1/7/1944. 9.= am.
In Western France the battle southwest of Caen
has been going on in the past 24 hours and both
sides are preparing up for the second phase. The signs
are than it may prove one of the fiercest struggles of the
Normandy campaign. So far the British 2nd Army
has set the pace and operations are up to schedule.
In the n. western hip of the Cherbourg peninsula fewer
than 2000 Germans are still fighting on. The American
forces have now taken more than 35000 prisoners
in the peninsula. The Soviet army driving across
White Russia has drawn a great semi circle
around Minsk, the capital. To the north
advanced troops in the Polotsk sector are over
the 1939 Polish frontier and 2 border towns
are in Russian hands. Some 60 miles south
of Minsk the Russians captured Slutsk on the
main route from Bobruisk into ? and
pressed on beyond it. In Finland there is a fear
that the new agreement with Germany will
result in mass desertions from the Finnish
army. Yesterday morning it was announced
from Washington that the USA had broken off
relations with Finland. The Allied armies in
Italy have made a general advance west of
Lake Trasimeno. In Rome General de Gaulle
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