BID FOR PARIS

Grey River Argus, 14 August 1944, Page 5

BID FOR PARIS

BY AMERICANS SECRET SWEEP NOR’-EAST British and Canadians Also Going Ahead LAus. & N.Z. Press Assn 1 NEW YORK, Aug. 11 The representative of the National Broadcasting Company, E. Haaker, from London, states that he has learned on the best authority that the Americans’ drive in France has been carried all the way to the outskirts of Faris. The thrust to Paris is being made under a cloak of silence. The German commander in the Paris area has ordered a curfew in greater Paris, beginning at 11.15 p.m. to-morrow. AMERICANS NEARER PARIS

(Rec. 1.10) LONDON, Aug. 13. Vichy radio reports: American forces are thrusting along roads leading to Chateau d’Un and Vendome. American forces occupied Alencon after stiff fighting. Paris radio says: American forces, striking north from Alencon, are bearing down on Argentan. According to an unconfirmed Axis report General Bradley’s troops are now several kilometres, beyond Alencon in a northerly direction. This report says that this makes it clear the Allies are planning a large-scale encircling movement with the object of trapping German armies, opposing the British and Canadian armies on the northern sector of the Normandy Another report said: . An American armoured column striking due nortn from Le Mans, direct towards Caen, is presenting the Germans with tne greatest threat yet. It is reported the enemy is using two hundred tanks to prevent a possible junction between this American armoured force and British and Canadians coming southward from Caen area. The enemy faces the alternatives of. leaving twenty divisions encircled in a 100mile triangle, bounded by Le Mans, Mortain and Caen, or with pulling out and letting loose a British-Can-adian assault. The S.H.A.E.F. communique on Sunday says: East of the Vire River an advance of one mile was made in the face of heavy resistance. Allied forces advancing south-east-ward in the Vire area are experiencing decreasing enemy resistance. Pro°ress has been made to a oosition east" of Maison Celles La Jourdian, and along the Gathemo-Tinchbray road east’of Vengeons. Patrols penetrated as far as Sourdeval in the sector between Vire and Mortain. Our troops re-occupied Mortain, but the enemy is still offering strong resist--ance in the vicinity of the town. In Brittany' our forces are attacking the citadel of St. Malo, where remnants of the enemy garrison are still resisting. Heavy fighting continues in the Dinard and Brest area. We have repulsed a local enemy counter-at-tack north of the city of Brest. The situation at I’Orient remains unchanged. In the Loire Valley, mopping up is proceedings in Angers, which is now in our hands. Moulines is 61 miles east of ThuryHarcourt.

Major Allied Success WHOLE GERMAN RIGHT MAY BE TRAPPED. (Rec. 11.40.) LONDON, August 13. A German News Agency commentator, Max Krull, says tnat German quarters recognise General Eisenhower has achieved a major success, out the battle movement has not yet gone into high gear. Reports from Normandy state the town of Chandolle, six miles east of Vire, has been reached. There is increasing enemy resistance south-east of Vine. There is heavy fighting m the neighbourhood of Mortain. Small remnants of the defence at St. Maio are still holding out. Heavy fighting is going on around Dinard, near St. Malo. Americans are mopping up pockets of enemy resistance at Angers. THRUSTS AT PARIS ? (Rec. 9.55.) LONDON, August 13. The “Sunday Express” says: Lightning American armoured thrusts, concerning which General Eisennower ordered complete operational silence, threaten the whole existence of tne German armies in France. German communications have so badly been wrecked that they are depending on hints from Allied radios for their intelligence. Berlin radio quoted a Hign Command report saying British and Americans were strongly attacking between Alencon and- Caen against a German salient bulging westward, the enemy attempting to carry out a large-scale pincer movement against the German Mortain-Caen defence line, one prong from Caen driving southward, and another on the Sartne River, at Le Mans, heading northward. “Great significance,” says the “Sunday Express,” must, therefore, be attached to the fighting in this sector. Both sides are rushing up reinforcements. Fierce fighting is going on.” Tn “The Spectator,” a writer, “Strategicus,” stated: “The battle of Normandy is over and the battle of France has begun. The American advance in Normandy has been as amazing as anything which this surprising war has cast up. It is now impossible to ignore the skill with which the Allied Command is conducting tne battle of Normandy. He played his left to the advantage of the right, and unleashed armour where it faced the freer area for exploitation. Tn tne development of their offensive the Allies are looking to speedy nourishment of their armies in France, not only by securing ports whereby ingress should be most convenient from the United States, but also by finally destroying in those ports the main bases from which the U-boat cam- ' paign has been waged. The next few weeks will be critical for General Von Kluge, and for the whole German position. Tt is remarkable, at this critical juncture, when strategy which inspired Hitler for over a year is m ruins, that the modern Nero should be staging this cautionary plan on tne honour of the German Army. It is even more remarkable that only now should he be setting his people to dig trenches for defences in East Prussia. It is most remarkable that his spokesmen should be appealing to the example of Britain in the trying days of 1940.” TRAPPED AMERICANS RELIEVED (Rec. 11.0.) LONDON. August 13. A Reuter correspondent with the United-States First Army says: "A lost battalion” has been -isolated, and under constant armoured attack from German forces, north-east of Mortam since August 7. Tt was relieved yesterday by other American troops, who cut a way through encircling Germans. The entrapped troops had maintained resistance with ammunition and supplies dropped from ’planer in spite of heavy anti-aircraft fire the enemy put up.

