Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-16

coast by doughboys who plungec
from landing craft by the thousands
into shoulder deep foaming surf ano
waded ashore to storm and take
vital areas in the face of pounding
beach artillery and machine-gur
fire. ~
The convoy was brought many
miles through network of patrol
ing enemy submarines without the
loss of a vessel or a man en- route
1t was the greatest convoy of the
war.
The vast, three-pronged assault
was aimed at Fedhala, II miles
north of Casablanca; Port Lyautey
60 miles farther north, and SAT-
140 miles south of Casablanca.
They were the three key ports
needed, with Casablanca, for move
ment of American troops and sup
plies on a scale sufficient to help
drive the Axis from Africa and turn
the entire continent into a gigantic
Allied base and springboard into
Europe.
Timed With Other Landings.
The blow, timed with landings in
French Algeria at Oran and Algiers
by a joint British-American force
came as one of the wars major
surprises.
French coastal batteries of the
three Moroccan ports and French
vessels operating out of Casablanca
offered faming-resistance.
United States Navy planes ano
some of the heaviest Warships of the
fleet bombarded Casablanca Harbor
and turned back every attempt by
the French ships berthed there to
fight their way through the block
ade.
Scant first reports from Port
Lyautey said American troops all
went ashore wearing the Stars and
Stripes on arm brassards in the
hope of avoiding conflict with their
traditional Allies.
Quickly the Americans won con-
troll of SAT-.
Two stripped-down destroyers
dashed boldly through the harbor
under rain of gunfire to land as
sault troops, and armored units soon
afterward smashed through to take
the city. -Four hundred prisoners
including many foreign legionnaires
were seized in the Safl coup.
French Capitulation Expected.
High American Army officials in
dictated they expected a French ca
pitulation after few days OF fight
ing
The French Army, consisting OF
Senegalese and Moroccan units as
well as French armored forces, was
all but knocked out of battle here
in the first few hours by the more
numerous and better equipped Amer
lean soldiers.
Several French military detach-
ments surrendered after the initial
onslaught. American casualties were
relatively light.
The amphibious force which at
tackled French Morocco is described
bv naval and military officers as
the greatest ever assembled AND
the first since the war began to sail
directly from an American port tC
a point of assault and force Its
own beachheads. one of the most
difficult of military tasks.
American newsmen and photog
raphers were allowed by the Army
to storm ashore with troops in the
early assault waves under enemy
fire.
Our section of the convoy reached
It's Journeys end in light rain
Darkest Africa was only dim glow
as we pulled away from the trans
port and circled toward our rem
devious point.
French Batteries Surprised.
Phosphorescent flecks cleaned
briefly in the water and were gone
like drowning fref1ies when the
boats assembled, We suddenly
turned toward shore at full speed
with motors roaring.
We were in the third assault
wave. The first two waves which
preceded us by matter of mo-
ments, landed safely on a 4-mile
stretch of beach between Cape
Fedhala and the Pont de Blondin
area known as the Riviera of French
Morocco.
They had reached shore in the
darkness. completely surprising
French batteries at each end OF
the beach. AS we neared the
coastline, however, bright search
light stabbed the skies at Pont de
Blondin and then swept seward,
catching our assault wave.
In bright glare that dazzled
the coxswains, we ducked to the
bottom of the boat. Machine-gun
bullets ripped across the water at
us. A naval support boat on our
left flank opened fire at the search
lights with .50-cailber machine guns.
We could clearly see, in quick
glimpses. the red path of the tracer
bullets striking above. below and to
the right of the shining target.
Then came grinding crash as
our landing boat smashed at full
speed into coral reef which has
helped to win this shore the name
of iron coast.
The craft climbed futilely, then
fell back in the water.
Water Doubles Weight of Packs.
FROM it's ripped front ramp the
water climbed to our shoetops, then
surged to our knees.
Every man overheard" cried the
commander.
We plunged from the sides of the
settling craft up to our armpits in
the surf and struggled to the reef.
Waves washed over our heads, dou-
bling the weight of our 60-pound
packs with water, but sweeping us
nearer safety.
I grabbed an outcropping of coral.
A soldier, there before me, lay on
It, completely exhausted. He was
unable to move and was blocking
me. Twice the surf pulled me loose
and twice 1t returned me.
My strength was ebbing fast when
another soldier pulled up the man
before me and lent me a wet hand
to safety.
- =.