FOUR CITIES

Grey River Argus, 19 August 1944, Page 5

FOUR CITIES

TAKEN BY ALLIES SOUTH-WEST OF PARIS General Advance in Progress EAST OF FALAISE AND TROARN British Pass Flers [Aus. & N.Z- Press Assn.J LONDON, August 17. It was announced from the Columbia Broadcasting System’s broadcaster in Normandy that the German Army had begun a new retreat on a 30-mile front stretching from nortn of Falaise to the Channel Coast east of the mouth of the Orne River.

Reuter’s correspondent says that the Canadians who captured Falaise joined with Polish armoured formations to launch a two-pronged drive towards Trun, ten miles south-east of Falaise. Fighting is going on around Montreuillapambe, two miles nortn of Trun. The Canadians are advancing against light opposition. The Germans are evidently unable to organise a definite line after the loss of Falaise and the drive against Trun, which is a vital road centre, was launched from two directions, from Falaise and from St. Pierre. A 8.8. C. correspondent reports that the hard centre of German resistance is still in the Falaise-Argen-tan area.

An Associated Press representative with Canadians revealed details of the Canadian attack eastward which was launched undei’ a cloak of deepest secrecy. Although the Canadian thrust began south-east of Caen their progress forced the enemy to withdraw from Troarn and Bavent, three miles north of Troarn. Tne enemy withdrew early to-day, and retreated across the marshes. Tne German defensive line from the sea to Falaise has been completely broken. The new attack which resulted in the Canadians crossing the Dives River, went on while Falaise was being captured, but the black-out on the news was not lifted until this afternoon.

Canadians, in this spectacular swing eastward captured St. Pierre-sur-Dives, 10 miles north-east of Falaise, on the Falaise-Lisieux road. Following the capture of Vimont two days ago the Canadians surged on the area of Mezidon, an important railway centre four miles north of St. Pierre. Other forces between St. Pierre and Falaise crossed the Dives River at the village of Jort, three miles south-west of St. Pierre, and pushed on into the wooded, hilly country. There was fighting in the Mezidon area and all along the eastern flank of the Canadian Army, where the front had been blown wiae open. The news ban was imposed on all Allied and enemy movements east of the Caen-Falaise-Argentan-iue Mans line, and for two days it has not been possible to mention the operations of the Canadians attacking Falaise from the north-east, white others closed in from the north and north-west. The Canadians north-east of Falaise have fought several stiff engagements in the last two days. After sweeping across the Laison River on to high ‘ ground they advanced! soutn, cut the St. Pierre-Lisieux highway and captured Damblainville, three miles north-east of Falaise. For eignt hours armoured cars, tanks and infantry have been fanning out rapidly eastward and south-eastward from the bulge in which the Canadian Army was contained between Caen and Falaise. This advance is not yet a “Patton pursuit,” which is the Canadians’ way of describing the American Army’s headlong thrust, but marks the quickest gains since tne Canadians launched their major offensive ten days ago. Everywhere the Germans tried to make a stand they were beaten. The Germans must fall back along the roads to Lisieux, because these constitute the only main route eastward. The forces which crossed the Dives River and took St Pierre , were British troops under Canadian Army Command. German forces in the Falaise area have been further reduced. Canadian forces are now clearing the last of the enemy from Falaise itself. Canadian infantry and armour fougnt their way into the town last night. The Germans trying to get aw’ay east of Falaise are being subjected to cruel punishment, says Reuter's correspondent with the British forces. The gap through which they can escape is now narrowed to four miles. A staff officer said: “There is no doubt about it, the Germans are in an awful mess—a chaotic mess.”

