The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-07-07
Germans Runored
Evacuating Base
CONTINUED from Page u

night Of intermittent rain.
Defying gray clouds and low Wis
Utility, American dive bomberi
reared over the front soon aftel
the start Of the drive and begar
blasting enemy lines and communi.
cations over q wide area In the st
10 region In an apparent effort Il
prevent the Germans from sending
UP achievements.
Continuous Crash
The crash Of bombs was almost
continuous, Gorrell said.
The offensive was believed de.
signed to eliminate the German sal
lent between the Carentan- Periers
and Carentan.St. 10 highways, from
which the Germans have been she'll
ing the narrow coastal corridor be-
tween the Cherbourg Peninsula and
Bayeux- Caen sectors Of the 1873
square-mile Allied beachhead..
The drive put the Americans on
the offensive along almost the en-
tire length Of their sector Of the
front from the west coast beyond
La Haye through point some five
miles southwest Of Carentan to the
Wire River above st. 10.
The first Of the coordinated Of
fensives began on an arc above La
Hayde- DuPuits Monday dawn and
the second came soon afterward
along the Carentan- Periers road.
Allied headquarters disclosed
that the Americans have captured
IL more villages mad hamlets in the
siege arc around La Kaye, on the
adjacent t. Jores-Periers roa dand
along the Carentan-Periers high
way.
The Germans, newly-reinforced,
were resisting flercely all along the
25-mile American offensive front in
an attempt to prevent breakthrough
that would outflank Caen and pave
the way for q drive toward Paris,
100 miles east Of Caen, or south.
ward into Brittany.
Spurred by their new commander,
Field Marshal Guenther Won Kluge,
the Germans won back some terri
tory around La Haye and along the
Carentan-Periers road yesterday,
but latest reports reaching Allied
headquarters indicated that the
Americans had regained the initia-
tive and wiped out the enemy gains
and still were advancing.
German sources reported that the
Allies had launched o frontal as
sault down the Cherbourg-P Paris
road on Caen, but this could not
be confirmed here.
The British End Army widened
the base Of Its salient southwest Of
Caen and pushed to within three.
quarters Of O mile north of Esquay.
The Canadians repulsed two coun-
ter-attacks on Carpiquet, three
miles west Of Caen, but the Ger
mansmans wedged back into Brit
ish-held Verson, two miles south.
east Of Carpiquet.
Headquarters spokesman said the
Canadians were established well to
the east Of Carpiquet. but had been
unable to wrest the Carpiquet-C aen
airfield from the Germans.
The American LIST Army, In some
Of the bloodiest fighting Of the
month-old Normandy campaign.
smashed back into La Haye and
seized the northern part of the
western communications center af-
ter being thrown back on German
counter attacks. Three times yes
terday the Americans penetrated
the railway yards north Of La Haye,
only to retreat under enemy pres
sure.
The fate of La Haye well may be
decided by the progress Of the
pincers threatening to encircle the
town from the east and west, how
ever, with the garrison soon facing
the choice Of entrapment or flight
southwark.
American. shock troops yesterday
stormed to the crest fthe forested
303-fOot.high Castro plateau three
miles southeast Of La Haye, but 1t
vas not known whether they had
been able to consolidate their gain.
The plateau has been regarded as
the key to control Of La Haye and
artillery eTnplaced there soon could
make the town untenabIe. 1t also
would provide q springboard for an
infantry drive across the La Haye-
Lessay road. the enemy's only es-
cane route.
The western wing OF the pincers,
advancing along the coast. last WA
reported Q mile from Bretteyilie-
sur-Ay, five miles southwest Of La
HAye. and still was advancing.
Closer to Le Haye. the western
column seized Mt. Carbon and IL
Month. the latter one and q hall
miles southwest OF the town. under
cover Of Q creeping artillery barrage
A stiff German counteT.sttack wa
beaten Oft.
Another American force drove
south from Gt. Jores. three and q
half miles east Of L. Haye. to with.
IN six and Q quarter miles north Of
PerieFs. one Of the anchors OF thu
new German line.
The column captured the village
OF Beau Coudray and reached thu
lie Plessis Canal.
still other American troops pushed
another mile and three quarters
southwest along the Carentan-Pe.
riers highway into the outskirts ioi
saintery. five and Q half miles b.
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