Allies Standing Firm

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 22934, 3 July 1944, Page 5

Allies Standing Firm

All German Counter-Attacks Held Hard Fighting In Tilly-Caen Sector By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright (Received 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 1. THE ENEMY is still forced to commit reserves, both of armour and infantry, in the Tilly-Caen sector. There are indications that new armoured divisions have been established against us in the salient. While to date seven panzer divisions have been reported in the battle area actions, only some have so far taken part in the actual fighting. The enemy made attempts to nip off our positions south-west of Caen, and all have been repelled. Appreciating the value of the high ground between the Odon and the Orne, the Germans have tried hard to drive us from this useful crow’s nest. Their efforts so far have failed, and Hill 112 remains ours. The Germans launched another small-scale counter-attack this morning in the Granville area, and a piece of high ground which was lost on Thursday was recaptured. About two companies of infantry, supported by scores of tanks, made the attack, but they never succeeded in making the slightest progress, and the attack dwindled into nothing.

Altogether, 25 German tanks were knocked out on Saturday in fruitless small-scale counter-attacks launched by the enemy against the western wall of the Caen salient, writes one Normandy correspondent. From early morning the enemy made a series of attacks, usually by about a dozen tanks, but every one of the attacks met the same fate. Our losses were practically negligible. In the Cherbourg area, our troops continued to advance in the Cap de la Hague, and reached Ommonville la Petite. Bretteville has been reported in our hands, and enemy resistance has weakened in this area.

If Rommel has, in fact, taken command, it may be expected that enemy tanks will be used in large numbers, and heavier attacks are predicted. In the St. Lo area, local action has now ceased, and local fighting, reported to the south of St. Ourville, has also subsided.

On the British-Canadian front there has been activity in the Esquay area to the south of the salient. On Friday night the enemy succeeded in infiltrating to the shoulders of the Odon bridgehead, but they were promptly pushed out, and our positions are now reported firm. North of the Odon, where the ground is infested with enemy troops and tanks, our positions have been adjusted, and mopping-up continues between the road and the river at this point. The- beach weather is good, with a fresh south-west wind, and unloading is proceeding satisfactorily. Major-General Sir Francis W. de Guingand, it has been disclosed to-night, is Chief-of-Staff of the 21st Army Group.

In the tank battles now raging around Caen, the enemy has thrown in against the British the best armour he can muster. It is now reported that seven German armoured divisions have been thrown into the battle. The German News Agency reports that they are under the command of Colonel-General Geyer von Schweppenberg, a former military attache in London with long experience of leading panzer divisions against the Russians. The German units so far identified are the 2nd Panzer Division, one of the best at the enemy’s command, the 21st Panzer Division, also reported one of the best Lehr Panzer Divisions, the 20th Panzer Division, the Hitler Jugend, one of the Germans’ elite divisions, which is believed to be led by a captain of the S.S., Randolph von Ribbentrop, son of the German Foreign Minister, and the 17th Panzer Division, also known as the Gotz von Berlichwingen Division, which also is an elite division. In addition to these armoured formations. there have been reports that the first and second Panzer- Division, known as Leldstandertete, the Adolph Hitler and Das Reich, have been removed from the Low Countries and Bordeaux respectively toward the Normandy front. It was learned at Supreme Allied Headquarters that the Germans in their counter-attack on Thursday used three infantry battalions and about 30 tanks, 12 of wnlch were destroyed. The slight advance near St. Jean de Naye mentioned in the communique appears to be a line straightening move by the Americans bringing them a little nearer St. Lo. Reuter’s Normandy correspondent reports that Wing Commander Johnny Johnston shot, down his 33rd enemy plane yesterday, thus beating the record of 32, which has stood for so long. .

