The Wilmington morning star., 1944-08-06
SCORE 75-MlLE
PLUNGE IN DAY
Another Column Advances
Eastward II Miles In
Drive Against Paris
BY AUSTIN BEALMEAR

SUPREME HEADQUAR-
TIERS ALLIED EXPEDI-
TIONARY FORCE, Sunday,
Aug. 6-(P)-Ha Handwriting
American armor, sweeping rs
in one day to the end
of the Brittany peninsula,
entered the great port of
Brest yesterday while other
units reached the Loire river
sealing off the peninsula at
it's base.
At the same time, in a
wheeling movement aimed at
Paris, other American arm
ored forces drove eastward
81 miles from their previous
positions.
1t was not Immediately known
at supreme headquarters which of
several columns moving southwark
had reached the Loire or where
field dispatches had reported
American units racing toward both
Nantes. French port IS miles in
from the mouth of the river, and
st. Nazaire, another big port 30
miles to the west. Still another
column had captured Pontivy Is
miles from Lorient-the PENN
sula's fourth great port.
Blast U-Boat Pens
The time of the entry into Brest
was not known at supreme head
quarters but British heavy bomb
ers blasted the submarine pens
there at midday and it was dis
closed that Spitfire pilots flying
as escorts reported sighting Allied
vehicles at Morlaix, within IS
miles of the port.
AS Brest still smoked from a
blasting by British heavy bomb
ers, an official announcement said
that armored columns had fought
into the city limits Of the port,
at which fresh armies can be un.
loaded for the showdown battles
of Europe.
Last unofficial reports had put
these forces rs miles away.
Equally momentous was the
drive. on Paris, which already has
paid off a big dividend by c-um-
bling the last of the German de-
lenses in Normandy.
Forge Across Mayenne
Twenty-seven miles east of their
last reported positions, and on the
direct route to the capital of
France, American forces forged
across the Mayenne river two
miles below the city of the same
name.
These forces were nearly so
miles east and slightly north Of
Rennes, whose formal capture was
completed yesterday, and q miles
due east Of their communications
base of Fougeres.
These quick-breaking develop
ments almost subordinated the
third great movement produced
by the peterborough from Nor
mandy, the drive to seal off the
whole Breton peninsula.
One armored force bearing
down on the U-boat base of st.
Nazaire was, now much less than
18 miles away after sweeping sew
eral miles south of St. Gildas Des
Bots.
A companion column pushing on
the nearby port of Nantes on the
Loire river was believed to be at
least as close after hammering
through Chateaubriant, 30 miles
south Of Rennes.
Vichy Radio Report
The Vichy radio early in the
day had this force only 10 miles
from Nantes.
German accounts said these col
umns had pushed on from Is to Is
miles from st. Nazaire and Nam
ties.
AS vanguards drove into Brest
past scattered resistance, British
heavy bombers in perfect weather
swept over and rained six-ton fac.
tory busters on Brest's U-boat
pens.
This hammer blow was designed
to block the submarines in their
''bomb-proof'' docks and prevent
them rom fleeing, possibly with
any high-ranking officers Of the
shattered Brittany garrison.
A German account, attributed to
Field Marshal Gen. Guenther Won
commander in France. as
serted the Americans had thrown
fCnnfinuaI Az De- .. r,-u ~