The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-06-19

fighter -bombers and fighters came height and left scores of vehicles blazing
 Big Barrage
 Allied planes also poured rockets, bombs, shells and bullets into ene- my concentrations south of the Ann- erican corridor, particularly around La Haye-Du Puits, six miles south St. Sauveur-Le Vicomte, to prevent rescue attempt from that quarter. The 9th U. s. Air Force announced that its thunderbolts had killed or wounded more than 800 retreating Germans and destroyed at least 30 trucks and many horse-drawn field guns and motorcycles in strafing raids.
 In strengthening their corridor, the Americans gained new ground both north and south of St. Sauverr -Le Vicomte, formerly the narrow est point-only three miles wide.
 Along the west coast, the Amer jeans held a stretch of at least seven miles between Cap Cartaret in the north and Portbail in the south. An Allied Headquarters spokesman said that the Germans were withdraw ing both north and south of Barne- vile, just east of Gap Cartaret, but did not reveal the extent of their re- treat.
 American commanders, taking ad- vantage of the enemys confusion, were flaming out along roads to the north and south of the corridor to improvise strong points and spike them with guns commanding routes over which any German counter-at- tacks must come.
 Minor Advances
 Elsewhere along the 166-mile- -long front, the Allies made numerous minor advances in heavy fighting. An American column edged closer to St. Lo from the Cerisy forest, six miles to the northeast, while the British attacked west of ruined Til- ly-Sur- -Seulles with unconfirmed re. ports stating that some clements reached lilly itself.
 The German radio said American troops pushed to within three miles of St. Lo, but were thrown back to their initial positions by a German counter-attack.
 The situation around Caen, at the eastern end of the beachhead, and at Montebourg, at the northern end, remained unchanged. Caen was firm in German hands, but Monte. bourg, IA miles southeast of Cher bourg. was still mo mans land"
 A small German counter attack was thrown back between lilly and Caen, northeast of Caen, a trouble some German coastal battery at Houlgate was silenced by the Brit ish battleship Families in a naval bombardment.
 Weather Improves
 Weather improved along the chan- nel beaches, facilitating landing operations. but from an aviation standpoint, still was not satisfac- tory.
 Henry T. Gorrell, United Press War Correspondent, reported from the front that the American 9th division completed the severing of the Cherbourg Peninsula with an advance into Barneville early yes terday.
 The town practically was un- touched except for two German tanks burning in the main street and the surprised garrison offered only very weak resistance, Gorrell said. One German officer surrend- cred, then asked permission to talk to his men on the outskirts. He re- turned soon afterward with 30 men. who also surrendered.
 Tanning out, the Americans cap- tured Cap Cartaret and the town of the same name two miles to the west: Portbail. seven miles to the southeast, and the road junction of St. Lo-D'Ourville, three miles east of Portbail.
 New Threat La Haye-Du Puits, at last reports German headquarters for the area, was threatened from three sides, with American columns advancing from St. Sauveur-Le Vicomte, to the north; Carentan, to the east, and Portbail, to the northwest.
 The German News Agency DNB acknowledged that the Americans had reached the west coast and said they were fortifying positions at Barneville agains expected counter attacks from the north and south. NXk k - |