Evening star., 1944-06-14
MAP on Page A-2.)
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Ey the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
SUPREME ALLIED HEAD
QUARTERS, June 14-The Ger
mans have flung four armored
divisions into fierce fighting to
hold their eastern battlellne
bastion of Caen, the Allied COM
mand announced tonight, and
heavy fighting is raging at
Montebourg and Troarn, at op-
posite ends of the 100-mile front,
with both towns changing hands
in the last "a hours.
The savage German counteraction
ON the eastern flank in Normandy
followed a British drive % miles
inland. outfanking Caen from the
west, The armored struggle is rls-
ing in intensity.
The four Nazi armored divisions
were hurled into the area between
Caen and Caumont, 20 miles south
west. seized in the British advance.
The United States 4th Division
fought the Germans fiercely for
Montebourg, IA miles southeast OF
the strategic port of Cherbourg, and
the great guns of the British bat
tleships Rodney and Families
thundered in support of the Brit
ish fight to hold Troarn, town 7
miles from Caen taken in an out
fianking drive on that bastion to
the east.
Both Germans and the Allies have
fought into and been thrown out OF
Montebourg and Troarn in the last
"a hours, headquarter said.
Nazis Repulsed Near Carentan.
Meanwhile, in the Carentan area
south of the bitter Montebourg
front, other Americans of the largest
United States force ever thrown
into fighting in this war chopped
deep gashes in the Nazi defense OF
Cherbourg Peninsula. |
American armored forces there
smashed German counterattacks, |
ard the Berlin radio acknowledged |
a withdrawal of several miles west
ard north of Carentan, with dough-
boys thus apparently cutting half
to two thirds of the way across the
narrowest neck of the peninsula.
Headquarters said Americans
fighting in the Montebourg area had
to give some ground along the road
to the sea.
In some areas we continued our
advance and in others the Germans
had some local successes the su-
preme command said in describing
the whole battle front.
The four Nazi armored divisions
plunged into battle around Caen,
lilly -Seulles, Troarn and Cau-
mont included the 21st and 18th
SIS Divisions. 1t was not known
whether all the armor of these units
was committed in battle, but all
their infantry was.
Attack Caen From All Sides.
The Germans said Caen itself was
In flames and was being attacked
from all sides. Berlin also reported
Allied armored thrusts south of
Caumont.
Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery
launched a squeeze on Caen, with
his thrusts reaching % miles inland
into the area southwest of the big
anchor city.
Striking as he often did against
Marshal Erwin Rommel in the Afri-
can desert, Gen Montgomery, Allied
ground commander, sent tanks
rumbling south of BayeuX along the
central sector of the front. They
smashed through Caumont and Vii
lers-Bocage, then turned east and
north to drive savagely into the
German flank protecting Caen on
the west
Caen itself was under heavy naval
b6mbardment from Allied warships
A flyer who few over the city said
it seemed scarcely possible for life
to exist there"
Great" Tank Effort.
Villers- -Bocage stands athwart a
main highway to Caen, Is miles to
the southwest. Caumont 7 miles
west and slightly north of Villers-
ICee INVASION pooe A0l