HEAVY FIGHTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25561, 14 June 1944, Page 5

HEAVY FIGHTING

RAGING NEAR TILLY

VILLAGE CHANGES HANDS MONTEBOURG TAKEN (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Rec. 1.15 a.m.) LONDON, June 13. Some of the heaviest fighting in Normandy is raging near the village of Tilly, which is reported to have changed hands several times yesterday. Marshal Rommel is believed to have concentrated three panzer divisions in the area between Tilly and Caen. To-day’s Allied communique states that the Allied armies have made more steady, if unspectacular, progress. The capture of Oarentan materially strengthens the link established between the two major beach-heads. It also considerably narrows l the bottleneck on the Cherbourg Peninsula through which German reinforcements must pass from the south and west. The American advance south of r Lison continues and there have been small gains north and east of Caen, although the situation is little changed. Enemy building-up has been less rapid than was expected. - A despatch from a correspondent in Normandy states that American troops have taken Montebourg, 17 miles south-east of Cherbourg. This is borne out by . an announcement over the Paris radio, which also stated that British and American forces crossed the Channel in great strength last night and brought the total of the Allied forces in Prance to 30 divisions. It is regarded by Allied headquarters as a good sign that the Germans are still patching up any area of the Allied advance. This shows that they are not aware of the Allies’ real intentions and are unable to concentrate in the battle area any big formation for a concentrated counter-attack. The greatest depth of the front is about 18 miles.