BRITTANY BATTLE NOT EASY ENEMY TURNS FORTS INTO FORTRESSES. [Aus. & N.Z. Press- Assn J (Rec. 9.30) NEW YORK, Aug. 13. A “New York Times" correspondent with the Americans in Brittany says: This battle is not as easy as it looks on the map. Although our armoured columns. have been slashing with astomshing success from several directions into German vitals, the enemy forces still are holding out at many points that are far behind our vanguards, and particularly in the ports of Brittany, which they have transformed into rallying points for thousands of Germans, who have come there from broken, dispersed or cut off units. German forces, with their way barred to 'the southward, have been assembling at the beleaguered Breton ports of Brest, St. Malo, Dinan, Nantes and I’Orient. Each of these ports is equipped with abundant artillery, especially heavy ackack guns, and concrete fortfications. Brest is a particularly formidable fortress. Brest may present as grim a problem as Cherbourg did. L’Orient is a most-strongly defended port. It is commanded by a German Navy captain, who has announced a determination to resist to the end. The fate of the defenders is not promising, as American forces have surrounded the town of I’Orient by land. The defenders cannot escape by sea. Correspondents inside of St. Malo describe how General von Auloch, Commander of the German garrison, was trapped in the St. Malo citadel. He sent an S.O.S. to the American bes'egers for medical suppllies, offering, in exchange, seven American prisoners. The Americans accepted the offer. After this the siege was resumed. One of the seven freed Americans said the entire garrison would surrender but General von Auloch refuses to give in. They said German losses were frightful, and wounded lay everywhere. BRITISH OPERATIONS (Rec. 12.35) ' LONDON, Aug. 13 The Germans launched a series of local counter-attacks against the British, Canadians, and Poles northeast of Falaise to-day, states Reuter’s correspondent at the Falaise road. Three enemy thrusts were directed against St. Sylvain, east of the Caen-Falaise road, but all were defeated.

The correspondent of the -British United /Press states that the Germans used about twenty full-sized robot tanks against the Canadians. An officer said: “They were getting on towards the size of Shermans. I saw one robot travelling straight towards me. I had it in my sights and I was about to fire when it blew up fifty to sixty yards away.”

