CITY REJOICES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24970, 12 August 1944, Page 7

CITY REJOICES

LE MANS CELEBIiATES WELCOME TO AMERICANS (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Aus:. 11 The city of Le Mans last night was a great blaze of red, white and blue and its streets were filled with cheering, waving people, states Router's correspondent. Thousands lined the streets and cheered themselves hoarse as American troops entered in pursuit of the retreating Germans. Also chasing the Germans were members of the French underground resistance forces, who yesterday marched through the streets with German prisoners they had captured. Germans still hiding in cellars inside the city are being dragged out. American soldiers in one case dashed forward to protect a small group who were in danger of being swamped by a hissing threatening crowd. Women who had collaborated with the Germans were having their heads shaved in the streets in the middle of scoffing crowds. About 30 or 30 men collaborators have been .sent to prison to await trial. Many others fled from the city with the Germans.

The British United Press correspondent tells a story of a German column which ran into an ambush outside Le Mans. "The Germans never knew what hit them," stated an American officer. "They were retreating, and we looped around them and came out on to the main highway ahead of them. They came on at 40 miles an hour.

"We let them get within 10yds before we machine-gunned the first lorry. That held up the entire column. We sprayed the column with machineguns and then opened up with artillery and anti-tank guns. Lorries and tanks were set on fire and exploded. The Germans were caught in an inferno of flame." About 100 Germans were killed and 230 captured. Fifty vehicles, including tanks, self-propelled guns and lorries, were put out of action.

; CANADIAN ATTACK j GERMAN RESISTANCE TANKS AND GUNS IN FORCE LONDON, A Hit. 10 The Germans are making a great effort to keep the Canadians from Falaise, the German base 20 miles south-east of Caen. Rommel has packed armour and guns in their path, states the correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Company. Tiger and Panther tanks, which have been rushed from the south and west, are today hidden in every wood, while at some points there are SSinm guns, in groups ' of 24, close together about five miles north of Falaise. The enemy has certainly made a remarkably quick recovery, the correspondent adds. His S.S. men are fighting with all the fanaticism they have ever shown. Fighting is heaviest around Hill 195, which is about two miles north-west of Potigny, and which Canadian armour captured early yesterday morning and held in spite of heavy enemy shelling and mortar fire. The enemy was able to cover the southern slopes of the hill from the western flank with anti-tank guns and tanks, while to the east he rushed armour and infantry into a heavily wooded area. When Canadian tanks and infantry pushed down the hill tlie.v found themselves enfiladed by crossfire. The Canadians met the same kind of resistance when they succeeded in forcing their way to the next hill. .Armourpiercing shells from guns on both sides whistled across the slopes of both hills for many hours. A few Tiger tanks which did venture out from the cover of the woods met a hot reception, and some were knocked out. The Canadians are continuing to advance, hut more slowly than during the first two days of their breakthrough. The Canadian corridor was widened and strengthened by the advance eastward to Virnont. AMERICAN PROGRESS NAZIS HOLDING MORTAIN LONDON, AIIR. 10 Renter's correspondent snys flu; Americans today began a general offensive along the entire left flank of their Normandy front, gaining between a mile and a mile and a-half in most .sectors against determined opposition. Bitter fighting is still going on around | Mortain, which is still held by the enemy. BRITISH UNITS NAMED (Reed. 0.30 p.m.) LONDON, Auk. 11 The names have been given of a British division and a brigade which are fighting in Normandy. They are the 43rd Division and the 231st Malta Brigade. The 43rd Division, made up of territorial units from the west country, has been fighting round Hill 112 near Caen. The 231st Brigade was originally formed from units of the resolute garrison of Malta and is also composed of west country men. It was among the British formations to stunu the Normandy beaches on D Day.