The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-07-07
TANKS TAKE A|REL, RAIL CENTER CIRCUS DEATH TOLL REACHES 146 TODAY
.Nazis Runored Pulling Out Of Normandy Base
BY VIRGIL PINKLEY

D4 V4AN~A@ II AANAAA1A14 United Press War COrrespondent)
 Allied Supreme Headquar- ters, London, July 7-UP)- It. Gen. Omar N. Bradley started a new American of- fensive on the mid-Normandy front north of St. Lo today where his assault forces cap- tured the rail junction of Airel and stormed across the Wire River for advances of more than a mile.
 CThe National Broadcasting Com- pany quoted the British radio as re- porting from the Normandy front that the Americans had captured and pushed beyond La Haye-Du Puits" and were laying down the heaviest artillery barrage of the en- tire offensive.)
 (The British broadcasting corpor- ation said in London that 1t did not broadcast such a report.)
 The United States first army opening its third Normandy offen- sive in five days, charged across the Wire some eight miles north of St. Lo, transport hub below the Cher bourg Peninsula, and established bridgehead on the west bank, front dispatches reported.
 The Allies penetration of the Caen dock area, disclosed at supreme headquarters, appeared to have been made from positions northeast of the key German defense bastion where British and Canadian troops were dug in across the Orne river a mile and a half from the town.
 No Conclusions
 Observes emphasized that 1t still was too early to draw conclusions on the absence of the Germans from the Caen waterfront, but one sug- gested 1t would be no surprise to see the Germans withdrawing from the city in view of the increased pres- sure and intensified artillery fire ] against it.
 Unofficial speculation at head quarters centered around the likeli- hood that if the Germans were driv- e2 out or pulled out of Caen, they probably would fall back to a line running roughly through Thoarn ard Falaise, seven miles east and 22 miles South-southeast of Caen.
 The Americans at last reports were fighting the Germans hand to hand in the vicinity of St. Jean-De Daye. two miles west of the Wire, eight miles north of St. Lo and seven miles southeast of Carentan, United Press War Correspondent Henry T. Gorrell said in dispatch sent from U. S. Army headquarters in Nor mandy at 9:30 a. m. (3:30 a. m. EWT.(
 Initial progress was regarded as satisfactory, Gorrell said. The new drive came as other elements of the lst army were fighting their way back into the streets of La Haye-Du Puits with tommy guns, bayonets and grenades and outflanking col- umns were threatening to surround the embattled town.
 4ue ATcIHldIl eSCdpS CUEIluUG DC~ tween the arms of the American pincers below La Have was reduced to three and a half miles.
 At the eastern end of the front, British patrol entered the Caen dock area and found it abandoned by the enemy.
 A terrific two-hour drumfire bar rage-one of the heaviest of the month-old Normandy campaign from hundreds of guns arrayed nearly hub to hub opened the new offensive at 4:30 a. m., Gorrell re- ported.
 The barrage began il darkness and the continuous flashes from their muzzles and from bursting shells turned night into day. The ground trembled as though in an earthquake, Gorrell said.
 As the infantry went over the top, the guns laid down a protective curtain of shells that burst only a short distance ahead of the troops, as they crossed the Wire and ad- vanced into the enemy lines.
 The infantry was advancing through deep mud, the result of a
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