Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (June 24, 1944)
Communiqué No. 37
Fighting is heavy and resistance strong immediately before CHERBOURG. We are making steady progress and are now within a short distance of the north coast on both sides of the fortress.
West of CARENTAN, enemy resistance has increased.
Northeast of CAEN, our troops have made a local advance after fierce fighting.
To the east of the river ORNE, warships have bombarded enemy troops and armor.
Intermittent shelling of the eastern anchorage continues and brief gun duels between Allied warships and mobile batteries ensue.
The Allied air forces yesterday concentrated their attacks on enemy reinforcements attempting to move westward from PARIS and up from southern FRANCE. Principal road and rail arteries and airfields from below the LOIRE estuary to the OISE were bombed and strafed despite changeable weather and determined opposition by the enemy in some areas.
From noon till dusk fighter bombers and fighters followed the main railways east and west of CHARTRES and to the south, hitting railway yards at NANTES and CHÂTEAU-DU-LOIR, cutting tracks in many places and destroying locomotives and freight cars especially at QUINCÉ, SAUMUR and south of NANTES. Bridges and viaducts at CHARTRES, JUSSY, NOGENT and over the OISE and SOMME were also attacked.
At least 11 enemy aircraft were shot down, ten of them in combat over the CAEN-ÉVREUX area. Eight of our fighters are missing from the day’s operations.
On their second mission of the day our heavy bombers, eight of which are missing, attacked airfields at ATHIES and JUVINCOURT near LAON. Their fighter escort hit rail and road and other targets east of PARIS.
Towards dusk medium and light bombers attacked military objectives in the PAS-DE-CALAIS. Later, heavy night bombers attacked rail centers at SAINTES and LIMOGES, losing two aircraft.
Communiqué No. 38
Allied forces are steadily closing in on CHERBOURG. Despite fierce enemy resistance each link in the chain of the defenses is being systematically destroyed. In the center of the semicircular front, our troops are within two miles of the heart of the city.
In the river ORNE sector, a strong Allied attack has liberated the village of SAINTE-HONORINE after hard fighting in which infantry and armor were engaged. Some enemy tanks were knocked out.
A convoy of seven small enemy ships, attempting to escape from CHERBOURG to the west under escort, was intercepted early this morning by light coastal forces. Two of the enemy vessels were destroyed and three more are believed sunk.
Rocket-firing aircraft and fighter bombers damages three 1,000-ton motor vessels near SAINT-MALO and left one of them on fire.
Our air forces continued their program of obstructing the flow of enemy supplies and reinforcements to the battle area. Key points in a semicircle west and south of PARIS were under attack during the day by both heavy and fighter-bombers.
Armed reconnaissance in some force was flown over a broad belt extending from the line FALAISE-ARGENTAN-SAINT-GERMAIN in the north to the ANGERS-SAUMUR line in the south to oppose military movements in this area. Railways east of the FALAISE were bombed; a military train was attacked near DREUX and tank cars, ammunition cars, and armored vehicles were destroyed.
In the AVRANCHES-COUTANCES area, aircraft on patrol attacked targets of opportunity. Gun emplacements north of LA HAYE-DU-PUITS were attacked by fighter-bombers.
Heavy day bombers bombed railway bridges at SAUMUR and TOURS and airfields at CHÂTEAUDUN and ORLÉANS/BRICY.
During the period, attacks were made on flying-bomb sites.
Four Me 190s, of a formation of twelve which appeared in the CAEN area, were destroyed by our fighters without loss.
Reconnaissance shows that the bombing attacks on the night of June 23-24 on LIMOGES and SAINTES were highly successful.