The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-07-01


 British wedge threatening to encir- cle Caen and pave the way for march on Paris, 120 miles to the east.
 Correspondents at General Sir Bernard L. Montgomery's 21st army group headquarters said the inl- petuous German reaction to the Bri- tish thrust southwest of Caen indi- cated that Rommel, German army group commander in France, had taken over personal direction of the enemy armored forces.
 Counter Attacks
 The German counter-attacks were in the true, headstrong, rash Rom- mel style" the correspondents wrote.
 The er-attacks were aimed principally at the tip and the west ern flank of the British wedge, which had penetrated almost to the southwestern outskirts of Caen and to within II miles of 8 junction with other British forces southeast of the city.
 Ronald Clark, United Press War Correspondent at the front, report ed in dispatch written at 10 a. m. (4 a. m. EWTD that British guns broke up a tank-suported enemy in- fantry attack in one sector three hours earlier. Another counter-at- tack had been repulsed in the same sector during the pre-dawn dark ness, he said.
 Heavy artillery duels roared throughout the night in most sec tors of the British front. he said. There were some indications that the Germans used rocket guns.
 Dempsey, the British commander told press conference at the front last night, that the British were facing the heaviest enemy forces sicne the start of the war" He said the enemy's reaction to his offensive push southwest of Caen had been "typically hurried" and asserted the Germans now were fin pretty con- siderable turmoil"
 list Phase Concluded
 The first phase of his week-old of- fensive has been concluded, Demp- sey said, and the Second Army was fully prepared for the second move" He did not elaborate.
 The British so far have destroyed l42 German tanks. but the propor- ton knocked out in the current of- fensive was not disclosed.
 General Dwight D. Eisenhower's 5ist communique of the invasion said only that Allied troops were strengthening their positions on both banks of the Odon river south- west of Caen and had frustrated :. all enemy attempts to break in on the Caen-Evrecy sector" :"
 Fighting diminished north and east of Caen. but the British and Canadians were revealed to have captured several additional villages. including Le Landel and Rosel, four and a half and five and a quarter miles respectively northwest of Caen and Le Mensul. two miles south of Breyille at the extreme eastern end of the front.
 Nothing To Report"
 AktodbA kkAC SVttAAktAkA&4bE A8t4 there was nothing to report" from the rest of the Normandy front headquarters said the Americans on the central front had captured a cluster of four villages-La Ra0u- let, La Conteyie. Les Buteaux and Le Carillon-north of St. To, and La Fossardiere and CiOyilIe north- west of St. To.
 Limited German counter-attacks were Fepulsed by the Americans near St. To D'OurvilIe on the west coast.
 American headquarters in France reported that American troops were systematically and rather slowly re- ducing the 1000 Germans attempt~ ing 6 tiny TObTuk stand in khEee- sQuare-mile area around Cap De "a Hague in the hills northwest of EnNEHnuNM.