Evening star., 1944-06-13
Patrols 10 Miles From Cherbourq
After Nazi Defenses Are Crac ked
Three Towns Fall;
British Forces
OutfIunk Cuen
MAP on Page Az

Ey the Associated Press.
SUPREME ALLIED HEAD
QUARTERS, June 13.-The Al
lies in Normandy smashed ahead
on all fronts late today, with
the Americans. cracking Cher
bourg's defenseS by Seizing three
towns and driving advance pa
trolls within 10 miles of the great
port.
British troops. in a deep-biting
power drive, outfianked Caen, east
ern bastion Of the 80-mile battle
front, seizing Troarn, 9 miles east
of Caen.
Along the center of the flaming
front American troops captured
Balleroy and Allied forces plunged
south of Bayeux in big advance"
fanking Caen from the west.
Patrols Push Ahead.
The United States 4th Infantry
Division toppled Montebourg, IA
miles southeast of Cherbourg, and
advance patrols pushed on four
miles closer to the strategic port.
Two other American columns
siaShed halfway across the top of
Cherbourg Peninsula in deepening
threats to lop off the port.
One of these, driving inland IL
miles near Ste Mere Eglise, captured
Pont liable, only 5 miles from the
west coast railway still in German
hands, and II miles from the west
ern shore. The other fought beyond
Carentan and was roughly halfway
across the peninsula at its narrow
est-20- -mile-neck
Other Americans captured LIE
Ham, 3 miles southwest of Monte
bourg.
Advances very Satisfactory"
Supreme headquarters described
the days sweeping advances as
very, very satisfactory.
Fall of Troarn in 7-mile advance
by the British was the first big gain
registered in this desperately de-
Tended area since British air.
borne division landed there on
o-Qdy d HcSh hsO.
The British in another 3la mile |
advance won a village on the out
skirts of Caen itself.
New air-borne troops were dropped |
in France. The Germans reported |
air-borne landings on the west coast
of the Cherbourg Peninsula, pre-
sumably as part of a pincers to
snip off the cape.
5 Landing Strips in Use.
Five landing strips have been
constructed and are in use in
France, the Air Forces announced
American forces seized the road
junction of Balleroy. on the edge
of the captured Cerisy Forest and
8 miles southwest of Bayeux. The
Germans reported developing
drive on the communications hub of
St. Lo and said the Americans were
only miles away.
Six United States divisions now have
been identified as fighting with the
powerful invasion armies and su-
preme headquarters in its 18th COM
munique-issued this morning be-
fore the later announcement of
sweeping advances-said small Allied
gains were registered in all but one
sector, at Tilly-sur -Seulles, where
strong resistance continued, The
Germans were said to have brought
up armored reinforcements.
Strike Past Cerisy Forest
A front dispatch said the Amer
lean I'd Division has struck past
Cerisy Forest to the northeast of st.
Lo. making the deepest inland pen
etration of l8 miles.
The 4th Division was spearhead-
ing the attack below Cherbourg in
the area previously entered by the
82d and l0lst American Ajr-borne
Divisions.
The American 1St and 29th Divi-
sionS also are fighting in France.
Estimates by both sides said 600
900 or more men were fighting on
the Normandy Plains and the Ger
man high command announced the
death in the foremost line of Ar
tillery Gen. MarckS. commanding an
army corps on Cherbourg Peninsula
On the eastern flank, supreme
headquarters said Tilly-Sur- -Seulles
west of Caen had changed hands
several times. Berlin reported par
ticularly heavy fighting in this sec
tor. and said a wedge had been
driven into Nazi lines east of the
Orne River.
The ID Division men, bursting into
the center of the sagging Nazi line,
still are pushing forward" past
CeriSy Forest. and captured a huge
ammunition dump near the wood
lands, a front dispatch said The
Germans were falling back so rap
idly they did not even have time for
demolitions and placing mines, it
added.
Maintaining thunderous aerial
Continued on Page AS, Column l.
Reloinn KIM Renorted