Evening star., 1944-06-11
6 American Divisions
Driving on Cherbourg,
Nazi Broadcasts Say


agency broadcasters said tonight
that six American divisions with
'orders to conquer Cherbourg fort
ress" began a large-scale attack yes
terday and rolled to a point near
Montebourg, Is miles southeast of
Cherbourg.
Nazi formations fighting delay
ing actions withdrew northward and
northwestward and by shortening
their positions were able to sue
cessfully stem further advance
of the Americans by Friday night"
the transocean agency said.
More American parachutists
dropped behind German lines, Ber-
lin said.
The Americans were using two
airborne and three infantry divi-
sions, one tank division and numer-
Gus special formations on a IA
mile front between Montebourg and
Carentan, the Germans said.
New Landing Reported.
The Axis high command reported
without Allied confirmation that the
Allies had made another attempt
to land at Trouville, seven miles
across the Seine estuary south of
lie Havre. The attempt collapsed
In the fire of our coastal batteries,
which inflicted heavy losses on the
enemy" the communique said. "One
enemy warship was sunk and the
others forced to withdraw.
While not admitting American
advances on the Cherbourg PENN
sula, the German high command
did acknowledge that British Ca
madam troops fighting in the Caen-
Bayeux sector to the east had "suc-
ceeded in pushing back our rear
guard lines, behind which our re-
serves are being deployed." Heavy
tank fighting was continuing in the
sector, it said.
along the entire 'front.'" said the
bulletin, "many German nests of
resistance and fortified points, en-
circled by the enemy, are holding
their own in stubborn fighting.
Within the first three days more
than 200 enemy tanks were de-
stroyed and several thousand pris-
oners taken"
Agencies Offer Details.
German broadcasts by Trans
ocean, DNB and Interim, DNB
subsidiary, went beyond the high
command in providing details of the
fighting which they said extended
from Pont L'Eveque, miles
inland from Trouville, westward and
northwestward to the Montebourg
area on the Cherbourg Peninsula.
More British parachutists drop
ped in the Pont-L'Eveque sector
were wiped out, one Berlin broad
cast said. The Allies never have
! mentioned fighting in that area.
A German military spokesman
was quoted as saying of the entire
fight in Normandy: IF we could be
convinced that the beachhead would
remain the only one, we could liqui-
date 1t when it pleased us. How
ever, we are counting upon the
(Allied1 establishment of more
.beachheads at other points, where
we Also are holding reserves in
readiness"
The Transocean dispatch contin-
ued: .T11e spokesman once again
stressed that 1t is not the intention
of the German supreme command
to prevent landings, but to let the
invasion develop, because 1t con-
siders the invasion as a possibility
for definite decision of the war"
Isigny's Fall Admitted.
The spokesman, Transocean said,
acknowledged the American capture
of Isigny, 80 miles southeast of
Cherhourg, but declared with en-
phasis" that German reserves would
be on hand to check the American
drive on Cherbourg.
A DNB broadcast telling of an
Allied southwark stroke between
Bayeux and Isigny said that parts
of one German infantry formation
had been encircled temporarily be-
fore finally reaching new defense
line.
This Nazi agencys way of telling
of an admitted German withdrawal
below Cherbourg was: German
formations fighting here evaded
constant opposition~by moving north
and northwest and held their ground
during the evening hours within
considerably shortened and stronger
positions against the advancing