Evening star., 1944-06-11
War Review
Success Marks Land.
ings in France
By Hofcard p. Bailey.

en- a heavy toll of Allied troops and
despite unfortunate developments in
the weather, a firm foothold has
been established in Normandy and
the important port of Cherbourg is
likely soon to be in Allied hands.
The seaborne and airborne attack
which came in the early hours of
last Tuesday, dwarfed anything
which has ever gone before. If
German reports may be accepted as
approximately correct, 10000 Allied
troops are now on the soil OF France,
where they are engaged by like
number of Nazis.
The initial attack was delayed "a
hours by bad weather and even when
the expedition was launched, the
Channel was so rough that the AL
lied troops swarming ashore were
badly slowed by seasickness develop
ing on the way over.
The invasion came about 48 hours
after another great Allied triumph,
the capture of Rome, which oc-
Cured Sunday night and was
followed by a rapid retreat by Mar
shal Kesserling's badly disorganized
I4th Army northward in what now
appears to be a rout, permitting ad-
vance units of the American 5th
Army to move nearly SO miles north
ward from the liberated italian
capital.
Near Anniversary of Pantellera.
Almost on the anniversary of the
surrender of Pantellera, the Italian
Gibraltar off the coast of Cap Bon
in Tunisia, which marked the first
real step back toward the continent
of Europe, the huge invasion ar
mada which struck the coast around
the mouth of the Seine River slipped
quietly out of the English ports
serving as bases.
More than 1000 large ships and
thousands of smaller craft under
the protection of powerful naval
forces, including some of the most
modern battleships, moved silently
over the water, while overhead in a
daring but highly successful ma
neuver thousands upon thousands
of paratroopers and air-borne in
fantry sped through the skies to
drop behind the German lines and
take over protection of vital bridges
across which the Allies planned to
move inland. One report indicated
that there were six divisions of
paratroopers and air-borne troops
dropped during the course of the
invasion.
With at least $40 naval guns blast
ing at shore installations along and
some miles back of the beaches and
with 11,000 aircraft either covering
the landings or smashing at vital
communication lines behind the Ger
man positions, the invaders poured
ashore.
First reports were glowingly opti-
mistic over what was described as the
ease In which the landing was made
and "a hours later came the an
nouncement that the various beach
heads running from positions near
LIE Havre to the Cherbourg PENN
sula were established, some even
being linked into united front.
Eyewitnesses Tell of Losses.
Then came the eyewitness ac-
counts. and while they do doubt
covered isolated instances coming
under the immediate observation of
war correspondents or survivors re-
porting to them, they nevertheless
indicated tht the cost was not light |
There was the account of the fate of
the 96 men who poured out Of a
landing craft into the shallow water
Of the beach to run into murderous
machine gun and mortar fire COM
Ing from weapons which had been
silent up until the landing began.
OF the 90, one made made the shore
There was another report of four
gliders which came down in q field
bordered by hedges to be met with
a concentrated fire from machine
guns behind the hedges and again
there was lone survivor among all
those aboard Other observers told
of parachutists hit as they floated
down or landed to become tangled
In the branches of trees.
One Allied destroyer was lost and
the commander declared that the
crew, swimming about in the water,
was subjected to enemy gun fire.
Many landing craft were destroyed
or swamped and ashore there was
considerable loss of mechanical
equipment.
But In spite of the cost and the
ferceness of the German resistance,
the Allies troops continued to land
and expand their beachheads slowly
as the week progressed. Toward the
end of the week German tactical
reserves were pressed into action but
the full force of Nazi countermeas-
ures has not yet been felt for Rom
mel and the other German COM
manders are wary of too hasty action
until 1t is determined whether this
is the main assault or If invasions
are to come at other points.
Initiative With Allies.
Inc advantage OF the initiative
lies with the Allies and every day
Of delay in the movement of the
main reserves of the German Army
means that much more destruction
of rail lines, highways, bridges and
airf1elds for the Allied air forces is
striking heavily behind the main
coastal defenses.
AS the week ended, American
forces which were the first ashore
were In possession OF strategically
important Ste. Mere Eglise, effec~
lively cutting the rail line from
Cherbourg to Paris and standing
astride the highway as well. The
drive for Cherbourg itself had ad-
vanced to point less than 20 miles
from Frances finest port.
British and Canadian forces were
meeting in one of the wars greatest
tank battles with the German de-
Tenders of Caen on the Orne River
only 30 miles from Paris and, like
Ste. Mere Eglise, on the rail line
leading to the capital from Cher
bourg.
Approximately two-thirds of the
shore OF Seine Bay in depths varying
from a few rniles IN raorl,, On ,,,iiar