Evening star., 1944-06-17
u. S. Army Invasion Losses Total
1888 Dead IL 900 Wounded;
Yanks Shell Nazis Escape Road
Bradley Tells How
Troops Overcome
Critical Periods
BY DON WHITEHEAD,
Press War Correspondent.


WITH AMERICAN FORCES IN
FRANCE, June 17.-Americar
Army losses in opening the west
ern front in Normandy totaleo
3.283 killed and 12,600 wounded
1t. Gen. Omar N. Bradley, COM
mander of American ground
forces, said today.
The total of 1888 casualties was
for the first II days of the campaign,
and included reports up to midnight
last night, Gen. Bradley said.
He paid high tribute to the cour-
age of doughboys in establishing the
beachhead on the European CONT
nent.
The tall, tanned Missourian, look
Ing extremely fit and in good spirits,
appeared before beachhead cor
respondents in group for the first
time to discuss the campaign.
Confidence Confirmed.
Gen. Bradley said casualties on
the central beachhead, where the
American lst Division and elements
of the 29th Division landed. had run
higher than anticipated, but that
casualties in the peninsula area to
the west had been lower than an
ticipated.
American losses are expected to
be higher than those of the
British and Canadians-figures
as yet Observation-Disclosures the
American 1st and 29th Divisions
met the heaviest fighting on
landing. Going ashore, these
units ran into a Nazi division
holding maneuvers on difficult
beach Both the British and
Canadians made their original
landing comparatively easily
as did other Americans on the
west fank-although they have
been engaged in heavy fighting
since then.
The casualty report confirmed
Gen. Bradley's confidence before the
invasion when he predicted the con-
tinent could be invaded without
creating the bloodbath which the
enemy insisted would result and
which many persons expected.
The generals first words to the
correspondents who gathered in the
tent under the shade of a huge
beech tree were in praise of his
doughboys and parachute troops
and their leaders.
"Only by CUTS, valor and extreme
bravery on the part of the men and
their leaders involved were we able
to make the landings success" he
said, land I cannot say too much
for the parachute troops who
dropped in the rear and made thu
job easier for the beach troops
They did a marvellous job"
Two Critical Periods.
The general disclosed that sine,
D-day there had been two critica
periods when the Germans nigh
have created a serious situation b,
an attack in force.
The first period, he said, was whel
the doughboys fighting their wa.
ashore in the central beachheat
were encountering a reinforced Naz
division. This was where the Is
Division and supporting elements o
the 29th fought their historic beacl
battle.
The second critical time was whel
American forces were trying to max
their junction of beachheads secur
north of Carentan. This was a sof
spot at the time because it was
junction point between the Ameri
can 7th Corps on the Cherbour
Peninsula and the 5th Corps on tn
central beachhead.
The general declared emphati
cally that he thought the enem,
now had lost his chance to drive tn
Allies back into the sea and .tha
the beachhead now was absolutel,
secure.
$500 Prisoners Captured.
Since their landings, American
troops have captured and evacuated
$500 prisoners, Gen. Bradley said.
Using twig from beech tree a
a pointer in the manner of a school
master, Gen. Bradley outlined tn
situation to correspondents.
He estimated the number of Ger
man divisions in France to be in tn
middle COS, with 16 divisions or ele
ments fighting against the entir
Normandy bridgehead.
The general declared the enem
would be unable to move all hi
divisions in France into the Nor
See CASUALTIES, Page ABB