Evening star., 1944-06-10
Invasion
Continued From First Page)

Invasion
Continued From First page.)
in the Carentan area attacked yes
teroay with four infantry divisions
and a tank division, and new para
troops were landed behind German
lines" forcing the Germans to-
withdraw northward and northwest
ward.
An official Allied front dispatch,
without identifying the exact sector,
declared German resistance which
had been strong began to break
yesterday afternoon" and the in
dications now are that the Germans
are having considerable difficulty,
throwing in reinforcements indis-
criminately." 1t said American
forces pressed forward against mild
resistance, capturing one town and
"a handful of villages"
Gen. Bradley told correspondents
he was satisfied with American
progress but expected German
counterattack shortly in three
division strength.
Distances Not Given.
Supreme headquarters gave no
indication of the distances gained
toward Cherbourg from Ste. Mere
Eglise, 19 miles from the port, or in
the push to the south toward Car
entan.
The 5000 prisoners seized by
Americans represented every ma
tionality. American airborne troops
cut up a German parachute division
which had fought in Russia, taking
800 to 1000 prisoners Shortly after
ward German paratroop battalion
which had fought at Casino was
dropped, but the whole unit of 500
to 300 men, coming down on top of
American positions, was captured.
German broadcasts said 100000
men were fighting on the Normandy
Peninsula, with about 100000 on
each side.
With improving weather, Allied
sky fleets, including up to 500 Amer
lean heavy bombers ripped at Nazi
railways, roads, troop and tank con-
centrations and positions behind the
battle line, and at airfields in
France American Marauder air.
men reported Allied shells bursting
in Caen, defended by the Nazis as
a key point in their protective belt
in Normandy.
United States 9th Air Force engi-
neers and technicians were working
in the bridgehead to prepare the
way for planes.
Isigny's Capture Announced.
Supreme Headquarters ninth COM
munique announced capture of
1signy. said British and Canadian
forces stood firm" in the Caen
area, and reported contact with
strong enemy forces near Conde Sud
Seulles," Az miles southeast of
Bayeux. The Allies also were driy-
ing southwest of captured Bayeux.
Despite unfavorable weather con-
ditions, the Decentralization of
further men and material was un-
interrupted" the bulletin added
There was an overcast sky and
lumpy sea in the English Channel
today.
The Allies near Caen smashed |
German attempts to break into the
beachhead and inched toward Caen. |
Marshal Erwin Rommel threw
three armored German divisions
into attacks from Caen-and be-
tween Caen and Bayeux-in an
effort to drive to the sea and break !
up the beachhead into sections
which could be dealt with sep
arately.
But every attempt he made failed. |
in the face of British and Canadian
/ troops determined to stand or die. |,
They fired at tanks over open sights |,
from less than 200 yards.
Rommel was reported using all
the reserves Immediately at hand
in his effort to break through.
Bitter Fighting at Carentan.
Bitter fighting occurred at Caren-
tan. The land in this area is marshy
and cut by rivers. If the Allies could
smash across the Cherbourg PENN
Sula here they could turn and deal
at their convenience with the i'm
portant port of Cherbourg on the
tip of the peninsula
In this area the main part Of the
flghting was by infantry. The coun-
| try is not suitable for large-scale
tank warfare.
American troops tanning out from
Ste. Mere-Eglise toward Cherbourg
were linked up with Gen. Bradley's
infantry coming in from the beaches
to form one attacking force.
The Germans attempted to block
the advance of American airborne
forces by dropping parachutists of
! their own, but a field dispatch said
the Americans had captured 800 OF
/ these elite Hitler airborne forces
which landed almost on top OF
American units.
Behind the American advance
against German resistance, which
field reports described as weaken
ing" there lay a bloodstained and
shell-torn terrain which told of
desperate fighting.
Piles of Twisted Wreckage.
Piles of litter and twisted wreck
age dotted the blackened landscape
/ strewn with bodies of both Germans
and Americans.
! The Americans fought one of the
bloodiest beachhead struggles of the
war before linking up with the air.
borne units, but now they we're NOV
| ing faster.