MORE PROGRESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24971, 14 August 1944, Page 3

MORE PROGRESS

VIHE-MOBTAIN AREA STUBBORN ENEMY TROOPS (Herd. 10.15 p.rn.) LONDON, Aug. 13 The town of Chandolle, six miles east of Vire, has been reached by Allied forces. There was increasing enemy resistance south-east of Vire, according to earlier reports, and heavy fighting was occurring in the neighbourhood of Mortain. An advance of one and a-half miles from St. Pierre Laviello has brought our forces within four miles of Conde. An earlier communique said the 4Hied attack was meeting strong resistance from Gorman armoured units east and north of Mortain. Further north our troops had pushed beyond Gathemo to the vicinity of Gengeons, on the Gathemo-Tinchebray highway. More gains were made below Vire and the enemy had been pushed hack to a point 1000 yards south of Alaisoncelles la Jourdan (three miles southeast of Vire). Advance on Six-mile Front

East of Vire the Allies advanced from 1000 to 2000 yards on a six-mile front, in spite of determined enemy opposition. Further east, in the vicinity of St. Pierre Lavielle, Hills 26G and 229 were captured.

"German forces in the Vire-Mortain area are fighting desperately to save their Seventh Army from rout and annihilation," stated a correspondent at Supreme Headquarters. "While their lines of communication to tho east remain open they will battle fiercely to retain their positions in this region, but in two or threo days of this battle Allied forces have 'been able to strengthen considerably their driving power, and there are already signs that tho battle is swinging in our favour. Reason for Optimism

"A general enemy withdrawal in this sector tfill spell defeat," added the correspondent. Tho German formations this, and will not easily give up. fi a hard fight, but while there ", e^ er 1,1 uch canse for anxiety to the Allied Command, there is now good reas°n '? r optimism regarding the outcome of this battle."

I A lost battalion," which had been isolated and under constant armoured attack from German forces north-east of Alortam since August 7, was relieved yesterday, says Renter's correspondent. Jne battalion was relieved by other American who cut their way through tho encircling Germans. The trapped troops had maintained resistance with ammunition and supplies dropped from planes in spite of tho heavy anti-aircraft fira which tho enemy put up.