The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-05-24

hcikht ONNHNtu E1pcn anu MAI
NEEDY = the small Belgian areas
which Chancellor Adolf Hitler has
reincorporated into the reich.
There was a clear view of the
entire surrounding country and In
plain sight was Fort Batice.
BOMBED AND sHELLED
The fort was attacked stimuli.
taneously by bombing planes and
German artillery. Several OF the
dive.bombers. the dread German
"Stukas.' swooped down on the
fort, but they did not employ their
famous power-dive bomb-dropping
technique.
Instead, the Stukas swooped
over the fort and dropped their
bombs horizontally from a low al
titude.
The forts anti-aircraft guns
apparently already were out of
commission.
No sooner had the bombers
dropped their explosives than huge
columns of smoke rose several
hundred feet in the air.
Several hours later when came
back to the same vantage point
the action was over. could clearly
see the Nazi flag waving over the
Armored bunker. A little later l
saw one Of the familiar German
columns moving up with complete
equipment to occupy the Belgian
town which had been commanded |
by the now-silenced guns of the
Batice fort.
HURL NO INSULTS
The German soldiers were sun
burned, healthy and young. They
seemed TO be in fine spirits.
Peasants and villagers watched |
the Germans coming up with an APP |
pearance of resigned shock. 1t was
the same look that I had seen on
other Belgians after the fighting
had passed over their land.
VII lily mp
saw nor heard any open out
burst or insult against the
German soldiers. Even the
Belgians agreed that the
troops had conducted them
selves with complete correct
ness.
There were small celebrations
In Eupen and Malmedy today. oh
serving the reunion with the reich.
Swastikas flew from many houses
and many residents greeted our
army cars with Hell Hitler"
/ drove through the countryside
and saw what blitzkrieg means,
long miles of green fields. inter-
spersed with tranquil. sun-bathed
villages and then, around bend in
the road, like soaring scar on the
face of a beautiful woman, sud
denly the shattered ruins of vii
lage, little more than a pile OF
broken stone and broken bodies,
where German Stuka dive bombers,
tanks and artillery had smashed an
allied stand.
RED CROSS BUSY
Along the roads I saw the
bloated bodies of dead horses, the
abandoned field guns, the battered
tanks that retreating allies had left
IN their wake. Children were play
ing on the guns and tanks.
l saw the long lines Of motorized
infantry and artillery moving up
to the front. endlessly, and the Red
Cross ambulances coming back
with the wounded.
Then, at the headquarters OF
the German sixth army outside
Brussels, heard Col. Zen.
Walter Won Reichenau, COM
mander in chief of this front,
say that the decisive battle Of
the war was vet to come and
that the Germans would win Il.
Returning to Aaehen on the
frontier to file this disptaeh, / was
myself under an allied airplane
bombardment which sent snu.air-
craft guns into blazing action as
he bombs crashed.
Reichenau said he talked fire.
auently with Adolf Hitler by tele-
phone. and gave Hitler periodic
reports on troop movements.
He Is not only the political
hut the military leader Of the
German people In the full
sense Of the word" Reichenau
said Of Hitler.
German losses since the start Of
the offensive were less than one
tenth the number of allied prison
ers taken. Reichenau asserted. He
did not give figures. But the Ger
mans nave Asserted that they had
taken between 10000 and 40, 900
prisoners. whicn would mean Ger
man losses of from 1900 to
1900.
BRITISH PLANES MISSING
Reichenau said that he and
many OF those about him had been
amazed al the lack Of air &C
tivity by the British He said be
Travelled about rs miles a day
and had yet to see a British plane
attack.
The English might be hold
Ing back for a decisive show
down" h conceded.
Either the British planes we're
not good for bombing or British
pilots Vsrs not adequately trained,
trained. Reichsnag held.