The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1944-06-08
End STAGE
OF ATTACK
UNDERWAY
Tactical Reserves 10 Be De-
feated Then Strategic
Forces Crushed
SUPREME HEADQUARTERS OF

SUPREME HEAIC2OAJ lEfIS Or
THE ALLIED REVOLUTIONARY
FORCES, June 8.-The Allied lib
Grating troops, with the first phase
of the invasion accomplished, struck
southwark from captured Bayeux
and fierce fighting Immediately be-
gan on the second step in defeating
the German tactical reserves thrown
into the battle.
A steady stream of Allied REIN
forcements is arriving in France,
going by sea and air and strength
ening the massive spearhead
Berlin reported the pincers threat
to seize the tip of the jutting Cher
bourg Peninsula and its great port
has apparently been successful by
the enemy gaining foothold and
defeating the local German re-
serves
Second Stage
The Supreme Headquarters said
the Allies are now beginning the
second stage of defeating the Nazi
"tatical reserves" but still ahead
lies the third task of crushing
strategic reserves" and perhaps the
massing of already strong counter
blows in specific directions.
Progress of today's fighting is not
disclosed but headquarters said
medium bombers struck heavily on
the town of Caen, is miles inland,
which has been set abalze.
Railway installations at Rennes,
Laval, Tours, Lemans and Nantes
have been blasted by Allied heavy
bombers, all IN support of the beach
head forces.
Railway Shipped
The capture of Bayeux shipped
the railway between Paris and Cher
bourg and opened the way for a
thrust deeper inland, but farther
west the Germans pictured the AL
lied forces as within 20 miles of a
junction which will choke off Cher
bourg itself.
Berlin declared that house-to-
house fighting ragged at Ste. Mere
Eglise, 20 miles southeast of Cher
bourg, and said that parachutists
landed on the west coast only a
scores of miles southwest of st. Mere
Eglise. There has been no Allied
confirmation of the west coast land
ings Or. of the fighting at st. Mere
Eglise.
Heavy Battle
On one of the two main roads
to Ckerbourg heavy battle be-
tween tanks and reserves sped up by
both sides flared over the peninsula,
and Allied beachhead troops are
linking up with the airborne forces
dropped deeper inland.
Headquarters said improvement in
the adverse weather aided in the
reinforcement by glider sky trains.
Towns Captured
Field reports declared that Brit
ish and Canadian troops captured
number of French towns and vii
lagos, and are advancing on the
open roads at points some miles
from the coast. Infantrymen rode
up to battle on bicycles and tanks
to speed the advance.
A Berlin broadcast said British
troops pushed through Bayeux early
today, advancing southwest toward
the Wire River, which cuts across
the peninsula. The Canadian and
British troops captured several hun
bred prisoners and shot up num-
erous Nazi 88 nm. guns, field re-
ports said.
Big Battles Loom
Canadian Press Correspondent
Ross Munro said the Germans are
reported falling back in one area
under the persistent attacks, and
the Strength is being built up rap
idly in the Allied bridgeheads for
the big battles which should come
any day or even any hour"
Berlin said that the Americans
who gained a foothold north Of
Carentan, some 81 miles southeast
OF Cherbourg, suffered heavy cas-
ualties.