Evening star., 1944-06-21
Yanks ATTACKING
1wokeyFortsat
Outskirts
Bradley Forces Push
To Within Mile Of
Commercial Docks
MAP OF Cherbourg on Page A-3J

BY the Associated Press.
SUPREME ALLIED HEAD
QUARTERS, June 21.-American
doughboys, supported by heavy
artillery and air bombardment,
today assaulted two key inner
fortresses guarding Cherbourg-
one less than a mile from the
commercial docks-and the fall
of the city appeared to be mat
ter of hours. Fierce house-to-
house fighting was raging in
Cherbourg's suburbs.
Can NBC broadcast from Nor
mandy declared "our ground
forces are moving into Cher
bourg.'o
Good progress has been made
toward Cherbourg today" supreme
headquarters said.
American troops have captured
Acqueville and Teurtheville Hague
on the western tip of Cherbourg
Peninsula.
Advance Above Val0gnes.
Other Yank forces advanced
northwest of Valognes, where
Americans were astride the road
leading to Cherbourg.
Heavy fighting was reported in
the Tilly-sur-Seulles area near the
center of the Normandy front.
Eighty German tanks have been
destroyed by the Allies so far.
The Air Forces yesterday flew
5000 sorties in lone of the most
successful days of the campaign"
headquarters said.
The power drive against Cher
bourg from the south hammered
against Fort du Roule, on q
hill at Cherbourg's outskirts and
within a mile of the docks, and
Fort Octeville, little more than
a mile to the west.
Cherbourg's great military port
area, now exploding under German
.demolitions, lies only 2 miles behind
Fort Octeville.
Heavy Fighting in Suburbs.
The Germans were making last
ditch stand in these inner-ring
fortresses.
Heavy fighting was reported in
the built-up suburban section of
Frances third greatest port.
The assault on the forts raced for
ward from st. Martin le Grand, 4
miles south of Cherbourg, and ad-
vance units on the western flank
took Acqueville, to miles west
and slightly south of Cherbourgs
city limits.
Fort du Roule, a major key to
control of the besieged German
stronghold, stands atop 450-foot
hill
The French worked for more than
a century building up Cherbourg's
forts and defenses and the Germans
now are making last stand in the
inner ring-which embraces part of
the city itself.
Smoke Hangs over City.
Smoke hung over the city as the
trapped German defenders carried
out hurried demoltions in the stra-
tegic harbor. now in plain view Of
the attacking American troops COM
ing out of the hills surrounding
their objective.
With some $4,000 to $4,000 Ger
mans now left with virtually no
chance of escape, Allied broadcasts
last night urged them to surrender.
Although the three main roads to
Cherbourg from the south run into
one main highway bottleneck just
outside the city, the American troops
apparently were closing in from
three sides-south, west and east.
Communique No. 81 from supreme
headquarters this morning an
nounced that the towns of Valognes,
Les PieuX, Couville and Rauville la
B<yot were in Allied hands, but the
advance American line runs some
distance beyond these points.
Population of $4,000.
The suburban and city area Of
Cherbourg, which now has become a
battlefield, has an estimated popula-
ton of $4,000. The population of the
city proper, according to latest re-
ports, is approximately 33400 and
an additional $1,000 live in the SUBJ
urbs.
Despite German reports, the SUI
preme Allied command said it has
no knowledge that Allied warships
were shelling Cherbourg from the
sea and declared such an attack was
unlikely
The port is protected by seven
heavy coastal forts, which should be
much simpler to take by land as
sault than from the sea.
Only patrol activity was reported
elsewhere on the Normandy beach,
head except in the Tully sur -Seulles
area.
The British announced capture
of Onchy, 3i2 miles southwest of
Tilly. At the same time the Ger
mans launched three heavy
counterattacks on the newly-taken
British strong point of Hottot, 2.
miles south of Tilly.
Situation In Village Obscure.
The attacks were reported held,
but the situation in the village it.
self was obscure.
The Caen area even farther to
the east was quiet.
A gale continued to blow in the
Channel. Six-foot waves whipped
over the invasion beaches, making
unloading of supplies impossible for
the time being.
Bad weather hampered aircraft
over the battle area, but fighter
bombers blasted Cherbourg guns
and forts. Many of the missions
(See INVASION, Page A-2D
"f