early next month. Brigadier General Ray L. Owens has been
made deputy Chief of US Air Staff.
The Australian Prime Minister Mr. Curtin has announced
that large and powerful British forces will be available
for employment in the Pacific this year.
Fred. Grisewood. 18/7/1944. 1.= pm.
Sporadic fighting and some gains of ground are reported from Normandy.
In Italy we are 4 miles from Ancona and the same distance from
Leghorn. We are also exploiting our capture of the bridge across the Arno.
Fighting in Normandy takes place at Lessay and Noyers. 2 small villages on
the road from Périers to St. Lô were captured on the line Noyers - Évrecy.
The Germans were cleared from several pieces of high ground. Our planes
attacked all kinds of targets. German aircraft were also active. In the
24 hours ending we destroyed 24 planes. 10 of ours are missing and
during half a day 3000 sorties were made. Mosquitoes last night
strafed motor transport with dimmed lights going into the battle
front. From Italy good progress is reported. We have reached the river Arno
and established a bridgehead 4 1/2 miles N.W. of Arezzo. To the west of
Arezzo we are 12 miles from Florence and we have also moved
up the Tiber Valley. The Germans however resist strongly. Our planes
attacked objectives in Northern Italy, Southern France, Yugoslavia and
1700 sorties were made. 4 planes were destroyed and 7 of ours are
missing. Biggest Russian progress yesterday are advances
from 10 to 15 miles and they came up level with the Curzon Line.
35 miles from Bialystok and at one point 30 miles from
Brest-Litovsk . German counterattacks to drive the Russians
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