Evening star., 1942-08-20
Vichy
Continued From First Page.

Vichy
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calm and orderly while the raiders
and the Germans fought in the
streets.
First off hand estimates said about
80 civilians were killed at Dieppe
while French reports said that at
Rouen 48 civilians died, 101 were
wounded and 46 buildings were de-
stroyed by the American raid OF
Monday. The French reports sug-
gested the raid was intended to pre-
vent arrival of German reinforce
ments for Dieppe.
In the streets French woman
nurses took care of their dead and
wounded while French fire engines
changed up behind both lines to
fight the flames which burst out in
one building after another as the
town was caught between the Allied
and Nazi artillery barrages.
The Dieppe reports said the Allied
troops withdrew about $3.50. p. m.
Maintaining a rear-guard fire,
they reached the beachhead which
had been held since the landing.
Then with a shout they left together
aboard the motor scows which had
brought them.
French firemen still were spraying
water on burning buildings, while
overhead the sky was full of dog
fights among hundreds of Raj and
German planes, the RAF attacking
and the Germans defending the
German oombers which were aiming
at the hotilla.
No expert opinion was available,
but Dieppe citizens estimated the
invading force at about 10000 men
and said perhaps twice that number
were ready for action in larger
transports off shore. (This last
follows the German line, the Nazis
having claimed that they drove of
a number of transports before troops
were landed)
26 Transports in Last Wave.
These transports made as If to
land men in two separate waves,
but failed to do so under fire from
coastal batteries still in German
hands, notably in the fortress on
the other ilce of the town, the
Dieppe accounts said.
French authorities expressed be-
lief the operation was intended to
be of greater scope than it was
perhaps a battle lasting several
days"
1t was reported that the last wave
OF ships which approached shore
but did not land men consisted OF
26 large transports.
Civilians said that because Ger.
man troops closed in on the scene
during the re-embarkation they
were unable to see whether mocha
nized and armored units were taken
back.
A main theme of editorial spec
ulation in the unoccupied zone was
whether the Dieppe raid was liable
to raise fever" in French public
opinion and create domestic move
ments" that would add to France S
internal divisions. Only one paper
LIE Moniteur, derided the Ameri-
cans and British, speaking of "hesi-
tations" and a critical position
in both Washington and London.
La Venir declared, IF this diver
sion tactic-Which may be renewed
by the way-was liable to raise a
fever in our minds, disturb the real
tiles of war and create domestic
movements adding their divisions to
those stemming from our misfor-
tune, England would not consider
the operation too costly"
Rangers Excite French.
Many French officials and some
diplomats were excited yesterday BY
mistaken reports that Texas Rang
ers' had landed at Dieppe with the
! Allied Commando raiders.
The Wild West touch was con.
tributed to French speculations by
London radio reports that Amer.
lean Rangers had participated ir
the action. To many Frenchmer
there is only one type of Ranger
the Texas variety
But the presence of United State.
forces on French soil. following tn,
all-American aid raid on Rouen
brought home to many observer
the increasing participation of thu
United States in military develop
ments on the continent.
Both German and British report
were studied with the greatest at
attention, and interest rose ever
higher when 1t became apparen
that it was an operation OF create
magnitude and longer duration thar
previous hit-and-run Commando
blows.
Laval and Darlan Confer.
Chief of Government Pierre La
val conferred with Admiral Jeal
Darlan, head of French land, Sc;
and air forces, yesterday Afternoon
after an interview with Marsha
Philippe Petain, chief OF state. Mar
shall Petain, in turn. talked will
Charles Rochat, general secretar,
Of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
! Reports Of the landing had no