Enemy Front Broken Wide Open

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 207, 1 September 1944, Page 5

Enemy Front Broken Wide Open

LONDON, Aug. 30. American forces have broken wide open what remains of the enemy front in France, says the Daily Express’s

correspondent in France. The advances to-day will determine the whole course of the operations in France. A major crisis for the Germans has developed with the news that strong forces have arrived northwest of Rheims. This will-o’-the-wisp army has virtually sliced the German forces in Northeast France in halves and threatens to encircle the whole German force defending the flying-oomb coast. The Germans have not sufficient forces to deal with the Americans and simultaneously hold the British and Canadians who are fighting bloody battles north of the Seine. They can group what remains of their strength on the Lower 3eine and fight there, but cannot pin the Americans down as well.

The Germans are now hopelessly watching another of these sweeping encircling moves which led to the disaster in the Falaise trap. While the Americans are rushing ahead with the end of the net to-day the new British bridgehead at Louviers has been firmly consolidated and Canadian forces are on the way to Boos in the sector where some of the bitterest fighting of the campaign is going on. The Germans must either sacrifice the remaining elements of their divisions north of the Seine and any other troops northwards to defend the flyingbomb sites or get out as fast as they can into Belgium before the Americans cut them off. If they get out they will lose a large part of their power to hit London with flying-bombs. Allies’ Relief Appeal As part of the campaign to raise funds for the distressed peoples of Allied countries the committee In the Zone D area will have charge of the Patriotic Shop next week and an appeal Is being made to make the week a big success. In the following week there will be a campaign to raise funds when residents will be provided with an envelope for the purpose. They may make a choice of any of the Allied countries and mark It on the envelope. So far the Yugoslav community have raised a substantial sum for their people and the Greek community have been busily engaged in a similar enterprice. The appeal was postponed from June because of its conflicting with the patriotic appeal in this zone. All the moneys collected are sent through the National Patriotic Board in Wellington, and the greatest care is taken to see that they reach the people for whom they are raised through International Red Cross channels.