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

patch of spike sharp coral reef and
wade to the beach.
Searchlight Knocked Out.
The searchlight had been knocked
out or our entire force on the reel
would have been shot off by French
batteries like row Of pigeons.
The way those soaked men, q
few moments before so weary they
could barely stand, forgot their IA
tigue on seeing their detectives is a
never-to-be-f forgotten example OF
soldierly fortitude.
Forlorn on a hostile coast with
much of their heavy equipment
fathoms under the salt water, they
quickly organized and turned tt
their assigned tasks when we had
crossed the beach and flung our
selves beneath a covering grove OF
pepper trees.
I found I had a Pinch cash on
my right thumb and a lacework OF
cuts on both hands to remember
our soggy trek through the coral
Our grove quickly became dam
gerous We were caught between
our own fire and the batteries OF
Pont de Blondin above us. After
one shell showered dirt only few
yards behind us we split away from
the beach and turned toward Cape
Fedhala.
Sergt. Anspacher and I became
separated in crawling along the
edge of plowed field and I was
forced to f1atten myself six times
as whining 75-millimeter shells
buried themselves in the earth
within 20 or so yards of me.
Arabs Quite Friendly.
You learn to tell very quickly by
an indescribable difference in sound
just which shells are going to hit
near you. After crossing the field
was comparatively safe and walked
to small hill and joined a group
of Arabs watching the battle. Each
wore tattered burnoose and these
rags were the first indication of
the poverty to which the country
had been subjected in two years of
systematic looting by the German
Armistice Commission. The Arabs
were quite friendly and Immediately
tried to beg cigarettes.
I had none. All my apparel and
equipment was a mass of mud. AS
we watched. very lights f1ared near
Pont de Blondin indicating its
batteries had been silenced by
troops of the infantry after a naval
bombardment.
French marines, firing four 1881
millimeter coastal defense guns
there, were blown to bits before the
position was stormed and taken.
Several died by their blazing guns
rather than retreat or surrender.
About so finally were captured
and French woman and her two
children, peering from a nearby
frame house, began asking me
questions. My long-buried college
French was unequal to the task of
replying.
Then she offered me a stiff drink
of fine cognac that broke down all
| language barriers.
After downing the drink I plodded
back to rejoin the American troops,
working slowly and cautiously
toward Cape Fedhala whose guns
were Smelling the beaches and caus-
ing most Of our casualties, which
were light for the huge operation.
French Civilians Cheer.
Few shells landed near us and ex-
cept for scattered machine-gun fire
by the retreating French forces re-
sistance was slight.
BY the time we reached the out
skirts of Fedhala above its beaches
the real battle hadsbeen decided.
At one point two black Senegalese
soldiers crawled out from an ever
green clump and handed me their
rifles, grinning, and by signs they
indicated they wanted to join the
American side.
French civilians cheered and ap-
plauded the American troops.
During the morning Smelling the
commanding general in the Fedhala
area had sped ashore through heavy
! fire accompanied by 1t. Col. Mercer
c. Walter, his intelligence chief. to
direct the actions from a shore base.
The infantry struck close to the
town itself and by the time reached
there the first battalion had swept
through and cleaned out all the op-
position, capturing in the town itself
company of the 9Th Regiment of
Senegalese rif1emen and elements of
the mechanical forces who were
equipped with old, light Renault
tanks and some 25-millimeter anti
tank guns.
Nazf Officers Captured.
In a field back from the beach
area stood sullen-faced group of
nine Nazi officers and men, men,
bers of the German Armistice Com
mission in French Morocco who had
been channelling the country's
wealth back to the Reich.
The group, including a colonel,
had been captured by American in
pCAAA6CAlNC Ol4AVClo dS bllCy UllCu
flee town. Another German officer
was shot to death by American SOL
diers as he tried to escape.
The American attack caught them
completely by surprise. They watched
in complete silence as the American
troops worked their way through the
town.
saw French soldier, who stood
near, cycling them with hate and try
in vain to get an American soldier
guard to let him examine his
weapon. His intention to shoot as
many of the Germans as he could
was obvious, and military police
waved him away.
BY pm. the only remaining
center of resistance in the town was
shore battery on Cape Fedhala.
One battery Of four 138-millimeter
coastal defense guns engaged for
hours in a duel with United States