HIGH GROUND TAKEN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 21 July 1944, Page 5

HIGH GROUND TAKEN

ALLIED ADVANCE CONTINUES Now Five Miles South of Caen (Rec. 10.25 a.m.) London, July 20. The Allies attacking beyond Fleury made a further advance to high ground, learns a correspondent at Supreme Headquarters. By dusk last night they occupied Hill 67, 2000 yards to the south. In the face of strong resistance forward elements captured Ifs and Cormclles. In another action south of Caen one Allied thrust resulted in the capture of Bras, from where our troops pushed on to take the village of Hubert Folie. Cagny has been taken, also the villages of Sobers and La Poirier. Our forces now occupy an arc four miles south of the centre of Caen. Yesterday Allied armour was operating east and west of Bourgebus, and to-day there are reports of fighting in the streets of this town, which is the most southerly point reached and five miles from Caen. Further to the cast our infantry are firmly established north of Fmicville. The enemy still have an anti-tank screen covering this place and Frenouville, two and a half miles away. 1 here has been strong enemy resistance in Troarn. News of advances south of Caen are regarded at Supreme Headquarters as encouraging.

Tlie battle south and cast of Caen continues, says a SHAEF morning communique. The Allies striking towards Troarn readied the railways half-a-mile from the town, while other forces which had taken part in clearing Louvigny and Vaucelles have driven the enemy from the villages of Cormelles and Ifs. Southward and eastward of these villages our armour has been in action against enemy armour and antitank defences • based on village farmsteads. Further west a systematic advance has been made along the front between Grainville and St. Germain, and Dectot. HOW DEFENCES WERE PIERCED “The story of how the British armoured wedge struck through the enemy defences east of the Orne river can now be told.” says a British United Press correspondent with advanced forces. "The attack was launched largely from a bridgehead across the Orne which our airborne forces had captured on D-Day and since held. Here a number of armoured columns stretching for miles assembled 43 hours before the attack. Hundreds of other columns extended to the rear, ready to strike across a number of temporary bridges. All this force had assembled and prepared for action in a remarkably short time, so the enemy had no idea of the weight of armour lying in readiness. Then after the air assault the armoured columns were unleashed and struck through what turned out to be a thin screen of armour which was completely overwhelmed by the first Allied tanks. "While the armour was driving south, infantry from another bridgehead in the Sannerville area drove through the eastern line of the villages of Escoville. Touffreville and Smne v lie. They met some opposition despite the weight of bombs which had fallen on these positions. Simultaneously with the armoured attack Canadians who had crossed the Orne at the southern extremity of the main break-through area the previous night attacked southwards along the west bank of the Orne into and finally through the factory area of Colombelles.” MIRACLE OF ORGANISATION The smashing British and Canadian break-through which is now developing into a battle for the Paris road, is a miracle of organisation and brilliant whirlwind fighting tactics, states a British United Press correspondent with the forces beyond the Orne bridges. In one area an eight-mile queue of tanks and self-propelled guns pounded along country lanes into the battle. Our tankmen and infantrymen were on the march all night and went into the battle after only a brief sleep and a hastily brewed mug of tea. They then fought through a hot day with scarcely a break for food and sleep. They started out at dawn on 19th July and had been fighting ever since, meeting German counter-attacks and consolidating one position after another. A spokesman at General Dempsey’s headquarters says Cagny was captured at noon on 19th July and is now firmly held. The Normandy correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says Grentheville was also captured. British armour supported by infantry are fight- j ing on the outskirts of Troarn. A strong I screen of German anti-tank guns is im- ! peding progress towards Vimont. , BOOBY-TRAPS FIXED TO BODIES There have been reports that American dead have been found wired to explosives. but the first clear case was revealed by a United States Army staff officer who stated that three dead soldiers were found in a ditch south of Carentan with booby-traps fixed to their bodies.