The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-07-03
By LOUIS F. KEEMLE limited Press War EditOr)

Amreican forces opened a large scale attack on the west side of the Cotentin peninsula in Normandy to- day while the British, having ab- sorbed the heaviest armored tank assaults the Germans could throw against them in the Caen area, were grouping for a companion drive to the east.
 In White Russia the Red Armies closed in for the final assault on Minsk and its partly-encircled gar- rison.
 The Allies in Italy broke the backbone of the German line across the peninsula with the capture of Siena and were advancing rapidly on both coasts toward the seaports of Livorno and Ancona.
 Word that the Americans were on the move below Cherbourg came shortly after supreme headquarters announced they were re-grouping for 8 major assault and had cap- tured at least five towns yesterday in line-straightening operations be- tween Tilly-Sur-Seulles and the west coast.
 Their objectives appeared to be St. Lo, communications center 3l miles west of Caen, and La Haye- Du Puits, west coast rail and high way town.
 The attack, preceded by heavy artillery bombardment. was begun in a downpour of rain which had been falling since late yesterday. London observers believed an Allied offensive was in the making all along the 11l-mile perimeter of the Normany beachhead aimed towards Paris, 120 miles from Caen.
 American 1st Army
 Gen. Omar N. Bradley's American First Army consisted of eight of the IA Allied divisions known to be in Normandy. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel had IS German divisions, seven of those opposed to the British were tanks and four infantry. His panzer divisions included several brought from the Russian front and four of them were of the elite SS Corps.
 Rommel's panzers had suffered tea heavy losses in futile assaults on the British positions southwest of Caen and the counter-assaults fell of today after the loss of 65 tanks in 48 hours.
 The Allied communique, noting that the bridgehead over the Odon river below Caen had been strength ened in yesterdays operations, said:
 "The enemy's activity was on a reduced scale, owing probably to the severe hauling he received Sat- urday. Three were some enemy at. tacks but they were firmly repulsd."
 The Russians closing in on Minsk were making a frontal assault on the 0ty and throwing encircling columns around it on the Eorth- west and southwest, threatening to pocket an estimated 300,O00 Ger mans in an area extending as far east as the Berezina river, 60 miles away.
 Frontal Attack The frontal attack was begun from positions less than l2 miles ? outside Minsk and was accompanied bya massive artillery and aerial ? bombardment. The last railroads leading westward from Minsk and the principal highways had been cut by the conyerging arms of the Russian hanking forces. and only secondary roads remained for a German retreat.
 Heavy street fighting was be. lieved possible when the Russians enter Minsk, since the Germans were known to have crtss-crossed } its streets with trenches and to have prepared concrete and barbed-wire strong points.
 At the northern end of the White Russian front, the Soviet First Bal. tic Army had driven 50 miles west of by-passed Polotsk to within ST : miles of the Lithuanian border. , Heavy fighting was in progress n the suburbs Of Polotsk and German reports indicated 1t either had feIv len or was about to,
 The Germans in Italy were ID full retreat along the l60smile width of the peninsula efter the French eOlopials had st0TDled Into siena, with It's Tadiatlng ne work ol highS ways leading to Florence, klvoFDo and Pisa, Its loss deprived the eps eINy of the last west-toseast hlghS way below his "Gothie line" Of deS fense running from Pisa through Florence to RlmlDi,
 70 Divisions
 The Germans had employed 70 divisions in g desperate eltort 70 hold 6ieDR and the eeeina river llDe to the west, but the Agnerleens took V0nd the TiVeT to within lb miles 0E CeeiDa yesterday a9d advanced bes less Of LlVoFn0,
 The British Eighth Army made swift gaIns in the eenteF of the peFs insulR around Lake TfaslMeRo end north Of Perneia, On the AdFlatie Ratst the British crossed the Musene river te tske csime, elgbt miles be- low Ane0na,
 Allied RiE operations agalnst Nag Europe from Britain WeFa FeslFietee by bad WaaEheT this morning foF the second successive day, Tt Was ABS nollnaed that the pfaheva ell Eeglns cry at Bucharest, R0nanla, WAs bombed last night following wtdes spread attacks by Etaliansbased planes through the tlalkank, lleluas ing ail AmeTiean daylight bombing