EISENHOWER ORDERS SUPREME EFFORT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 194, 15 August 1944, Page 5

EISENHOWER ORDERS SUPREME EFFORT

SJECIAL ORDER OF THE DAV

THAT FATEFUL FALAISE GAP “LOSE NOT THE CHANCE NOW TO WIN” ,11 p.m.'i London. 11 a.m.. Aug. 14. Commander-In-Chief of the Allied forces in the West, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, has issued a special Order of the Day, calling upon the forces under his command to seize, with speed and determination, the opportunity they have created of gaining a major victory over the enemy. His Order is addressed to every sailor, soldier and airman under his command. Every airman he calls upon to direct his energy that the enemy is blasted day and night and is denied safety in flight or in fight. Every sailor is called upon to see that the enemy can neither escape nor reinforce by sea, and that the land forces of the Allies want for nothing in supplies and equipment necessary to win. Every soldier is ordered to go forward to his appointed task with a resolution not to let an inch of ground gained be recaptured or a single German escape. All forces arc called upon to make this a fruitful week for the Allied eause and a fatqful one for the enemy. As this special Order of the Day was being issued, Allied forces were closing in from all points on the Germans withdrawing through the fateful Falaise Gap. The significant aspect of the situation in France to-day is that General Montgomery has got the retreating- enemy out on to the roads in daylight in good weather. At the time of writing, however, the Germans had shown no signs of major disorganisation. Briefly the position is that the Canadians are striking south toward Falaise, the United. Kingdom Army striking east all the way from Caen to Vire, and the Americans are striking north from Argentan, these three thrusts having created what General Eisenhower has described in his special Order of the I>ay, as a fleeting but definite opportunity to gain a major victory.

The Canadian First Army has broadened its threat to Falaise from the north, the Second British Army has advanced further toward Conde, which controls the western approach to Falaise. Enemy rearguard actions are being fought. The Germans must continue these actions if they are to escape through the Falaise Gap. Between Vire and Mortain the Germans are withdrawing under cover of strong rearguard actions. Yesterday Allied aircraft flew sonic ■ 5500 sorties, and hammered enemy traffic and communications. Last night, in spite of low cloud, these attac-Ks were kept going. This morning there is brilliant sunsliine over the Straits of Dover, and Allied planes were early over the battle area, giving the Germans trying to escape through the Falaise Gap no respite. Front-line reports of the German retreat yesterday were being regarded cautiously. If withdrawal was occurring it definitely was orderly as far as forward enemy troops were concerned, according to Supreme Allied Headquarters at midnight (Sunday).

Resistance at both ends of the line was stiff. It is known some of the enemy armoured forces moved eastward, but there was no widespread withdrawal. There was no official comment on a frcnt-line report that the Americans were beyond Argentan. There have been two minor advances—firstly, east of Vire, down the Tinche-Bray road, to within four miles of TincheBray; secondly, a further advance fowards Conde sur Noireau, with British troops now on the high ground within 500 yards of Conde, which they apparently are overlooking. In the Mortain-Vire area the enemy resistance south of Vire decreased slightly; yesterday, and there was a limited advance along th? Gathemo-Tinche-Bray l road. The Americans also worked I their way south of Sourdeval. The Allied advance in the general Mortain-Vire area made some progress. but though resistance was slightly less, it was an advance in contact with the enemy. The Times Stockholm correspondent says that Berlin commentators frankly admit that Allied troops have burst th? dam which the German armies formed to cover Paris, and now are sweeping over the broad countrvside. Reuter’s Normandy correspondent reports the R.A.F. and Second Tactical Air Force, on Sunday, destroyed, or damaged. 44 German tanks and 283 transport vehicles in the FalaiseArgentan gap. The correspondent adds that the Germans are packing men end material into Red Cross transports and also putting red crosses on other vehicles. There is no doubt new that the Germans are retreating from the salient in southern Normandy with all possible speed. There is equally no doubt that Allied air forces are rising to the occasion in weather which permits fully opportunity to be of this eleventh-hour withdrawal There is one factor in the situation about which nothing can be published, that factor, which is the American advance beyond Le Mans. m%y well be a decisive one. Probably the next few days will tell. On Saturday night 19 German convoys. moving east toward the Seine, were attacked by air. It is significant that movement is not only by night but also by day, such is the haste the enemy must now show if they are to escape. Allied aircraft laid a curtain of fire against the two remaining good routes leading east and on lesser routes too. Meanwhile, intense pressure is being maintained along the whole northern flank of the German salient, which runs now more or less straight from a road north of Falaise through Thury to Sourdeval, south of Vire.' The Allies are reported to be in the outskirts of Sourdeval and there is a firm junction near Vire between the British ana American forces. Th? British and Canadian advance on the whole of this 25-mile front in the past

1 —— ■ 1 week has been between five and 10 1 miles. ; < At this juncture, so pregnant with disastrous prospects for the Germans, 1 the Allies have begun heavy air attacks on what ar? badly damaged but familiar installations on the Mediterranean coast between Toulon and Genoa. t