Evening star., 1943-01-26
Is Allied Planes BIas|
Nazis Despite Wave
OF Messerschmitts
Downed French Fighter
Lights Cigarette and
Wreck With Same Match
By HAROLD V. BOYLE,
Associated Presr INar Cnrrnsnnnannt

WITH THE UNITED STATES
ARMY IN TUNISIA, Jan. 26.-From
a farmhouse On a slope few hun
dred yards south of the little French
village Of OusSeltia yesterday I saw
Is Allied planes ride through a wave
of MeSSerschmitts to drop heavy
bombs on German positions a few
miles north up the valley.
Great smoking columns rolling
skyWard told me that the missiles
of II B-26 bombers had hit the
bullS-eye.
AS they left their objective two
OF the four MesserscAmitts engaged
one of the ID Allied fighter planes
and shot it down The rest of the
Allied squadron few away unim-
peded from the successful mission.
The stricken fighter plane spiraled
down gracefully and made a belly
landing in field less than mile
from our vantage point. A French
pilot climbed out removed his per-
sonal equipment, lit a cigarette and
with the same match. set fire to his
damaged plane, then walked calmly
away, unhurt.
The flames turned the plane into
eharred wreckage, useless to the
Germans should they attack and
gain the field.
Nazi Attack Stopped.
After the departure of the Mes
serschmittS, whose appearance a
few minutes before had made us
abandon jeep for the farmhouse.
we drove on into OusSeltia. I was
a passenger on a reconnaissance
ieep driven by Pvt. Eugene Fac
Chenille, %, of Bessemer, Mich.
My other companions were 1t
Robert M. Keith, "a, of Portland,
Me, and Pvt. Nelson P. Bourguig-
non, "a, of Holyoke. Mass, whose
French Canadian descent made him
valuable as an interpreter. All the
soldiers were heavily armed.
| On the outskirts of Ousseltia a
group of American soldiers in
haf track told us that American
ermored equipment and Allied
planes had stopped a German at
Jack down in the valley dead in its
tracks and that the Nazis now were
trying their best to hold their po-
sitions.
The Germans threw heavy artil-
,ery over at us all morning, but
didn't get one our tanks said 1t.
Frank Crittenden of Ridgewood
4, j., commander of mortar
platoon.
1T sure is heartening to see the
Tey our planes are coming over
now" 1t. Crittenden said Earlier
In the Tunisian campaign we took
% raids one day, chiefly by Stukas.
but you hardly ever see a Stuka at !
the front any more"
! Bombarded 2l5 Hours.
Inside the city itself we met a /
group of half track and tank driv-
ers pulling out Of little gully,
I'VE just sWeated out a two-and- |
. s-half hour artillery bombardment,"
said Pvt. Ambrose Metcalfe, 20, of |
Pine Mountain, KY. They dropped |
88-millimeter shells all around US,
but didn't hit anything. Those |
Eazi artillerymen need more than
practice to make them good"
One shell hit within 10 feet in
dirt ridge above Pvt. Metcalfe's
head. Another exploded within
feet without injuing Staff Sergt.
Buck Baber. %. of Batesville. Va.
A blast from a third shell knocked
Sergt. Willis j. Ewell, "a of Raven,
Va, off the dirt bank, but he climbed
to his feet unhurt and unhit.
! Others in nearby half track crew
Included Pvt. Gus Capelli, "a, Dem
ger. Colo, and Pvt. Raymond Ker-
Rodle, Is, Burlington, N. c.
Although Nazi shells missed their
real objective they found other
marks. A drive through the city
showed that several buildings and a
Catholic church bore scars of Shell
ing.
Late in the afternoon American
tanks began to drive up the valley.
Before halting for the night they
had destroyed seven German Mark
Fours, while losing only three them
selves.