Evening star., 1944-07-25
Two Towns Fall
In Quick Advance
South Of Coen
MAP on Page A-3.)
By the Associated Press

QUARTERS, July Unsupported
by 4 massive armada of 1900
warplanes, the American and
British armies burst forth today
at both ends of the 100-mile
Normandy front and showed the
Germans backward in probably
the greatest co-ordinated drive
since D-day.
Three thousand American planes
including a record mission of SOC
heavy bomberS, smashed at the Ger
mans opposing the new American
offensive, the location of which was
not disclosed.
Hundreds of other planes sup
ported the Brisish Canadian push
south of Caen. In quick initial
gains Of more than mile, British
Canadian tanks and infantry bat
tl1ng toward open tank country cap
tured two towns. despite fierce re-
sistance by at least two German
SIS armored divisions.
Fighting continues very strenu-
ously on both the American and
British sectors" supreme headquar-
ters declared.
Details of L. S. Drive Secret.
a Throughout the day. headquar.
ters kept secret all details of the
American land drive. The Unitec
States lst Army has been strung
along winding front from fallen
st. Lo to Lessay on the west coast
Berlin said the Americans
attacked from the area north
west of ST Lo, and declared a
small penetration had been
sealed OFF,
The British I'd Army captured
st. Martin de Fonentay and Ver-
rieres and street fighting ragged in
May-sur-Orne. These towns are
some miles below Caen.
Fighting also swirled for the town
of Tilly-la Champagne. Front dis
patches said there was savage. close
quarter fighting in indecisive bat
tie after the British Canadians
cracked through the outer crust of
German ~de*SnsaS and into a
or4stlfng series OF anslt4hk POSITIONS
and machine-gun nests. The Ger
mans threw in patches of tanks I'd
hold their lines.
The British jumped of before
dawn, and the American attack
opened shortly before noon. Huge
artillery barrages supported both
drives
Nazi Defenses Bombed.
Besides the big bombers, the
American air fleets aiding 1t Gen.
Omar N. Bradleys troops included
medium and light craft spraying
German defenses with bullets and
augmentation bombs.
The double offensive broke a four
day stalemate in France.
Gen. Sir Bernard Montgomery.
sidestepping formidable German
antltank screen southeast of Caen.
sent his forces southwark on the
road to FalaiSe along a 4-mile front.
heading toward firm. open ground
excellent for tank battles Falaise
is 20 miles southeast of Caen and
ITO airline miles west of Paris.
The ridge highway which the
British and Canadians were follow
ing leads to Falaise, birthplace of
William the Conqueror, and to Paris
In the early hours of the push.
while the advancing troops still were
shielded by ground mists. the Brit
ish and Canadians reached May
sur-Orne for an advance of 700
yards and Verrieres for a gain of
$500 yards.
Weight of Attack Shifted.
Gen. Montgomery achieved an
element of surprise-although the
Germans for two days have been
forecasting a drive-by shifting the
weight of his attack during the
.-, lull S miles to the west. This shift
was from the southeasterly highway
toward Vimont and Paris to the
more southerly highway to Falaise.
British ground troops signaled the
air force that last nights lombard
ment concentrated in the La Hogue
wood southeast of Caen had been
most effective"
The weather today was described
AS good, with virtually a cloudless
sky.
1t appeared that Gen. Montgom.
cry was side-stepping the hidden
wall of antitank guns just south
west Of Troarn which Marshal Ell.
win Rommel had managed to inn
plant during the recent days of bao
weather.
British troops yesterday pushed
into Troarn, 8 miles east of Caen
but met stiff resistance and with
drew to the railway station just
west OF the town. Troarn is q
German strongpoint blocking the
highway to the big port of LIE Havre
Drive Started Week Ago.
The assault along the Falaise
road was authoritatively described
as resumption of the push from
Caen which started a week ago to-
day and begged down after two
days in the face of torrential rains
mud and the concentrated fire
power Marshal Rommel had assem-
bled.
Supreme headquarters warned
against premature Interpretation ot
the new British drive as a break
through and said it had limited
objectives." but this is a noncom-
initial term which would cover a
thrust as far as Gen. Montgomery s
forces could press it.
The fact that the initial an
nouncement came from Gen. Mont
gomery's own headquarters only a
few hours after the start of the at
tack apparently indicated that he
was sure of himself.
The Caen-Falaise highway is a
25-foot paved road running along a
(see INVASION, Page A-3J