Evening star., 1944-08-25
Northern France
Continued From First Page.)

ally Looking forward to the Rhine
The swing of Won Kluge's line
to the Somme and Marine would
bring the battle to the hard fought
fields of the World War, the scene
Of the German breakthrough to the
Channel at Abbeville in 1910 and
the short-lived battle for France
the same year when Generalissimo
Maxine Weygand vainly sought to
save Paris by a stand along the
Somme.
1t would not surrender the rocket
coast around Pas-de Calais, but
front line dispatches said an end
might be put to the buzzbomb terror
for England soon.
There was blackout of news on
operations of 1t. Gen. George S..
Patton's Sd Army southeast of Paris.
No oficial report had been made
on the progress of this spearhead
nearest Germany since yesterdays
announcement Of an advance IS
miles east of Sens.
The Germans said the Americans
were driving into the elbow of the
Seine between Troyes and Romilly,
and dispatches from that sector
said drive of miles could be made
without seeing single German
soldier who was not prisoner, and
spoke Of the complete disorganiza-
ton Of the German defense.
Brest Fortifications Needed.
Almost forgotten, except by mill
tary men, was the siege of the great
naval base of Brest In Brittany. But
it was brought back into the news
with disclosure that nine-wave
attack by 9th Air Force bombers
sent 800 planes winging over its
Notifications this afternoon.
AS an inlet for supplies direct
from America and Britain, Brest
would be Of greater importance to
the Allies than Paris even.
The enemy is leaving bits and
pieces to try and delay us, but there
is no major stand all the way back
to the Seine" field headquarters
ofncer said last night after a sharp
Canadian advance of 20 miles had
driven the Germans into an area
about Is miles long and Is miles
wide.
The present speed indicated that
the lower Seine pocket. which ex-
tends from Elbeuf to Dernay, then
roughly to the coast at a point 4
miles from Honfleur. may be wiped
out in another "a hours.
The Germans showed the bulk of
their forces remaining in the pocket
against the Americans at Elbeuf and
heavy fighting still was in progress
on both sides of the town which the
Americans reached yesterday but
which the enemy still held.
Is Trucks Blown Up.
Beyond the Seine on the ap-
proaches to the rocket coast Raj
pilots reported German trucks fee
ing last night, with lights on. to-
ward Amiens. At least IS trucks
blew up when hit. indicating they
were carrying munitions The flyers
said it was the first time they had
observed the Germans using lights.
A front dispatch by Associated
Press War Correspondent Roger D.
Greene said that if the Germans
were unable to make a new stand
beyond the river 'it seems a fair
assumption there very soon will be
an end to the buzzbomb terror which
has weighed SO heavily on the
British home front"
Supreme headquarters said the
Allied bridgeheads across the Seine
at Nantes near Paris had been firm
ly held despite . heavy German
counterattack.
Canadian Forces Advance.
On the fringes of the Seine estu-
ary pocket the most significant ad-
vances were scored yesterday by
Canadian forces which captured
Bernay, then swept on across the
Risle River and entered Nassandres
about 7 miles due south of Brionne.
Only minor opposition was en-
countered in 12-mile northeasterly
drive by British troops from a point
4 miles due east of Lisieux to a spot
just south of Saint Georges du
Vieuvre. miles from the Risle.
A field dispatch by Associated
Press War Correspondent John F.
Chester said these advances
strengthened the general belief
that unless German troops were
hiding in the heavily wooded areas
along the Seine the final bag
when the pocket is squashed nat
will be comparatively small"