Tremendous Air Power In spite of bad weather severely limiting air activity on several days, approximately 90,000 sorties were flown by Allied Expeditionary Air Force pilots during June. This is by far the greatest monthly aggregate ever recorded by a single command in the history of air warfare and illustrates the tremendous air power behind the planning of Air Chief Marsnal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory. Sixty-five thousand sorties were flown in May. Nearly a quarter of the Command’s June sorties were concerned with providing beach cover for the landings. On many days more than 1000 aircraft patrolled the landing area. Thunderbolts, Mustangs and Lightning fighter-bombers of the Ninth Air Force flew 24,986 individual sorties during June, and dropped more than 6700 tons of bombs on German targets in France. They destroyed 210 enemy aircraft and lost 237. Ninth Air I’orce reconnaissance planes flew 2471 individual missions, destroying nine enemy aircraft for the loss of 14. General Sir Bernard Montgomery has sent the following message to Air Chief Marshal Sir A. Harris. Chief of Bomber Command:— “My grateful thanks to Bomber Command and to you personally for your contribution to the tactical battle in Normandy last night. It was a most inspiring sight for Allied soldiers in France to see the might of Bomber Command arrive to join them in the battle. Your action will not be forgotten by us or the enemy. Please thank all your pilots from me ” Peninsula Clear The liberation of Cherbourg Peninsula is now complete, says to-day’s communique from Supreme Allied Headquarters. The last enemy resistance in the Cap de la Hague area ceased early yesterday morning. The enemy in the area south of Tilly-sur-Seulles repeatedly counter-attacked against the western flank of our Odon River bridgehead, but the Allied positions remain firmly Intact. The enemy Incurred serious losses in infantry and armour. Unfavourable weather continued to restrict air activity from noon to midnight last night, but in spite of low clouds, our fighters attacked targets of tactical importance to the ground forces in the Caen-Evercy sector. Normandy-based fighters hit enemy guns and mortar positions near Carpiquet, military transport near Coudres, Harcourt, Argentan and Falalse with good results. Fighterbombers and fighters, operating from Britain, strafed moving targets east of the battle area, and at Chartres and beyond Paris. Nine enemy pl. nes were destroyed. Three of our fighters are missing. The final clearing of Cherbourg Peninsula is regarded at Supreme Allied Headquarters as extremely good news, as troops held down by enemy holding action are now releasable for other operations Heavy fighting continues in the Tilly-Caen area, where, on one sector. 15 enemy tanks were knocked out yesterday. The battleship Rodney yesterday joined in the battle, bombarding enemy concentra-

tions at crossings over the Orne River at Feuguerolles and St. Andre, both three miles south-west of Caen. The German Air Force beyond the battle zone is now operating from auxiliary airfields because of the damage our bombers have done to the main airfields. Although bad weather restricted air operations yesterday, the beach weather was favourable for unloading.

No Further Gains No further gains have been made in the strong Allied bridgehead across the Odon River, states to-night s communique from Supreme Allied Headquarters. Local enemy movement in the vicinity of Esquay, and enemy attempts to infiltrate into our positions from the east were unsuccessful. On Cherbourg Peninsula, a small area or enemy resistance at Cap de la Hague has been further reduced. Bad weather minimised air activity during the morning. In spite of extravagant and mounting losses, the Germans are quickening the tempo and intensity of comparatively small-scale counter-attacks against the British brodgehead on the Odon River. The British have flung back all counter-attacks. The correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency with the British forces in France reports that the Germans to-day lost 25 tanks in fruitless counter-attacks against the western wall of our salient. His tanks in the Grainville area attacked in groups of about 12, but nowhere located any weakness in our defences. The British repeatedly allowed the enemy almost to reach our anti-tank screen . then used 17-pounders with devastating effect. , It is learned at Supreme Allied Headquarters, that the counterattacks, though vicious and of a piecemeal nature, suit the Allies tactically, being regarded as the attrition of German armour. One big well-organised and well-supported counter-? ttack m tb» Evrecy salient on Thursday night was held by a British division untried in battle. It stood up to a severe ordeal splendidly, and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. The German News Agency says that General Montgomery is using four tank and four infantry divisions on the Tilly sector. Allied land and naval guns are bombarding the German positions at Caen with unprecedented violence. Allied battleships shelled the town and harbour of Le Havre.

German forces cornered at Cap de la Hague surrendered last night, states Reuter’s correspondent with the American troops. American patrols at present are seeking out stragglers in wooded country. Two thousand prisoners and several large guns were captured. For the first time admitting that Cherbourg Harbour is in Allied hands, the German hews Agency said that German garrisons at strongpoints in the harbour were unable to attack Allied minesweepers and small vessels when they entered because they completely lacked ammunition. Reports reaching Supreme Allied Headquarters disclose that air attacks against railways in the triangle formed by the Seine and Loire Rivers and the sea in the last three weeks resulted in the Germans having to use roads to move nine-tenths of their troops, equipment and supplies, virtually only at night. One effect is that much enemy armour, when it reaches the battle area, requires repairs because of wear and tear on the tractors of the tank.-, and otheT tracked vehicles. Allied aircraft are giving the enemy no rest day or night behind the battle area, flares being used at night to disclose targets. Wing Commander Skaaeski, holder of a treble D.F.C. and the Polish Cross of Valour, who is leader of the Polish Mustang wing of the Second Tactical Air Force, is the top scoring Polish fighter pilot with 22 victims.