July 10, 1944;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, JULY 10, 1944:

SUPREME HEADQUARTERS Allied Expeditionary Force, July 10. (AP)—

The British Second Army struck a hard blow eastward on a three-mile front at the Germans' left flank three miles south of newly-occupied Caen today, capturing Eterville in short order and advancing to within less than a mile of the river Orne.

ROME, July 10—(AP)—

Overcoming dogged enemy resistance, American infantrymen who yesterday captured the German stronghold of Volterra have knifed forward another, four miles and' driven a –significant wedge- in the German defenses fronting the so-called "Gothic line," Allied headquarters announced today.

 

ABILNE TEXAS MONDAY EVENING JULY 10, 1944

By WES GALLAGHER

SUPREME HEADQUARTERS Allied Expeditionary Force, July 10. (AP)—

The British Second Army struck a hard blow eastward on a three-mile front at the Germans' left flank three miles south of newly-occupied Caen today, capturing Eterville in short order and advancing to within less than a mile of the river Orne.

Field dispatches described the attack as a typical flanking jab by Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery. Striking in hard-smiting style, the British plunged eastward from their Odon bridgehead behind the embattled Germans in the suburbs of Fauborg de Vaucelles, and captured Bretteville-Sur Odon a mile southwest of Caen.

In the first two and a half hours of the new attack south and east of the Odon river the British overran key Hill 112, three quarters of a mile north of Esquay on the road to Caen, as well as Eterville, three miles southwest of Caen on the same road. The new attack, flung with a thunderous artillery barrage at 5 A. M., came just 15 hours after British and Canadian forces had taken Caen, 120 miles from Paris, and opened the way to a favorable flat battleground on the plain of Caen south of the port to Falice.

On the western end of the line American forces matched the British offensive with a drive that made progress in all sectors following: the capture of la Haye du Puits, bitterly defended German stronghold.

Field dispatches assaying the extent of the British-Canadian victory at Caen said the German 12^th SS panzer division and a field division have  been badly mauled in trying to hold the town. The 12th panzers were reported whittled to 45 percent of their normal strength, a loss of perhaps 5.500 men.

• The town of Caen was so badly battered that the British had to bring up bulldozers to push the rubble aside because vehicles could not get within 500 yards of the river.

"The Germans have suffered a severe reverse," the Supreme command asserted in commenting on the capture of Caen, stubborn bastion on the eastern wing of the bridgehead front, but hastened to add. “They have not yet suffered a major defeat in the field."

The forces of Field Marshal Gen. Erwin Rommel were badly mauled in the fierce fighting for Caen, with the major part of two divisions trapped in pockets north of the river Orne by the swift British advance. But the bulk of the German troops engaged in the area staged an "organized retreat," in the words of the Supreme Command, and took a new stand along the south bank of the Orne.

The Germans' whole Normandy front was described as in "a state of strain" today
 

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Carries Near

East Prussia

, LONDON, July 10.—(AP) —

The German high command said today that the Red army had opened a violent attack above lasi in northeastern Romania and Berlin acknowledged

the loss of Luniniec, railroad junction in the Pripet marshes30 miles east of Pinsk.

"LONDON, July 10.—

British press reports placed Russian vanguards within 60 miles of East Prussia tonight while the Red army clamped tighter a death, hold on Wilno (Vilna), where the German garrison Tiad been forced behind barricades into the center of the virtually encircled city.

Russian columns racing west ward at startling speed stormed past the Wilno flanks, to the nearest approach to East Prussia,

Wedge Driven in Gothic Line

By NOLAND NORGAARD

ROME, July 10—(AP)—

Overcoming dogged enemy resistance, American infantrymen who yesterday captured the German stronghold of Volterra have knifed forward another, four miles and' driven a –significant wedge- in the German defenses fronting the so-called "Gothic line," Allied headquarters announced today.

.The action of the Doughboys in driving the Nazis from Volterra was described officially as a setback to the enemy's intention of imposing the maximum delay on the Fifth Army's drive toward - the Arno river, in which are situated the cities of Florence and Pisa.

Progress, however, remained slow along the entire Italian front as^the Germans continued to mass guns and troops and, to fight desperately from every vantage point.

On the west coast, an Allied spokesman said, American troops made an advance of unspecified distance toward Livorno (Leghorn) despite heavy enemy fire of all kinds and widespread demolition. The troops in that sector were last reported only 10 miles from the big port.

Another American force moved up to attack Pomaja, eight miles inland and 14 miles southeast of Livorno. . Lajatico, 21 miles east of Livorno, was threatened by another thrust.

Elements of eight German divisions have been identified in the line facing the Fifth Army. Among them are the 36th SS regiment and the Ninth Panzer -Grenadier regiment.

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