[Homer_J_Simpson]

Aunay is Crossed (Daniel) – 2-3
Paris Hears Guns of Its Liberators (MacCormac) – 3-4
Canadians Free Historic Falaise (MacDonald) – 4
Text of Plea to Parisians – 4
Troops Spare Chartres Cathedral in Routing Out German Snipers (Currivan) – 5
U.S. Planes Detect and Shoot Up Foe’s Armor Sneaking from Trap (Graham) – 5
Americans Reach Outskirts of Cannes, Approach Toulon (Sedgwick) – 6-7
Walk through Snipers’ Paradise Links Two American Beachheads (by Herbert L. Matthews) – 7
Americans Smash German Flare-Ups (by Sid Feder) – 7-8
As the Allies Drive Ahead on the Northern and Southern Fronts in France (photos) – 8-9
The Prime Minister at Scene of Invasion (photo) – 10
War News Summarized – 10
Russians at Line – 11-12
Church in Russia Gets a Free Hand – 12
Launching Flying Bombs against London from France (photo) – 13
Flying Bomb Rocks Buckingham Palace, Breaking Windows; Johnson House Hit (by Richard J.H. Johnston) – 13
Camp ‘Fairly Good,’ Wainwright Says – 13
Nimitz Outlines Non-Stop War with Twin Forces against Japan (by Robert Trumbull) – 14
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the Fighting in Various War Zones – 15-17

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1944/aug44/18aug44.htm#

Americans close Falaise Gap
Friday, August 18, 1944 www.onwar.com

US troops crossing road with abandoned German equipment [photo at link]

On the Western Front... The Falaise gap is closed by a link up of Polish and American troops at Chambois. Considerable German forces remain trapped to the west. Allied fighter-bombers successfully harass the German columns attempting to withdraw to the east. To the south, patrols from US 3rd Army reach Versailles as the army advances toward the Seine River.

In Southern France... The forces of US 7th Army continue advancing. The US 6th Corps is moving toward Aix-en-Provence and northward in the direction of Gap while the French 2nd Corps advances along the coast to Toulon and eventually Marseilles.

On the Eastern Front... Soviet troops of 3rd Baltic and Leningrad Fronts advance to the north and south of Lake Peipus. In southern Poland, Soviet forces of 1st Ukrainian Front capture Sandomierz on the west bank of the Vistula River.

[Tax-chick]

I wonder if the photographer told all the French women in the photo on page 9 to put their hands in their pockets. I’m always nagging my kids to take them out!

[henkster]

Today's Lage West general estimate. The Germans appear to be writing off the formations in the Falaise Pocket. That green line on the Seine isn't going to hold either.

[henkster]

The Germans attempting to escape.

[henkster]

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