enemv troops ano tanks. Our positions there have been adjusted. Mopping up continues between the road, and the river at this point. On the beach the weather good, with a fresh south-west

and unloading is proceeding satisfactorily „ . - Major-General Sir Francis W. de Guingand, it has been disclosed tonight is the Chief of Staff of the 21st. Army Group. Some hours after a dusk attack on troop concentrations and armoured vehicles at Villers Bocage on Friday, Lancasters of the Bomber Command were over the railway yards and junction of Vierzon to south of Orleans. Vierzon is a very important junction for traffic coming towards Normandy and Brittany from south and east of France. Crews reported that 1 here was clear weather over the target, and that bombing was concentrated. on markers which were accurately placed. Numerous fires were observed. Enemy fighters were very active, and some pursued the bombers for forty miles on their homeward journey. General Montgomery sent the following message to Air Chief Marshal Haris, Chief of the Bomber Command: “My grateful thanks to the Bomber Command and to you personally for your contribution to the tactical battle in Ndrmandy on Friday night. It was a most inspiring, sight for Allied soldiers in France to see the might of the Bomber Command arrive to join them in battle. Your action will not be forgotten by us or the enemy. Please thank all your pilots from me.’’ On Friday night a force of Mosquitoes of the R.A.F. Bomber Command attacked a synthetic oil plant near Hamberg on the Rhine. Mines were laid in the enemy waters. One of the bombers is missing.

SATURDAY’S OFFICIAL REPORT.

(Rec. 8.50.) LONDON, July 2. Saturday night’s communique from S.H.A.E.R states: No further gains have been made in the strong Allied bridgehead across the Don River. A local enemy movement in the vicinity of Esquav and also enemy attempts to infiltrate our positions from the east have been unsuccessful. The communique adds: Bad weather minimised Allied air activity during the forenoon on Saturday.

Quicker and Harder

ENEMY COUNTER-ATTACKS.

FAIL TO MAKE HEADWAY.

(Rec. 8.50.) LONDON, July 1 In spite of extravagant and mounting losses, the Germans are quickening the tempo and also the intensity of their comparatively small-scale counter-attacks against the Hritisn bridgehead on the Odon Rivet. British have flung back all of the counter-attacks. An Exchange Telegraph Agency correspondent with the British forces in France reports: “The Germans on Saturday lost twenty-five tanks m fruitless counter-attacks against the western wall of our salient south-east of Caen. German tanks in the Grainville area attacked in groups of about twelve. They nowhere located any weakness in our defences. British forces repeatedly allowed the enemy almost to reach their anti-tank screen. Then they used seventeen-pounders with devastating effect. It was learned at S.H.A.E.F. that the German counter-attacks, though vicious, have been of a piecemeal nature, and that these suit ,th e Allies tactically. They are being regarded as attrition of German armour. There was one big and well organised and well supported German coun-ter-attack on the Evrecv salient on Thursday night. This was held by a British division, which has not previously been tried in battle. It stood up to a severe ordeal splendidly. ‘lt inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy.

CAEN SHELLED.

(Rec. 11.0.)

LONDON, July 2

T'he German News Agency says: General Montgomery is using four tank divisions and four infantry divisions in the Tilly sector. Allied land and naval guns are bombarding German positions in Caen With unprecedented violence.

MORE ENEMY ATTACKS

REPULSED ON ODON RIVER

(Rec. 12.10) , LONDON, July 2. A S.H.A.E.F. communique on Sunday stated: The enemy in the area south of Tilly-Sur-Seulles repeatedly counter-.attacked against the western flank of our Odon River bridgehead. Allied positions remain firmly intact. The enemy incurred serious, losses in infantry and armour. Unfavourable weather continued to restrict air activity from noon to midnight on Saturday Another report on Sunday stated: Heavy fighting continues in the Tilly-Caen area. In one sector there fifteen enemy tanks were knocked out on Saturday. The battleship “Rodney” on Saturday joined in the battle, bombarding .enemy concentrations at crossings over the Orne River at Feuguerolles and Saint Andre, both three miles south-west of Caen. The German air force beyond the battle zone is now operating from auxiliary airfields, because of damage Allied bombers have done to main airfields. Bad weather restricted air operations on Saturday.) On the beach the weather was favourable for unloading. Allied Air Activity (Rec. 8.45) LONDON, July 2. The Air Ministrv News Service says: Sweeping under low clouds the Second Tactical Air Force Spitfires operated from Normandy air strips on Saturday and raked transport on packed roads behind German lines in the Conde, Harcourt, Argentan and Falaise areas with cannon and ma-chine-guns. Typhoons at the Army’s disposal, were palled in to reduce enemy gun and mortar positions near C'arpriquet; British-based . T&ctical Air Force Spitfires escorted Bomber Command planes in raiding flymg bomb installations. Two fighters are missing from these. An American communique states: Small forces of Liberators late on Saturday afternoon attacked flying bomb installations in Pas de Calais. The bombing was done through cloud. Escorting fighters attacked barges, locomotives, rail-cars flak-cars, and trucks. Eight enemji planes destroyed one bomber. Two fighters are missing. Reports reaching S.H.A.E.F. disclose that air attacks against railways in a triangle formed by the Seine and Loire rivers and the sea during the last three weeks resulted in the Germans having to use roads to move nine-tenths .of their troops, equipment, ahd supplies, doing so virtually only at night. One effect has been that much enemy armour when it. reaches the battle area, requires repairs because of wear and tear on the tractors of the tanks and other tracked vehicles. Allied aircraft have been giving the enemy no rest day or night behind the battle area. Flares used at night disclose targets.

Wing Commander Skaa'eski, the holder of a treble D.F.C., and the Polish Cross for Valour, who is the leader of a Polish Mustang Wing of the Second l , Tactical Air Force, is the fop' scoring Polish fighter pilot, with j twenty-two victims. , The Air Ministry, in- ?. communique

states: On Saturday, Bomber Command ’planes attacked objectives in western Germany, and laid mines in enemy waters. None are missing. (Rec. 12.30) LONDON, July 2. A communique from S.H.A.E.F. stated: On Saturday despite low clouds, our fighters attacked targets of tactical importance to our ground forces. Normandy-based fighters hit enemy guns and mortar positions near Carpiquet, a?:d military transport near Coudres, Harcourt. Arcentan, Falaise with good results. Fighter-bombers and fighters operating from (Britain strafed movinp- targets east of the battle area and at Chartres and beyond Paris. Nn a enemv planes were stroyed. Three of our .fighters /are missing. . . f