Evening star., 1944-06-19

By the Associated Press.
SUPREME ALLIED HEAD
QUARTERS, June 10. - The
American 9th Division has
crushed German attempt to
burst out of the American trap
bottling up perhaps $4,000 to
10000 Nazis below Cherbourg,
hurting back a thrust 13 miles
due south of the port, headquar-
tiers announced today.
The Germans lashed out in the
darkness in a heavy local attack
near st. Jacques de Nehou, but we're
thrown back with heavy losses
Toward the eastern flank of the
1l6-mile Normandy front, British
forces battled into the northern end
of shell-torn Tilly-sur- -Seulles, with
the Germans still holding in the
southern part of the town between
Bayeux and Caen.
1t. Gen. Omar N. Bradley's troops,
laying siege to Cherbourg after
thrusting a seven-mile wide corri-
dor across the peninsula, now are
building up strength for "the next
STEP" Supreme Headquarters said.
Nazis Shell Carentan.
German guns laid heavier shell
barrage on American Caren-
tan, stronghold near the eastern
base of Cherbourg Peninsula.
Other Americans on the north
eastern end of the line choking off
Cherbourg fought toward the port
from the Montebourg area, IA miles
to the southeast.
Berlin radio said American
forces had made slight ad-
vance in the direction of Volog-
nes." 10 miles southeast of Cher
bourg, indicating the German
stronghold of Montebourg pos
sibly is being bypassedD
Local advances were scored or
other sectors of the beachhead, Al
lied headquarters said.
The Americans quickly broadeneo
the corridor flung across Cherbourg
Peninsula.
The trapped Germans appeared
to have the choice of fighting to the
death or surrendering.
Division Took BiZerte.
The spearhead Of Gen. Bradley!
spectacular drive to capture Cher.
bourg was the same 9th Division
which broke through German de-
fenses to take Bizerte, Tunisia, 1;
months ago under Maj. Gen. Man.
ton S. Eddy.
American troops who severed the
peninsula were driving the German!
today down toward La Haye dl
Puts, pig road junction mile
south of st. Sauveur le Vicomte
into what appeared to be anotheI
trap One American transpenin
sular spearhead has been within
miles of La Haye for several days.
If this spearhead takes the towr
Of La Haye, the Germans in thai
area will be in another pocket
between St. Lo dOurville and tht
Atlantic coast
Bradley's command struck south 0.
Lison to within miles of st. Lo
important rail and highway juno.
tion in the Wire River Valley, 70 all
miles south of Cherbourg.
Allied headquarters announced
yesterday that the bag Of prisoner
in the. beachhead operation hat
reached $4,000.
British Forces Advance.
Almost all the advances on the
Normandy beachhead reported to-
day by supreme headquarters wer
on the American side. except a
Tilly-sur- -SeulleS, II miles west o
Caen
All along the rest of the beach
head front there were brisk smal
actions as Gen. Sir Bernard l
Montgomery, Allied ground com
mander, built up his forces for
drive backed up by thousands O
big guns.
Beach areas were quiet, with tn
wind at force two" and unloadin
of men and materiel proceeded a
a rapid rate.
One officer returning to Britai
said that it was quieter behind tn
lines on the beachhead than i
Southern England, where the Ger
mans sent over hundreds of rocke
bombs, causing casualties and dam
age, particularly among the civilian
population.
Nazi Air Force Inactive.
On the beachhead side the Ger
man Air Force virtually had dis
appeared, which might be an indi
cation that Marshal Erwin Romme
was conserving his forces for an all
out attack.
German troops in the Cherbour
area are not of the highest quality
and they have been using man
aorse- drawn guns, many of Whic
(See INVASION. Page A-4D