June 26, 1944;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, JUNE 26, 1944

ALLIED SUPREME HEADQUARTERS,

London —

The final battle of Cherbourg reached the mop-up stage today as American, forces weeded out isolated nests of German resistance in street fighting of greatly reduced intensity after seizing the entire eastern part of the city and smashing straight through its heart to the waterfront.

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MADISON, MONDAY, JUNE 26, 1944

Seize East Part,

Drive to Harbor,

Ferret Diehards

All Units Advance;

British Open Attack

in Sector of Tilly

By VIRGIL PDfKLEY '

(United Press Correspondent) '

ALLIED SUPREME HEADQUARTERS,

London —

The final battle of Cherbourg reached the mop-up stage today as American, forces weeded out isolated nests of German resistance in street fighting of greatly reduced intensity after seizing the entire eastern part of the city and smashing straight through its heart to the waterfront.

Cherbourg is not yet fully and officially occupied, supreme headquarters reported late today, but all attacking United States divisions have advanced their forward

elements deep into we city.

Reds Take Vitebsk,
 White Russia Base

LONDON — (U.P) —

The Red army today captured Vitebsk, great While Russian fortress city where five German divisions were trapped, to score the first major victory of its new summer offensive synchronized with the. Allied campaigns in the west and south.

Premier Josef Stalin issued a special order of the day announcing the capture of Vitebsk! fortified German hedgehog base commanding all of upper White Russia, a single day after two Russian forces had sliced in behind the city and completed its encirclement.

Two Red armies joined in storming Vitebsk and crushing the 50,000 lo 75,000 German troops caught bySoviet trap.

Stalin's order hailing the victors at Vitebsk was addressed to Gen. Ivan C. Bagramian of the First Baltic army and, Gen. Ivan D. Cerniakhovsky of the Third White Russian army, which clamped the pincers on the city of 167,000.

The Red army's general summer offensive 285-mile was spreading along battle lines to clamp a stranglehold on Vitebsk, outflank. Orsha, and threaten Mogilev and Bobruisk, keystones of the' defense of White Russia.

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