3/7/1944. 9.= am
The Red Army has made another great sweep forward
in White Russia and has now almost encircled
the city of Minsk. Our Allies were last reported to
be only 12 1/2 miles away. To the south of the city
they cut the railway linking up Minsk with Warsaw
and the West. To the north of Minsk the Soviet forces
have cut the railway running up to Wilna and
further north still Soviet troops are more than
50 miles west of Polotzk which is still in German
hands.
In Normandy the British 2nd Army has beaten
off a series of short attacks against its bridgehead
across the river Odon. The Germans are reported
to have switched an entire panzer division
from Russia to Normandy. This brings their
forces in the sector between Caen and Tilly
up to 11 divisions in all. Allied fighters last evening
shot down 21 enemy fighters over the battle area,
our losses were 3 machines. All resistance in
the Cherbourg peninsula has now ended
and the number of German prisoners taken
there by the Americans has mounted to 43000.
In Italy 5th Army troops have captured the
West coast town of Cecina 18 miles below
Leghorn. On the 8th Army front British troops
were yesterday clearing enemy remnants
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