The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-07-17
Normandy Drive Rolls
Nazi Forces Backward
Continued from Page One)

Continued from Page One)
attack which Gen. Sir Bernard l..
Montgomery must launch across
the Orne if he hopes to break the
stalemate in his sector.
The German radio early today
said the British had received re-
Inducements and very heavy
fighting is taking place on the
Caen-Villers Bocage road" If cor
rect, this would be west of the
British drive.
CThe BIC said two fresh SIS ar
mored divisions had been put into
the battle southwest Of Caen to
try to bolster a crumbling Ger
man defense)
The sudden British punch sup
ported by hundreds of big guns
thrust out between the Odon and
Orne rivers, carried through Es-
quay, six miles southwest of Caen,
and rolled another 1000 yards to
high ground guarding Evrecy. Hill
113 dominating that town was tax
en-, as was the village of LIE Bon
Repos.
Gavrus and Bougy, l IL and 2
IL miles west of Esquay also were
seized. Other British troops farth-
er west captured Brettevilette,
above the Odon. eight miles from
Caen and 3 IL southeast of lilly
sur-Seulles.
German casualties are very
heavy" a British staff officer de-
clared.
In their initial scope, the Bri-
fish second army blows were local,
but as they folded the Nazi book
steadily from high ground posi-
tons deep in the Odon-Orne we1se
the attack appeared increasingly
to be forerunner of a new break
through thrust by Gen. Sir Ber-
nard L. Montgomery.
Canadian patrols forcing the
Orne river at Caen, found the Ger
mans in positions difficult to breach
in head-on, 'cross-river assault.
Montgomery therefore might at
tempt sweeping enlightenment
from his hold in the river triangle
to the south, perhaps coupled with
attacks from the thin salient held
for weeks across the Orne north
east Of Caen.
The weight of the new British
attacks. the first in four days, was
directed southwark.
Although there was no conflr-
nation at Supreme Headquarters
of a report that Lessay had fallen,
doughboys had reached the out
skirts and were closing in on the
lowland town from three sides.
Later front dispatch from As
ISOLATED Press Correspondent Don
Whitehead said patrols had cross
ed the Ay river into the northern
side of Lessay without drawing
enemy fire, but "this does not
mean the Germans have Withdrawn
from the town. There is posi-
bility they have dug in and are
hidden in houses holding their IRE
until the Americans advance across
the river in force"
Farther inland, the Americans
were only l IL miles from Perlers'
closing in steadily from the north-
east. Loss of Lessay and the
crumbling defenses at PerlerS
might force the Germans to IAN
back all the way to the hills near
Coutances, 10 miles to the SCUM
East of Periers, U. S. infantry
men won a foothold across the
|Lozon river, two miles from the
Pieriers-St. 10 road.
North of St. 10, other Americans
CAPTURED Emile and Les LIS IN
advances on a 1000 yard front
carving them within a mile OF the
town. From the east doughboys
battled down the Bayeux road less
than 1 IL miles from the heart OF
the stronghold, capturing LIE
Bourg d'Ender.
In both directions, the Amerl-
cans met heavy going, flghtlng
through treacherous mlne1lelas,
with the Germans laying mortar
shells along the roads.
The weather limited air support