The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-06-12

I by the thousands hammered inces- sently at Nazi troop concentrations transport centers, and columni moving up to the Normandy front
 American units striking dowr through the Cerisy forest from M. son cut the main road leading southwest to St. Lo, partially iso. lating the base on which the Nag defense of tke Cherbourg peninsu- la depended indirectly.
 Fifteen miles to the north other U. s. Assault forces last were re. ported waging bitter battles in anc around Carentan, and the impres. sion prevailed that authorities soor would confirr' the Nazi report that the vital rail junction had fallen.
 Still farther north, the town oi Montebourg on the Cherbourg. Carentan highway still was hold. ing out, but well beyond 1t the Americans were driving for Cher bourg.
 East End
 At the east end of the 60-lnile Allied coastal strip, the Germans still were throwing punches at ths British air-borne troops fighting a bridgehead action on the east benk of the Orne canal above Caen They launched three counter-at' tacks supported by armor in 4S hours without scoring an appreci. able gain.
 Heavy fighting was going on ir the area of Tilly-Sur- -Seulles, 1( miles west of Caen, and responsi. ble opinion was that the towr town might have fallen to German armored strength striking repeated. ly, but the British still held heights to the southwest and southeast, giv. ing them domination of the area.
 With the exception of the lilly Sur-SeulleS sector, where the Ger mans concentrated the main weigh of their defense from the start, tn, Allies appeared to hold a strong in itiative everywhere. They had beer l forced to surrender it the first thre, or four days of the campaign in or der to consolidate their beachhead fight the weather, and bring 1T supplies.
 Lacking official confirmation oi the fall of Carentan, there Was nc doubt about the American gains or either side which may compel tht Cherbourg garrison either to 1igh to the last or run 40-mile gauntle down the one main road and ort single-track railroad along the wes coast of the peninsula.
 The Americans were across tht Merderet river and pushing on hare along a front of at least 10 miles.
 Difficulties
 Marshal Erwin Rommels difficul ties resulted to great extent iron the whirlwind air attack which en dured for several weeks before tn, invasion. It created what was des cribed today as railway desert throughout the area west of Paris The Germans are operating ferrie across the Seine because there ar, no rail bridges left.
 The invasion was made under the worst possible conditions" Ram. say said. "The weather was bad ant 1t must have shaken up the troop. long before they landed. Everything is now going well. but we have many damaged landing craft lying on thu beaches.
 Present Need
 What we need is a permanen bridge to the bridgehead. Once W, get this. anything may happen ovel on the other side"
 A note of sober satisfaction" al current progress prevailed at su preme headquarters and Gen. Si Bernard L. Montgomery, command, CT of the Allied ground forces fl France, said his men have achiev. ed great success and have placed themselves in a good position iron which to exploit this success"
 Sunny skies over the channel ush. cred in what was expected to be tn. biggest aerial assault in support O the ground forces since "D-Day' last Tuesday. Up to noon, AllieG heavy. medium and fighter bomb CTS and fighters had flown as man, sorties-4IOOO- were flown all daI yesterday.
 One formation of Hayocs anC Marauders raided Falaise, highwa, and railway junction 20 miles soutl of Caen. and "stampeded" the Ger, mans from the town under a hail O bombs, returning pilots said. The! reported the enemy was thrown int panic by the concentrated attack
 Struggle For Caen
 The struggle for caen itself at thu southeastern corner of the beach head went into its sixth day, witt British empire forces attempting t. Outflank 1t from the east. A German transoeean broadcast at noon re ported the British also had inereas cd their pressure north of Caen il the past few hours"
 The sudden improvement in tn weather also may have drawn ou the reluctant Luftwaffe. early re ports from the continent indicated Eighth air force Thunderbolt fight er.bombers were attacked by 6l German fighters, the largest Ger man formation yet seen over tn beachhead area. before they had al opportunity to drop their bombs.
 Air headquarters ln Englani awaited reports from later bombinl waves to determine whether the re cistance was strictly localized Or th start Of what may turn out to b the greatest air battle of the wal with the fate of the Luftwaffe c stake.
 Surge Int Forests