The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-08-15

| War Robert Patterson and Lt. Gen. Brehon Somervell. chief Of services and supply of the U. 6. Army, all were in Italy as the invasion are madas sailed from a number Of Mediterranean ports.
 "A London dispatch said Allied armies in southern France were commanded by American Lt. Gen. Jacob l.. Devers. deputy commander in chief of Allied forces in the Med. iterranean theaterD
 At 6:50 a. m.-70 minutes before H-Hour-battleShips, cruisers, de" stroyers and deadly little rocket ships opened an earth-shaking bonn. bardment of the invasion beaches to drive their defenders inland
 Almost simultaneously. hundreds of American and Allied bombers wheeled overhead and sent tons cf steel and explosives cascading down on pillboxes. gun emplacements and other defenses.
 Low clouds and kaze hafnpered the bombers at the start of the as- sault. but the sky cleared as the sun rose higher.
 Even while shells and bombs were pouring into the French shore. as- sault craft loaded with infantry moved out from transports and raced for the beaches where they spilled out their fighting men and shuttled back for more.
 "Streng Force"
 Allied headquarters disclosed that the landings were made in strong force" and were led by specially. trained troops. many Of them vet. eFans of previous inyaslons and campaigns in the Mediterranean theater.
 Air-bOrne troops were among those participating, it was said. but the announcement did not specify | whether these included glider.boTne | forces as well as paratr0opers.
 The sea-boTIle landings were made | at several points along a wide front. the announcement said. Eight hun" dred Allied ships of all types parii- eipated, including Canadian. Dutch. Polish, Greek and Belgian. as well as American. British and French.
 More than i4.000 Mediterranean air force men were in the air this | morning supporting the landings.
 It. Col. William Tesch Of St. J0S- eph, Mo, commanding ofiicer Of one of the squadrons of c-aTs landing | the first wave of paTatTooperg this morning. said there was nothing to G."
 We just went in and dropped and 1 came home"
 The Germans were believed to have anywhere from four to seven | divisions in southern France. but these outfits had only limited aTmor | and were being forced to operate al. most without sir support since the Llftwaffe already was stretched to the bursting points on the Russian front and in northwestern France and in northern Italy,
 Reftened Up
 The Mediterranean air forces sOftened the coast Of southern France for the invasion with a b0nl- bardment lasting nearly two weeks, Heavy bomhers were out six Of the previous B days and tactical aiF' craft q oG the B days.
 RAP heavy b0Inbers cllmaxed Tuesdays phase Of the aerial as' sault with 8 big raid last night on shipping and port installations at MaTsellle. Tn daylight yesterday. 800 to 750 American Flying FoFsresses and LibeFai0Fs pounded coastal bat- teTies at Toulon. Nice and Cannes, in France, and Genoa, northern Italy, with i.l00 tons of explosives.
 Another 1000 tactical aircraft blasted gun batteries and radio apv paFatlIs in 80 separate attacks yess teTday along the French Riviera coast, with I2 formations of Mitch. els alone attacking guns tD the St Raphael area,
 Each Of four coastal batteries Rt 6t, Raphael were attacked by three groups, while other formations bit emplaeements at Bt, Tr0pez, l2 miles southwest 0f Rt, Raphael, batS teVieS both south and east Of FFes jus, just inland from st, Raphael, and positions at Cap camaTat, 10 miles southwest Of 6t. Raphael,
 Ten Allied planes were lost in all operations against France yesteTv As.r. and faak ,aialaf