New Enemy Retreat in North GERMANS FALLING BACK TOWARDS THE SEINE LONDON, August 17. S.H.A.E.F. confirming that Germans are withdrawing between Troarn and the sea. The head Panzer core of the German Seventh Army is somewhere between Argentan and Falaise and tne Seine waiting for battles which might obliterate it. Northern France is open for conquest says Britisn[ United Press Normandy correspondent. The fact that this core exists means that the combined British, Canadian and American armies have failed in the primary purpose of crushing Von Kluge’s only armoured group. Another series of co-ordinat-ed attacks must be launched before the Germans can again be brought to bay. The Germans have won a reprieve, possibly only for a week or two by a brilliant orderly retreat from the. pocket west of the FalaiseArgentan roads. British patrols reached a point four miles, east of Flers. Not much progress was made south of Falaise, but the advance continues all along the line. British and American air forces during the day hammered German traffic inside and outside the shrinking pocket. The Germans are taking elaborate pains to hide their movement.

The Exchange Telegraph’s Normandy correspondent reports that three Panzer divisions appear to be forming up somewhere near the' gap between Argentan and Falaise. witn the possible intention of holding back the Allies so that another German defence line can be established. Our advance is being stoutly opposed by rear-guards. Northern Advances GAP VERY NARROW - ALLIES IN' POCKET FOR A KILL (Rec. 1.20) LONDON. Aug. 18. News continues good from all sectors of the front in north France. General Patton’s aromured advances are not overshadowing latest developments in the dwindled Docket east of Falaise and new' advances east of the Troarn-Falaise line Polish armoured forces have burst south-east from the hr’dgehead over the Dives River to Chambois. thus reducing the gap in the Argentan area to two or three miles. The Allied advance in the Docket ! s gathering momentum. It is belie British and American forces are moving in for a kill.

ENEMY SEVENTH ARMY.

RETREATS EASTWARD TN DISORDER.

TAtis. & N.Z. /sssn.l (Rec. 8.40.) LONDON, August 18. A “Daily Express’’ correspondent, reporting from Falaise, stated: Everything has broken into movement. Events are racing more rapidly than they can be reported. The battered portion of General Von Kluge’s Seventh Army is retiring eastward. It is retreating as German armies retreated in Russia and Africa, leaving the landscape scarred with burnt-out hulks of tanks, lorries and guns and a trail of smashed towns all the way across Normandy. The German monster leaves behind many little graveyards in quiet angles of woods, many broken bridges, and -. piles of empty shell cases. The retreating army turns and fights for a time at every other bend along the roads. But the general impression is of immense confusion/ in the German ranks, with no central direction and no fixed policy behind their stubborn retreat. We have since D Day contacted about forty German divisions. At least half of them are now worth nothing. The Seventh Army is falling back without even its general, who is either critically wounded or is dead. As far as press correspondents are able to tell, no German troops have been sent south to stem the Allies’ advance m the Riviera, because General Von Kluge has none to spare. One cannot be definite about the shape of future events, now that the battle nas become one entirely of movement. What is a salient at one minute becomes a bucket the next. The battlefield is changing shape constantly.

FURTHER SEVENTH ARMY RETREAT PREDICTED. ACROSS THE SEINE. (Rec. 8.15.) LONDON, August 18. Lieutenant-General H. A Martin, the “Daily Telegraph’s” military correspondent says: Events in Normandy now tend to bear out a suggestion that, to the German High Command, the four-fifths of France lying south-west of the River Seine are now a liability rather than an asset, and that, as a. consequence, we might expect a general withdrawal to the line of the Seine in the near future. The only hone of the remnants of the German Seventh Army is to withdraw over the Seine, through fresh troops of the German Fifteenth Army, who are ready to relieve them. Thus an end of the Battle of Normandy is likely to see the battered remnant of the Seventh Armv united with the Fifteenth Army on the right bank of the River Seine. ENEMY STAND IN ST. MALO. (Rec. 9.50.) LONDON, August 18. Hitler has awarded General Von Bloch, the German Commander in the St. Malo citadel, in Brittany, the Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. In a radio message to General Bloch. Hitler said: “Fight to ■the last bullet! Each day you hold out is a gain in the battle against the invasion !”