19/6/1944 9.= am. Peter Watson
Supreme Headquarters confirm that American
troops have cut right across the Cherbourg Peninsula
and have reached the West Coast in the neighbourhood
of Barneville. American troops have beaten the
enemy's first attempt to reopen the trunk road
linking Cherbourg with the mainland.
The BBC correspondent at Supreme Headquarters
say the total enemy strength in the Northern end
of the peninsula is unofficially estimated at between
25000 and 30000 men. At the base of the peninsula other
American troops are within 6 miles of the highway
centre of St. Lô. On the Allied left flank British troops
have beaten off a German counterattack east of
Caumont and we have pushed into the outskirts of
Tilly. Allied air activity was again on a big
scale yesterday. The 9th Air Force alone flew more
than 1000 sorties. More than 1300 Fortresses and
Liberators yesterday attacked oil plants in
Hamburg and at other places in Western Germany.
11 of the bombers are missing. American bombers
also attacked military targets in the Pas de
Calais. The Germans kept up their pilot less
plane attacks on Southern England last night.
Damage and casualties have been reported.
It was stated last evening that our coastal
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