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Frank Gillard coming through from Normandy this
afternoon said that we are now on the road from
Caen to Villers-Bocage near Granville. Yesterday
the roads were in mud. Unloading on the beaches
went ahead and there was little trouble from mud
at sea. Vitebsk has been captured by the Russians
and the Germans are falling back in disorder.
Orsha and Mogilev are gravely threatened.
The first place is already surrounded. The
Germans themselves speak about fighting near
Bobruisk. The Germans hurriedly abandoned
Vitebsk having no time to take the civil
population away or cause destruction.
The Russians are also making good progress in
Finland. In Italy gains are reported on a
broad front. The 5th Army is pressing on 10 miles
north of Piombino and also more inland
from the coast. In the centre there is German
resistance on both of Lake Trasimeno.
Chiusi has been captured. The Prime Minister
said in the Commons today that since the
landing in Italy our casualties up to the
fall of Rome are 73122 viz ...[?] 14000 killed
46000 wounded and 10000 missing.
Yesterday our planes attacked oil installations
near Vienna. 36 heavy bombers and 8 other
planes are missing. Mosquitoes attacked
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