The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-06-12
War On Many Fronts
BY LOUIS F. KEEMLE lIInited Press War Editnrl

BY LOUIS F. KEEMLE
 United Press War EditOr)
 Allied invasion forces made im- portant gains in the Cherbourg Pe- ninsula of France today and on the other European fighting fronts and around the world in the Pacific dealt heavy blows at the Axis in developing globar offensive.
 The situation on the various fronts:
 l. Americans in France fought to within less than l2 miles of Cher bourg and the Germans admitted the loss of Carentan, their main defense hinge between Caen and Cherbourg. Other American forces advanced six miles into the Cerisy Forest on the approaches to St. Lo., strategic communications center about halfway across the Cher bourg Peninsula.
 2. The Germans in Italy were in full retreat from sea to sea. The Allied Fifth Army swept ahead al- most unopposed over the coastal highways 50 to 70 miles above Rome with one advance force 90 miles above the capital. An official spokesman said the disintegrating German 14th Army has ceased to exist" as fighting force.
 3. The Russians, in their first big offensive of this critical summer, had broken through the Finnish Mannerheim line on the Karelian 1sthmus and were advancing rapid ly towards Viipuri.
 {. The French underground was in action over a large area of Southern and Eastern France. Re. ports from the Spanish frontier and elsewhere outside the country said nearly 500,000 patriots were taking part in the uprisings and that fighting was in progress in several cities.
 5. In the Pacific a powerful Unit ed States naval-air task force struck at the Marianas Islands and land- based bombers made their first att tack on Palau Island, 560 miles east of the Philippines.
 Progress In France
 Progress in France was noted with sober satisfaction by Gen. Ber- nard L. Montgomery, commander of the Allied ground forces, who said his men have achieved great suc- cess and are in position to exploit it.
 The Germans had made a strong effort to hold Carenthan, a princi- pal junction on the main Cherbourg Paris railway and highway, and had slowed the American advance by flooding the lowlands around 1t. The Americans, supported by naval gum fire. had almost surrounded 1t, how ever, and a German announcement said the garrison withdrew to con- tinue the fight in terrain not so strongly opposed by Naval artillery"
 North of Carenthan, the Amer jeans fought their way into the outskirts of the Montebourg. with miles southeast of Cherbourg, and pushed around Contebourg to with in 12 miles of Cherbourg. The Ger mans were making their best show ing in the area between the Cerisy Forrest and Caen, where they were making heavy counter attacks around -Surseulles in an ef- for to split the Allied beachhead. The British were still engaged in bitter fighting at Caen after six days of assault.
 In Finland
 In southeastern Finland, the Red Army evidently was out to eliminate Finland from the war and clear its Hank of the enemy in preparation for a later drive through the Baltic States towards East Prussia. Dis patches from the Karelian front said Russian columns were pouring through the broken Mannerheim line above Leningrad and the Films were retreating so fast they were unable to blow up roads and bridges.
 The advance was along a 25-mile front and in the first 36 hours the Russians had driven within 48 miles | of the port of Viipuri, their first big objective. The importance attached to the offensive was shown by the tANsO1y- ooluCc WLA1CIl EEeIlIeE JOoe1 Stalin ordered fire in Moscow.
 The fighting in Italy was de- veloping almost into an Allied par- ade. especially on the western side of the peninsula. With the capture of Pescara on the Adriatic and Avezzano, principal German strong point between Pescara and Rome, 1t was clear the enemy would not be able to make a stand anywhere short of line from Livorno or Spe- zia through Florence to Rimini on the Adriatic.
 Doubtful Situation
 The complete rout of the l4th Army in the west made even that doubtful. The 10th Army east of the Tiber was increasing the rate of its retreat and the Allies were so close behind that there seemed little chance of a pause to regroup any where in Italy.
 The situation was developing more and more towards q grave threat to Hitler,s southern flank. If the Germans are driven out of northern Italy the Allied Fifth and Eighth armies would be in a posi- ton to strike either northWestwards towards France or northeaskwardsl for junction with the xukoslav