The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-06-14
The War On
Many Fronts
BY LOUIS r. KEEMLE
UNITED Press War Editor

line 20 miles from the sea today TO
capture mont and Villers
BAGGAGE, and all along the curving
line from Montebourg in the north
to Troarn, beyond Caen on the
southeast, were holding or breaking
up violent enemy counter-attackS.
The aerial assault kept pace IN
fury with the land fighting. A great
fleet of heavy bombers, fighter
bombers and fighters smashed at
enemy concentrations, communica-
tons and air fields behind the lines
and widely through France, Belgium
and Germany.
On the other fronts, the Allied
armies In italy battered into i'm
provised German defense lines above
Rome in the heaviest fighting since
the fall of the capital. The Russians
continued their drive towards
Viipuri in Finland and, as they ad-
vanced, were rnethodically smashing
the remainder Of the outer Manner
helm line across the Karelian
isthmus.
Counter Attacks
The Americans, British and Cana
dams In Normandy were meeting
successfully the expected German
counter-attacks, launched on the
widest scale since the start Of the
invasion. At the same time they
were engaged in a drive of their
own that was threatening to flank
the principal enemy centers Of Caen
and st. 10.
The break through to Caumont
and Villers Bocage was swift and
brought about a junction of the
British and American forces south
east Of st. 10 and southwest Of
Caen. The enemy resisted Stoutly
and counter attacked after the
British had entered Villers Bocage,
with resultant street fighting.
At the far end Of the line, Il miles
below Cherbourg, the Germans
made desperate efforts to regain
Montebourg. A headquarters spokes-
man said the town changed hands
three times in the last "a hours.
The enemy fought similarly for
Carentan, the next pivotal point on
the line, but the spokesman said 1t
was definitely in American hands.
Farther East
Still farther to the east towards
Caen, Tilly- Sur Seulles was holly
contested but probably was in Allied
hands. Bitter fighting still was IN
progress at Caen and at Troarn, five
miles east of 1t. At the moment, 1t
was a seesaw battle all along the
line, except for the Caumont- Villers
Bocage ak-through.
Beyond Montebourg, American
columns that had by-passed that
town continued their advance to-
ward Valognes, five miles to the
northwest, and Cherbourg. These
forces were supported by naval
bombardment from Allied warships
standing off the Peninsula.
Today's air offensive was led by
nearly 1000 Flying Fortresses and
Liberators which struck at seven
airfields in France and Belgium and
the oil refineries at Emmerich, Ger
many. During the night RAF
bombers from Italy attacked the
main railway station at Munich, fol-
lowing up yesterdays assault on
that area.
Fighter Bombers
Fighter Bombers struck In groups
today at targets behind the battle
line, including 10 communications
points, eight Of them just back Of
the beachhead and two near Paris.
Other formations attacked ground
installations and enemy shipping
over a wide area.
The fighting in italy was heaviest
around Lake Bolsena and in the
hills bordering the Etruscan Plain
above Rome. The broken 14th Ger
man army had been reinforced by
two or three divisions from the
north and threw up hasty defense
positions In an effort to slow the
Allied advance so that withdrawal
could be made to a new line in the
north, probably running from sea
to sea through Florence.
Allied forces were breaking
through the defenses and advanced
two miles southeast of Orbetello on
the coast to threaten the Nazi forces
around Lake Bolsena. On the Adri-
attic coast the enemy was in slow re-
treat, followed by British troops
who captured several more towns
and consolidated their. positions
along the Pescara river.
Finnish Front
On the Finnish front, the Rus
SLAMS pushed along the roads and
railways towards viipuri, on the
coast of the Gulf Of Finland 40
miles away, but for the moment de-
voted their main effort to complete
the destruction Of the Finnish Man
nerheim Line.
Soviet forces struck northeast
across the waist Of the Karelian
Isthmus towards Lake Ladoga to
complete the destruction Of the
eastern half Of the line, already
broken towards the Gulf of Finland.
The Russians captured five towns
in advances Of up to six miles in
their eastward drive yesterday.
In the Pacific war zone, results
Of the three-day assault on the
Japanese Marianas Islands by a U.
8. naval task force were announced.
Thirteen enemy ships were sunk, l6
damaged and l4l planes shot down.
The Americans lost IS planes and