Evening star., 1944-06-17
BY DON WHITEHEAD,

.
WITH THE AMERICAN TROOPS
AT ST SAUVEUR LIE v1COMTE,
June 17.-Bitter fighting for Cher
bourg Peninsula reached sudden
crisis yesterday when American
troops burst through fanatical Ger
man resistance to within about 6
miles of the Germans last escape
corridor.
The break in the virtually stale
mated fighting in this sector came
with dramatic suddenness when
stubborn enemy resistance crumpled
before the steady pressure Of dough,
boys who are sweeping Normandy's
green hedgerows with scythelike
streams of machine-gun fire.
The forward surge carried our
troops across the Douve River and
into this shell-smashed town which
sits astride the main highway run
ming south from Cherbourg-and
placed them only miles from the
peninsula's west coast highway,
which is the only north-south COM
munications line left for enemy
forces still lighting north Of St.
Sauveur.
Montebourg Recaptured.
There is no indication yet how
many enemy troops or how much
equipment will be trapped if the
breakthrough should carry on across
the peninsula.
Along with the entry into st,
Sauveur the doughboys to the north
recaptured Montebourg, IA miles
southeast Of Cherbourg, after four
days OF bitter see-saw fighting.
Americans further frightened the
peninsula beachhead control by
consolidating positions around
Quineville, three miles northeast Of
Montebourg.
The thrust to st. sauveur over
shadowed other beachhead de-
velopments, which saw the dough-
boys improve their positions all
along the line, particularly In the
Carentan sector.
AS yet the Germans have not
been able to put in q full-scale
attack against the Americans be-
cause the doughboy thrusts have
kept them OF balance and air con-
troll has prevented them bringing
up reinforcements with any speed
over roads constantly being bombed
and strafed.
Germans Face Grave Problem.
Meanwhile this new push by the
Americans has created q grave prob
lem for the German command. It
must throw in new reserves to
check the rush by quick shifting
of forces or leave its troops In the
northern part OF the peninsula to
shift for themselves as best they
can.
The Germans have made a gen.
eral move to bring up reinforce
ments. Whether they will be able
to counter this new development
and contain our advance remains
to be seen.
Indications are that the next 48
hours may be decisive as to whether
the Americans will be able to con-
tinue to roll forward across the
peninsula and close the last 6-mile
gap.
On the central beachhead front
American units Strengthened out
their lines to more favorable posi-
tions.
IA Divisions Fight Invaders.
There now are IA divisions in line
against the entire Allied beach,
head. Sixteen were in line. but the
91st and 352d Infantry Divisions
may be considered destroyed by
American troops.
The advance into st. Sauveur was
swift and dramatic across the green
countryside ripped by shrapnel and
machine-gun bullets and strewn
with the bodies Of Germans moved
down as they lay In the woods and
hedgerows trying to halt the dough-
boys and units of the crack shock
troops.
But the Yanks were not to be de-
MED in their westward thrust across
the peninsula because they kept
pressure on the Nazis until they
cracked. Then the advance burst
forward like waters from a broken
dam.
This town now-except for dough-
boy patrols moving through its q
shattered, beaten city Of death. 1t
died under the terrible weight Of
artillery and lies gray, ugly and
torn-a horrible scar in this beau
tiful little Douve River valley.
Its destruction was inevitable be-
raiisn tia GAxraans fiixnAd IL into n