The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-07-20


 tured near Derna along with Gen. Philip Neamc. Last January 1t was disclosed that an air marshal and two generals had escaped. Now they arc identified as oConnor. Neame and Air Marshal Owen T. Boyd.
 On the American front It. Gen. Omar N. Bradley's First Army ad- vanced west of St. Lo and swung southeast from points northwest of the captured town, closing a loop in which a few German rear guards remained
 Above st. To. just west of Remilly- Sur.Lo7on, the doughboys pushed along a tiny stream and captured the villages of La Varde, Thiebots and L'Ange.
 Reach Railway
 "The battle south and east of Caen continues" Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's coinmunique said. "Al- lied troops striking toward Troarn have reached the railway half a mile from the town. while other forces which had taken part in the clearing of Louvigny and Vaucei- les have driven the enemy from the villages of Cormelles and Ifs.
 TO the south and east of these villages our armor has been in ac- tion against epemy armor and anti. tank defenses based in villages and farmgteads."
 Front dispatches carrying forward the delayed reports at headquarters indicated that British assault forces had taken the rail station of ITO. arm, seven miles east of caen and were hattering through the streets of the strategic village which was in Allied hands briefly earlier in the campaign.
 The British reached the outskirts of Troarn last night. McMillan re- ported. An Exchange Telegraph dispatch from the front said they nov were charging in against fierce opposition. while other units pene- trated Bourgebus and fought in the streets of the highway junction five miles southwest Of Caen.
 The maximum advance down the trunk highway to Paris carried to Vimont. eight miles below Caen and five miles south of Troarn. Be- hind the British lay the rubble- strewn ruins of a dozen villages and strong points almost blasted out of existence by the impact of the armored drive and the record aerial bombardment which paralyzed the German defenses at the outset of the break-through assault.
 The battlefield within the break through area looks like nothing any soldier ever saw" McMilian re- ported. He quoted Q tank crew. man as saying:
 "It seems to us more like Q battle field amidst the craters of the moon. It is really eerie. with its bomb craters, empty villages and pockets of German dead"
 An earlier dispatch from McMfl- Ian said there still was fighting around the villages of CumverVille, Blgeryille, Sauneryille. Banneyille, Campagne and cagny, but these are only names, because the places villages are like a chain of ceine- themselves are moFtuaries. These teries. Happily it is mainly German dead"
 At least 10 British armored prongs were probing inland in experimenting or shooting off from the four main pushes eneompassing the entire broad battle arc.
 Tank Clash
 While clashing with herd of Ger man tanks smaller than the massed force which tried the first futile Nad counter attack, British are mor was engaged in overcoming anti.tank defenses, barriers and strong points clustered around cross roads, farm buildings. hedgeFowS and wooded clumps.
 After passing through q belt oI land where tanks were able to operate successfully, the country has changed to undulating landscape less suitable for aFmored warfare, especially in view Of apttstapk ans bushes in the villages" AeAlllap reported.