The Gazette and Daily from York, Pennsylvania • Page 19

The Gazette and Daily, York, Pa Thursday Morning, June 8, 1944 TO Allies Reinforce In North France Parachutists wage terrific struggle inland knifing enemy communications. New forces arrive in 50-mile long train, with gliders four abreast. Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, June 7 vP) Savage fighting for key points behind the Normandy beachheads was developing tonight as the Germans began moving troops by air in efforts to cope with the constantly-reinforced Allied airborne divisions whose successes highlighted the invasion. The Allied airborne operation, largest ever undertaken anywhere, was a complete success, at least as far as its shock phases were concerned, and parachutists and airborne infantry were ranging swiftly behind the German front-lines, it was said at Supreme headquarters. Authorities were tight-lipped about the progress of troops that landed from the sea but stated the airborne soldiers had carried out every assignment given them, and in some cases had seized bridges -which the command had been almost certain the Germans would have time to demolish.

Capture Bridges It was confirmed tonight, for example, that the British Sixth Airborne division had captured a series of bridges north of Caen. (AP Wirephoto from Coast Guard yia Signal Corps Radio) ALLIED INVASION FLEET HEADS ACROSS THE CHANNEL With barrage balloons keeping guard overhead, ships of the Allied invasion armada plow the choppy waters of the English Channel on their way to the coast of France and establishment of beachheads on the Normandy shore. Nazis Kept Guessing As Allies Confidently Move In New Forces Front dispatches said airborne troops had joined those from the I sea in some places after capturing I towns, roads and various bridges, nd that reinforcements poured in of Ninth Air Force gliders. It was learned at Supreme headquarters that both American and British reinforcements had been flown in. The continual mass attacks left the entire Cherbourg Deninsula Extend Pearl Harbor Court Martial Date Washington, June 7 OP) Compromising Senate and House differences, Congress settled today on a six months' extension from midnight tonight of the time in which court martials may be held on any charges arising from the Pearl Harbor disaster.

A bill approved by both legislative branches and sent to the White House directs that, meantime, the secretaries of War and Navy are to make investigations and take such action as appears justified. The measure extends anew the statue of limitations which already had been extended for six months past Dec. 7, 1943, because the War and Navy departments opposed Pearl Harbor trials during Rangers Capture Batteries On 200-Foot Cliff Top With Allied Forces in France, June 6 UP) (Delayed) American Rangers, in one of the high spots of the invasion, captured German batteries near a forbidding chalk and shale cliff rising 200 feet above the beach on this broad Normandy front. To make matters worse for the Rangers the cliff was undercut and jutted out at the top. It formed such a natural obstacle that it had been said an old lady with a broom could defend the point and sweep intruders back.

Twelve hours after the first waves of invasion bitter fighting was still in progress on some of the beaches. At other points the Germans either surrendered or retreated five to 10 miles inland. Coupled with continued absence in force of the Nazi Luftwaffe on the second day, it again indicates German perplexity as to Allied battle plans and apprehension that the main attack is yet to come. Berlin is still hoarding air power for that. Allied estimates credit the foe with some 1.750 fighter planes and some 500 German bombers in the west.

If this is an accurate estimate of enemy air strength in the west, it could be virtually wiped out in a single mass air battle; and it will not be risked until the Nazi high command is sure that the crisis in the Allied invasion is at hand. 4 'dotted with white and colored parachutes as the fighting flared I up over a constantly widening I area. During last night and today I hundreds of transport planes flew I in reinforcements in men, artillery, fj jeeps, ammunition, gasoline and I food, to the beachhead forces as By KIRKE L. SIMPSON (Associated Press War Analyst 1 Guarded and laconic official reports from Allied invasion headquarters brought cheering word from the Normandy beachheads as the second day of the second front in Europe ended. All landing beaches had been cleared, it was stated, although some still were under enemy artillery fire; and linking-up operations had been carried out successfully at some points.

The consolidation of a wide coastal breach in the vaunted Nazi west wall of fortress Europe evidently was proceeding unchecked by stiffening German resistance aloft and on the ground. That is the essential first step toward whatever may be the next Allied objective. The Anglo-American forces in France need elbow room to muster the men and equipment for their follow-up of the coastal breakthrough. By Nazi account the breach extends from the western coast well as to the airborne troops deep inside the peninsula. Many ions or vital supplies were thus delivered by parachute.

1 Marked Success A highly-placed officer declared the success of the airborne forces was one of the most satisfactory -points of the whole invasion. GRATITUDE Twelve C-47 transports and 12 gliders were reported missing from of the Cherbourg foreland of Nor- the overnight reinforcing opera- mandy to the wide Seine mouth tions, these being the first specific south of Le Havre, a good 100 losses announced. If fully loaded, miles airline, they would have been carrying The reticence of Allied head- slightly less than 500 men, includ- quarters to give out much detail mg crews. is significant. It indicates that The U.

S. Ninth Air Force an- General Eisenhower and his staff nounced that its airborne units believe the foe still confused and had flown more than 900 sorties on D-day and had completed a reinforcing operation in mid-morning. In addition, British planes and chutists contributed to the hundreds of sorties. The zebra-striped gliders were escorted across the channel by Mustang fighters whose pilots kept watch as the motor-less ships skimmed silently down to their selected areas. The four-abreast strings of towed gliders, with their weird paint and dim navigating lights looked "like something from a futuristic film," one flier said.

French Workers Told To Sabotage Supreme Headauarters Allied uncertain as to the strategic conception underlying the Allied attack in Normandy, still doubtful that it is not in part, at least, a feint in force designed to pave the way for another, deadlier attack closer to the heart of Germany. There have been reports of furious fighting on the Cherbourg peninsula and that emphasizes one aspect of the selection of Normandy as the scene of the invasion, whatever the real Allied purpose in picking the Normandy beaches, it cannot be doubted that Cherbourg and its docks and waterside foHlltea is an important item. Despite probable Nazi demolitions, Cherbourg harbor in Allied hands would serve to quicken the D-Day was the most critical day of our generation. We are deeply indebted to the press, radk) and newsreels which since the beginning of the invasion have kept us fully informed as to the movements of the Allied forces. This, the greatest achievement in the gathering and dissemination of information ever recorded, makes us realize what our men faced when they landed, and more fully understand the depth of our obligation as individuals and organizations in backing up our armed forces.

Our prayers are with all who are participating the liberation of Europe, and our sympathy goes out to the families of those who have made the supreme sacrifice. Expeditionary Force. June 7 (TP) massing of powerful orces fully Big ships French communications workers equipped in France were supplied by Allied airmen on D-day with instructions for sabotage, it was disclosed tonight. Maps showing rail and other communication lines, the instruc could make fast turn-around trips from England to its docks. Allied air mastery would keep them relatively safe from Nazi air attack.

The value of Cherbourg and its tions and an "urgent message bupreme Headquarters Allied rail and road system inshore as well as its docks and unloading Expeditionary Force were drop ped. "From now on there cannot be any 'secondary' railroads, roads or waterways," the message said. "From the enemy's point of view, all communications are vitally im- equipment to major Allied operations against Paris is obvious. That is just as true of Le Havre and to a lesser extent of Caen. Nazi naval guns on the Calais shore of narrow Dover straits roared into action and Berlin explained they had beaten off an attempted Allied landing operations somewhere in that natural bridge-head invasion area.

The barrage may have been a bad case of jitters. rtant. The instructions added that, in INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION event the Germans attempted to route traffic through so-called "secondary lines, you must see to it that they get into a dead-end street." lA.