Other Canadians saw the robots coming on but there is no report that they damaged any Allied tanks. Although the Germans prepared an elaborate screen of anti-tank guns and dug-in tanks in an effort to halt the Allied drive against Falaise, the English and Canadian tank losses have, been lighter than was expected and the enemy losses substantial. IL can now be revealed that the Poles who are fighting with the Canadians south of Caen are equipped with hundreds of tanks and strong artillery units. One of the Poles said: “We are Hitler’s chickens coming home to roost.” A LINK-UP (Rec. 11.0) LONDON, Aug. 13. ■British and Canadian forces linked up four miles east of Thury-Harcourt at Fresney Le Vieux. From there a southward advance of one and ,ahalf miles was made to Bois Halbout, which has not vet been captured. Allied forces have reached Chenedole, s’x miles east of Vire, where both S.S. troops and paratroops have been encountered. South of Caen contact was made by Allied forces converging between tne rivers Orne and Laize, reports the S.H.A.E.F. communique on Sunday. A thrust from Bretteville sur Laize, through Barbery, reached Moulines, while another advance from the Orne bridgehead captured Bois Halbour. Fighting continued all day dong on Saturday in the Saint Sylvanian area. There, a number of the enemy count-er-attacks were beaten off, and local advances were made. West of the Orne fighting continued around Hut 229, which remains in our hands. An Allied advance down Conde road made some progress beyond Saint Pierre La Vieille.

One correspondent says: “British forces on the Grimbosq bridgehead across the Orne River linked up, today, with the Canadian forces at Fresney Le Vieux, slamming the door on what Germans remain to the northward. But these are not expected to be many, as it is thought tnat most Germans escaped before it was too late. A considerable- number of German dead was found. Saturdays fighting by “bridgehead boys” saw a rapid widening out to the east on the south-east part of the bridgehead. They spread out as far as five miles east of Thury-Harcourt, and reached a village, Bois Halbout, one and aquarter miles west of Mouline. To their left, the Canadians came up against a German heavy defence zone, consisting of a series of strongly-held defence lines in depth along the line of the River Laize. Mopping up of Thury-Harcourt still continues. Enemy pockets of; resistance sprang up after the town was reported cleared. They clung desperately to what they held, but they are gradually being wiped out. The Canadian southward drive has been checked. General Montgomery, in a message to his troops, stated: “We have been through some difficult times since D Day. Some doubted whether we could win through, but you and I had no doubts. To-day all is well. Our armies are moving relentlessly and swiftly into France. The great bulk of the German forces in north-west Europe are in a bad way. We are around them at many places. Tt is possible that some of them will not get away. They will fight hard to avoid disaster, but let us make an effort to wipe off this powerful German force and so hasten the end of the war. Our families are bearing up well against the flying .bomb nuisance. Our thoughts are with them because we are all in this together. We are determined to see this matter utterly finished Complete victory lies ahead. Let us continue, the battle with renewed and even greater energy.” SATURDAY'S OFFICIAL ALLIED REVIEW. (Rec. 7.50.) LONDON, Ajrgust 13. S.H.A.E.F., in a communique on Sotu.rday, stated: Allied troops crossed the Loire River and reached a point ten miles south of Nantes. Some fighting continues in the areas of Nantes and Angers, both on the Loire. A small part of the enemy’s one remaining strongpoint in St. Malo, the north Breton port, is still holding out. There is heavy fighting in progress in Dinard, near St. Malo. The situations in the Breton ports, Brest and L’orient, and in Tremain remain unchanged. “The enemy are maintaining a stubborn defence, in both the Mortain and Vire sectors in western Normandy. Near Mortain an Allied attack has been meeting with strong resistance from German armoured units east and north of the town. Further north, Allied, troops pushed beyond Gathemo to the vicinity of Gengeons on the Gathemo-Tinchebrav highway. Further gains were made below Vire. Enemy forces there have been pushed back to a point a thousand yards

