American Advances

Grey River Argus, 16 August 1944, Page 5

American Advances

ON WIDE SCALE ’ LONDON, Aug 14 The Americans have advancea within artillery range of F The need of official secrecy was : tinea to disclose the southern point of ine gap formed by the American f sweeping up from Le Mans from Alencon to the Argentan area vhei fighting is now progressing, tne northern point of the gap 1S c miles north of . Falaise. _ Describing the American movement north of Argentan, a Bntisn United Press correspondent says the troops sped through Alcen.on so hot on the heels of the retreating Germans that the enemy had no time to destroy the bridges and mine the roads. . , The American General in charge of this drive said: “We used the Germans’ own methods against them. We scattered them with armour, then encircled them and chewed them up. We moved so fast the Germans didn I know what was happening.” Further west between Vire ana’ Mortain, the Germans have been forced into a general withdrawal. South-east of Mortain Americans have crossed the River Ma'yenne between the town of Mayenne and Domfront. Substantial American forces have reached the area of Argehtan (about 12 miles south-east of Falaise), as part of a turning movement with the British west of Falaise. The purpose .of the American advances in this area is to cut off as many, as possible of Germans who are attempting to withdraw eastward through the gap below Falaise. One correspondent states that Germans under rearguard cover have withdrawn on almost the whole of the Vire-M.orta'in salient and Americans are following up rapidly. Other units had on Monday morning, advanced to Tincherbray on the Cathemo road, and south-east the push to Vire had reached La Bouillante. Enemy resistance in the Vire-Mor-tain sector appears to be slackening. East and south-east of Vire itself, light spasmodic resistance continues. South of the Vire, advances of 3,200 vards have been taken in the village St. Martin de .Chaulieu, three miles east of Sourdeval. The Allies have passed Barentan, six miles southeast of Mortain, on the MortamDomfront road. Although Argentan is surrounded northwards, the advance by Americans to close the gap is meeting with fairlv stiff opposition. During the twenty-four hour period ending’ at midnight on Saturday 2828 prisoners were taken. United States, headquarters state that highway bridges and. potential escape routes for Germans in the Fal-aise-Mortain Bulge, were attacked by Marauders and Havocs on Monday, while other bombers struck further inland to attacks railway junctions and bridges. Over 250 medium and light bombers took part. None is missing. It is officially announced that the Third United' States Army is now operating in France with the First American Army. A Reuter correspondent states: The American push eastward from the Vire-Mortain area gained between three and four miles on Monday. American troops are now in Domfront and holding a portion of the town, including the railway station. Forces advancing eastwards joined' the British on the Vire-Tinchebray road and also reached a' point three miles east of Sourdeval, which was captured yesterday. The town _ of Lafertoace, the centre of eight radiating highways, some 22 miles east of Domfort, was also captured. American tanks are racing forward in thrusts that carried them from seven to 12 miles along the centre of General Bradley’s great smothering attack, while to the north American infantry are tearing through the Germans so fast that abandoned ma-chine-guns were found with the belts still loaded, stated the Associated Press correspondent. Scraps of German units are being thrown in in the attempt to delay us—such mixed remnants that on one 500-yard sector, elements of six separate divisions were identified. The Germans in this area are making no effort to remove oi’ bury the dead, and not even attempting to dig in behind hedgerows, from which they tried to gain a little time. It was disclosed' on Monday that in setting a trap for the Germans, the American armour and infantry overran at least eight forests, containing vital German armour installations, ammunition and shellcases of all types. At least two forests contained what a staff officer said was more important to the Germans —petrol. Von Kluge must make full use of the next 48 hours, if he hopes to extricate the remnants of his stricken 7th Army through the narrowing Falaise gap. Elements of several Panzer divisions have already slipped from the gap, which, however, has been squeezed tighter. The Americans’ punch eastwards captured Ger, one or two important highway hubs in the Mortain-Vire area. The other important hub is Tinchebray.

U.S.A. Mystery Columns

HOW THEY SWEPT FORWARD. (Rec. 11.10.) LONDON, August 15. A Reuter correspondent with one racing American armoured column on Monday gave the first details of the column “somewhere in Normandy” whose movements had been earlier shrouded in secrecy. He said: “This column on Monday liberated 20 villages in its secret drive. Some of the Germans are fighting stubbornly, but in the last few 7 days“a .majority of those in this area lost their discipline and fled across fields and down bypaths. looting food and stealing horses, cars and carts. Approaches to one important town captured by this column were still a graveyard of burning tanks, lorries, pleasure cars, and carts loaded with dead' Germans, hanging grotesquely from vehicles, or remaining grimly in the seats. Many of them ran directly into American tanks. On one main highway, tanks passed through village after village, pausing only to knock out anti-tank guns, or to round .up resistance groups. They passed the usual cheering French throngs, who awoke on Monday morning to find American tanks rolling through' streets where on Sunday there only were Germans. People in one village had remained locked in their homes for ten days before the arrival of the Americans, because the Germans were pillaging and looting. As American tanks rolled through the place on Monday, the inhabitants ran into the streets to greet and kiss relatives and friends. French patriots in one street were stoning a house on which was a cnalk sign “Collaborator”. Townspeople said the house belonged to a Bocneloving grocer, who had dined aqd wined his German overlord. A large convoy of Tiger tanks'attempted to escape this column, but American divebombers left it a poking a mile long. A captured German cm onel was crying when brought to an American camp. He was J bewildered by the lieutenslaught. A captured German lieuten ant who has fought ai “ rtniv caid the attacks ot tnis sect . operation were the most terrifying nchad ever ? ecn '. h wer announced' General'pattmfs leading the Third Uffited States Army tanks m Brittany and lower Normandy.