Evening star., 1944-08-06

before long the British were roll
ing through Villers-B Bocage, Meyers,
Esquay, Evrecy, Aunay and across
Hills liz and 113, all strongpoints
to which the enemy has chung
stubbornly for weeks.
Not only were the Germans un-
der frontal pressure from the Brit
ish and Canadians, but they must
have Sensed the peril from the
three other columns striking as
much as IS miles to the southwest
on the road to Paris at a point
where their flank was exposed.
Yanks Close in on Domfront.
Deep below the bocage country of
hedgerows and forests, which had
been the core of German resistance,
at least two American columns were
closing on Domfront, a pivotal city
AZ miles southwest of Caen.
One force was at Barenton, z
miles west, and another was at LIE
Teilleul, 10 miles west and slightly
south.
Patrols had been active in this
sector yesterday trying to find where
the Germans had anchored their
line after the American break
through, and were surprised to find
that there was no anchor. It Is
likely the multiple drives are aimed
to exploit this apparent enemy
blunder-
A British officer declared 'the
German picture is critical as Brit
iSh and Canadian forces, racing
across the hedgerow country which
had held them up so long, reached
the barrier of the Orne River at LIE
HON, 9 miles southeast of Villers-
Bocage.
AS the holdout units splashed in
retreat across the river there was
no indication that the Germans
were intending to make a stand
there, giving rise to the possibilities
they might be beginning a major
withdrawal all the way back to the
Seine River, 10 miles east.
Withdraw Below Wire.
German bulldozers made fords
across the Orne to speed the re-
treat at places where bridges were
blown up.
The enemy was matching the re-
treat here with a withdrawal below
the old Normandy capital of Wire
to the southeaSt.
The last German had withdrawn
west of Wire, yielding all the forest
OF st. Sever, which had been the
enemys main ammunition dump in
Normandy. American forces, fight
Ing against rearguards, neared
Champ-du-Boult, just beyond the
southern edge of the forest.
Closing in at other points south
west OF Wire, the Americans retook
st. Pois and advance troops were in
LIE Mesnil- Gilbert, 2ia miles south.
Last reports put Allied forces little
more than half a mile from Wire
itself, which once was taken by the
British but was lost in q counter
attack.
With the astonishing gains re-
ported in the last "a hours. the
Allies now have overrun nearly half
Of the northwestern French quad
rangle extending east to Paris and
bounded by the Seine and the Loire.
No Natural Defense Line.
They now must reduce territory
roughly $50 miles deep and 100 miles
wide before Paris, which has no
natural defense line. This quad
rangle represents roughly only one
sixth of France, but it is an i'm
portant fraction.
In their withdrawal from the
Odon- -Orne triangle, the Germans
gave up only about so square miles
with their dozens of villages, but
it was bitterly contested ground.
With part of four German di-
visions left to defend the Brittany
peninsula after Withdrawals for the
futile stand in Normandy, it was
unlikely the American mop-up of
Brittany would encoutner much re-
sistance.
Garrison forces undoubtedly faced
the American armor which pounded
into Brest, and the same sort of
resistance is likely at st. Nazaire,
Nantes and Lorient, which is by
passed on the south as st. Malo
was on the north.
Fighting Inside St. Malo.
American forces were reported
f1ghting inside st. Malo early yes
terday, but previous German broad
casts appeared to have written this
small port off the list.
The Allies are expected to be able
to make early use of ST. Malo and
the neighboring small ports of
Granville and Avranches in the
Brittany Normandy corner.
They can be used for small ships
and can help take some of the
I