Evening star., 1944-08-04
MAP on Page A-3.)
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
SUPREME ALLIED HEAD
QUARTERS, Aug. 4.-American
armor and infantry, spreading
in a widening and lengthening
tide over Brittany, reached
within 43 miles of the two big
ports of Nantes and st. Nazaire
on the Loire today and cut off
most of the peninsula.
While bursting through country
20 miles south of Rennes, the Amer
ican forces also spread'27 miles west
Of that rail and highway hub in the
center of Brittany and were within
l08 miles of Brest.
While these forces pressed their
gains, other American troops be-
hind the vanguard were mopping
up suicide squads of Germans in
Rennes, which had been passed by
the Yanks now approaching st.
Nazaire and Nantes.
Still other Americans captured
Dinan, on the north side of Brit
tany, front dispatches said The
Yanks advanced in rapid strides
to within miles of Evran, 7 miles
south of Dinan. and jumped off
to attack the German-held north
coast city of St. Malo, which had
been bypassed in the strike to
Dinan.
Fighting ragged in Rennes along
streets leading to the heart of the
town, where an encircled but fanatic
enemy garrison was holding out.
Yanks Drive Due South.
The Americans struck due south
close to Bain-de- -Bretagne, II miles
south of Rennes and g miles from
Nantes, city of $4,000 population
up the Loire River.
They also were within S miles of
Pipriac, 20 miles southwest of
Rennes and 43 miles from St. Ma
Zaire, the U-boat base and American
troop port in the World War.
Although there still was fighting
at Rennes. field dispatches said the
position of the German garrison
there was hopeless.
(Secretary of War Stimson in
Washington yesterday announced
the capture of Rennes and subse-
quent dispatches from correspon-
dents at supreme headquarters
also told of the seizure of the city.
These dispatches were based on
the War Department announce
ment and front-line reports that
American troops had pushed be-
yond the communications center
Supreme headquarters itself did
not announce capture of the
city,
In the westward push past Rennes
the Americans were reported ap-
preaching Mauron, 27 miles directly
west, and within 2 miles of St.
Meen lie Bretagne, miles to the
northeast.
BroonS Is Reached.
Broons, 9 miles northwest of st.
Meen and IA miles southwest of
Dinan, also was reached in the
westward drive.
st. Meen lie Bretagne is on the
main road running almost down the
center of the peninsula from Rennes
to BreSt. Both ST. Meen and Maui
ron are about 108 miles from the
big French naval base at the tip
of Brittany.
Berlin, in its high command COM
munique, said American troops were
engaging German base garrisons"
after break-through into Brittany,
and reports from the front contin-
ued to stress that only this type of
enemy troops was being met
troops which could not be expected
to put up as strong resistance as
front-line outfits.
In spearing to Loheac, 5 miles
from Pipriac, the Americans were
Just 18 miles outside Redon, chief
communications center of Southern
Brittany.
The Americans were Al miles from
Vannes, port on the south side of
the peninsula, and 10 from Lorient,
an important port and U-boat base
to the west.
Organized Line Shrinks.
As American spearheads raced on
toward these great ports the Ger
man front of organized resistance
in Northwestern France shrank to
a mere IS miles from Wire to Caen.
1t was estimated that the total
NaZi casualties since the invasion
totaled 10000 men-half the enc
my's initial force.
Bedraggled German units which
(See FRANCE, Page A-3.D
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