Evening star., 1944-07-09
British Advance
Into Outskirts
Of Nuzi Base
MAP on Page A-7.)
By the Associated Press.

=
SUPREME ALLIED HEAD
QUARTERS, Sunday. July g.
A violent battle unequalled since
D-day ragged for Caen last night,
with the British fighting into
the northeast outskirts of the
big river port barring the road
to Paris. Some troops in the
enemy garrison were fleeing the
doomed city before an earth
shaking bombardment of artil-
lery and naval guns.
(The German transocean news
agency was heard broadcasting 4
report from headquarters of the
new Normandy commander, Mar
shal Guenther Won Kluge, saying
the high command probably
would shorten its front" by NOV
ing back its lines at Caen)
As the British loosed their big
gest offensive, aimed at the heart
Of France, before dawn yesterday
along 7-mile front, American
troops fought out Of the forests
and bogs at the base Of Cherbourg
Peninsula and launched three
blows southwark which jeopardized
all German positions on the wes-
tern end of the front.
st. Jean Captured.
The enemys central front anchor
of st. Jean de Daye had been
swept up in the swift attack, and
the night supreme headquarters
communique indicated the same
fate was near for the coastal
strongpoint Of La Haye du Puts,
where patrols fought in the streets
and doughboys sized all command
ing heights.
Stunned by the terrific lombard
ment from thousands OF guns and
waves of bombers, outgeneraled by
an attack from the northeast when
he looked for q blow from the
northwest, Marshal Erwin Rommel
seemed unable to react with his
usual violence at Caen.
After the British had swept up
nine towns guarding the northern
approaches to the city. Marshal
Rommel began drawing on his stock
of $500 tanks massed in that sector
Probably 20 OF them were knocked
out, front line dispatches said, as
the German leader hurled them
into the tornado OF fire with which
Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery
was ripping a path through pill
boxes and underground fortifica-
tions.
Very Rapid Progress.
The battle has gone extremely
we'll" British stan omcer said
The Boche was apparently expect
ing an attack more to the north
west instead 81 straight down the
Caen Canal With the result that our
east flank has made very rapid
progress"
Imperiled by this push from the
northeast, the Germans began pull
ing their forces back into Caen
from positions guarding the road
to Bayeux, and Spitfiires dived and
attacked them. Authie, just a mile
north OF this road, fell to the Brit
ish tightening their arc of steel
about the city.
Other units Of 10 to 20 vehicles
were seen moving out of Caen on
the south and southwest. indicating
the Germans were beginning the
withdrawal which will push them
out into open country with no sub
stantial communication center be-
fore Falaise. 20 miles to the south
British and Canadian units seized
Hill No 81, dominating all enemy
positions still above Caen, where
from trenches and pillboxes suicidal
Germans were trying to bar the way
to the British who at no point were
more than 2l2 miles from the city's
perimeter.
Canadians on the west kept up the
relentless pressure by striking out
from north Of Carpiquet toward the
ruins which now mark the ancient
cathedral city which once boasted q
population of $1,000.
The Caen offensive began at 400
am. 1920 pm. Friday, Eastern War
Time after the Raj unloaded 1900
tons of bombs on the German posi-
tions and artillery had blasted away
for so minutes.
Gruchy, Buron and Herouville
'See INVASION, Page A-4.)