The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-06-09

NOEHldLluy IO ueVWceIl ID dLlu 4o uk~ visions, possibly 240,000 men.
 150,O0O In Action
 A total of 10 German divisions 150000 men-have been identified in action, and reconnaissance re- ports indicated these steadily were being reinforced by railway and highway despite day-and-night AL lied aerial attacks on enemy com munications.
 Diminishing winds speeded fur ther the landing from ships of fresh troops, tanks, trucks and other equipment on both the American and British-Canadian beachheads stretching along SO or more miles of the coastline between Cherbourg and Le Havre, the latter only a little more than 100 miles from Paris.
 However, clouds that descended between 1000 to l,500 feet seriously hampered air support of the ground forces this morning, reducing the early formations of daylight raid CTS to isolated task forces,
 The outcome of the American at- tack on Carentan, at the joint of the Normandy peninsula, and the highway linking 1t with Cherbourg, 27 miles to the northwest, was ex- pected to go a long way toward de- ciding the fate of Cherbourg itself, one of the best harbors on the French coast and with direct trunk line to Paris,
 The loss of Carentan and the highway would leave the German Garrison of Cherbourg only second ary roads over which to withdraw from the port and at the same time would pave the way for an American thrust across the 20-mile neck of the peninsula to the west coast. Allied air and naval ascendancy also were expected to play part in dooming Cherbourg. which would provide an ideal base for a full-scale Allied of- fensive in France.
 Though the Americans were hard- pressed for time on their beach, heads on the east coast of the Cher bourg peninsula between Cnerbourg and Carertan, spokesman TOT Els- enhower said they now were receiv- ing a regular stream of reinforce ments.
 One beachhead was considered in excellent condition and the other, where going had been exceptionally hard, now was being improved stead- ily by a combination of ingenuity and sheer muscle, the spokesman said. Wind. tidal currents and the confirmation of the shoreline had handicapped the original landings.
 It was learned that some Ameri- cans pushed ashore in Cherboure Bay. which stretches seven miles east and 10 miles west of the port, on 'D-Day." but the present loca- ton of these units was not dis closed. German broadcasts have re- ported American troops near St. Pierre Eglise, il miles east of Cher bourg
 British empire forces were finding Caen. midway between Cherbourg and Le Havre on the trunk railway and hiehway to Paris. tough nut to crack as street fighting ragged on into it's fourth day. but a corre- spondent at the front said the com munications center should fall within hours. perhaps minutes"
 The British Sixth Airborne divi- sion was the first to drive into Caen. and it since has been joined by sea-borne forces from the beach, head at the mouth of the Orne river, nine miles to the north.
 Other British clements IS miles to the west were reported well south of Bayeux. also on the cherbourg- Paris Railway and highway, in an apparent drive to cut the Nor mandy Peninsula in half.
 Sector Cleaned Out
 In cleaning out the sector between Caen and Bayeuy. the Canadians were forced to fight for each house and each street in some of the dozen Normandy towns overrun by them in a swift advance. Artillery rushed into the beaehheads by both sea and air finally cracked the enemy's resistance,
 Front dispatches said the Ger mans were probing the Canadian peFimeter with 90 to 35 tanks at a time in preparation for a full. scale counter attack, but Canadian tanks and massed artillery firmly entrenehed on slopes beyoh BayeuS threw back each thrust, 4 three hour tank battle was reported in one sector
 German relnl0reemsnts were re. vaaleA "a ha n.aVfng m, steadily ali