Evening star., 1944-07-29


wedge and relieve the situa-
ton here.
BY the Associated Press.
SUPREME ALLIED HEAD
QUARTERS, July 29.-American
tanks today drove southwark in
a new burst of speed after the
capture of Coutances. They
hammered back the first strong
armored counterattack
east Of Coutances and threat
ened Garman lines blocking the
way to the heart of France.
tDNB, the German news
agency, reported the Germans
are about to withdraw their en-
tire western wing of the invasion
front ito strengthen lines" and
declared the Americans were
bringing up reinforcements for a
large-scale offensive)
Already tank guns commanded the
road networks feeding into Brehal
IL miles below Coutances and 217
miles from the sea, through which
Marshal Erwin Rommel was trying
to extricate troops for fresh stand
More than 100 duels ragged be-
tween American Sherman tanks anc
great Cotton German Tiger tanks
by-passed in the rush of American
armor in a high forested area be.
tween Canisy and Notre Dame-de
Gently.
Fight for Survival.
This appeared to be mostly fight
for survival by German remnant:
left behind to try to hold open g
route along the coast for the enc.
mys battered infantry.
Associated Press Correspondent
Hal Boyle reported American tanks
had brought Brehal within CUR
range after capturing the village Of
LIE Mesnil-Aubert, 7 miles south Of
Coutances.
Another column to the east
reached st. Denis-Le Cast. 10 miles
from the coast and 9 miles south OF
Coutances.
Any enemy forces remaining above
Coutances were doomed by spear
head of tanks which reached the
Atlantic below the Siene Estuary
south of Coutances.
The fighting east of Coutances
centered around the hamlet of Pont
Brocard. on highway between
Canisy and Notre Dame-de Centilly
after the Americans jumped off al
dawn on the fifth successive day OF
their offensive.
Nazis Mass ReinfOrcements.
Successive encircling movements
threatened to push the enemy's
whole Normandy front back to a
70-mile line anchored on the north
east at Caen and on the southwest
at Avranches.
Marshal Rommel was concentrat-
ing reinforcements from both the
east and west. A convoy of three
armed minesweepers and four land
ing craft crowded with soldiers ap-
preaching the Atlantic port Of
Granville, Is miles south of Cou-
tances, was bombed and machine
gunned by naval Grumman Aveng-
ers who sank landing craft and
damaged a minesweeper.
A total of $50 German tanks were
reported knocked out by American
fighter planes alone in the last
three days.
Many Germans Escape.
There was no evidence that any
large number of Germans were
caught in the Coutances area pocket
formed by the junction of the west
ward thrust and the drives south
ward from the region of Lessay and
Periers.
The absence of a pronounced de-
laying action in Marshal Rommel's S
precipitous withdrawal was inter-
preted by some as indicating that
he had had time to evacuate the
pocket.
The spearhead which closed the
Coutances pocket reached the sea
south of the Sienne River estuary
about 4 miles below the city as
columns from the north and west
gained heights over the city, put it
under artillery fire and then quickly
moved in.
At least two more columns driving
south in an 18-mile stretch below
Coutances have reached st. Denis
le-Gast and Maupertuis on the east
west highway between Tessy sur
Wire and Brehal. An additional
force was forging down the Wire
River itself.
United States 9th Air Force pilots
Yesterday knocked out 10 German
tanks over the Granville Villedieu
area. They damaged or probably
destroyed "a more, and altogether
(see INVASION. Pare A-5)