south of Maisoncelles La Jourdan (three miles south-east of Vire). Bast of Vire, Allied forces advanced from a thousand to two thousand yards on a six-mile front, in spite of determined enemy opposition. Further east, in the vicinity of St. Pierre Lavielie, Hills 266 and 229 were captured. Patrols, operating from the Orne bridgehead through the Foret De Cinglais and from east of the River Laize penetrated to Barbery. Thury-Harcourt and St. Martin De Sallen were cleared of enemy forces,, and south-east or Thury-Harcourt a village. Esson, was taken. Fighting still continues in the town of Vimont. During the 24 hours ending at midnight on Wednesday, tne total of prisoners taken in the eastern sector, but mostly in Brittany, reached 4,822. 16 541 ALLIED WOUNDED ’EVACUATED BY AIR (R-ec 9.30) LONDON, Aug. 13. It is officially stated that to midnight on Fridav a total of 16,541 wounded had been brought back from France by air. A medical officer said that knowledge of the speedy evacuation possible . for wounded had a powerful effect on the morale of troops. FRENCH FIGHTING IN BRITTANY EVER SINCE ALLIED LANDINGS (Rec. 9.50) LONDON, Aug. 'l3. A Reuter correspondent at Vannes reports: Full-scale war, not known even to the Americans in Normandy, has been raging on bitter and bloody fields in Brittany ever since D Dav. French paratroops and hordes of patriots whom the paratroops organised and equipped, have been waging a silent battle against a far greater number of German troops. Five hundred paratroops and patriots fought a pitched battle against 3000 attacking Germans, of whom they' killed 510 and wounded 600. The battle lasted from 4 a.m. to midnight. French guerrillas were fighting from hedges and woods. They cut German columns to ribbons before they dispersed into darkness. LONON, Aug 11. Vichy is in a state of seige according to reports reaching the Swiss, frontier, states the Berne correspondent. of .the British United Press. Nobody is allowed to enter or leave Vichy without permission from Dar- > nand’s militia-men. Government offices are guarded day and night. FRENCH GUERRILLAS WIDEN OFFENSIVE (Rec. 9.30) LONDON, Aug. 13. General Koenig, Commander of the French Forces of the Interior, broadcasting in the 8.8. C. French service, ordered all units of the Fighting French of the Interior in eighteen regions to launch a reinforced guerrilla action attack immediately on all enemy elements proceeding to the battle fronts. Authoritative French sources report that French forces in the interior set fire to a million and a half litres of petrol in northern France.

ALLIED AIR ATTACKS (Rec. 6.30.) RUGBY, August 12. R..A.F. Halifaxes, escorted by Spitfires, attacked flying bomb sites in Northern France on Friday night. Mosquitoes bombed Berlin, and laid mines in -enemy waters. One bomber is missing. United States Air-Headquarters announced: Strong forces of escorted heavy bombers on Saturday morning attacked railroad yards at Metz and a number of aerodromes in Northern France, including Le Perthe, Charnant and Buc landing grounds, about 30 miles east of Paris; also Athies, Couvron and Juvincourt aerodromes, near Laon. The weather was clear. The results generally were good. Fortresses and Liberators from three bomber divisions were in the attacking forces. Escorted Royal Air Force Lancasters and Halifaxes this afternoon heavily bombed two rad way yards at Lens and Douai and a locomotive depot a’ ■ Somain, all in France. About the same time other escorted Lancasters again attacked the U-boat shelters at La Fallice and Bordeaux The bombing was concentrated. Royal Air Force Mitchells and Bostons, without loss, this evening bombed German artillery and mortar nositions in front of the Canadians’ Falaise sector.

Spitfires returning from escorting Mosquitoes to the tank “hospital” at Bazancourt shot up barges in the St. Quentin area. Some vessels appeared to be carrying petrol and went up in flames. Another correspondent says: Gathemo, some ten miles north of Mortain, which was once a peaceful village is now a mass of rubble. Gathemo was captured, lost, and recaptured on Friday by American forces fighting south-east from the Foret de St. Sever, but this time tanks have advanced a few kilometres from Gathemo, along a high ridge which continues past La Roche towards Tinch Bray. German forces hereabout are not making any bold play in daylight, but are fighting hard along hedgerows. DURATION OF WAR . LONDON QUESTIONING (Rec. 1.0) LONDON, Aug. 13 There is an expectancy abroad this week-end. With General Eisenhower ordering complete operational silence about an American armoured thrust, with Mr. Churchill and Marshal Tito in Italy, with a bombing of German coastal defences along -the French and Italian Rivieras, and with General Koenig’s order to French guerrilas to attack immediately enemy, elements directed towards the front, there is a feeling that another bound forward towards the defeat of Germany is at hand. Commentators are exhausting their adjectives. The popular Sunday newspapers are inviting prominent people to express opinions on now long the war will last.