The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-08-24
Bloody Battle Frees
Paris From Germans
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German forces which had been
fighting west and south of Paris.
French men and women patriots
fought in this new battle of Paris
as their forefathers did in 1889 and
the fury of their assault forced the
German commander to sue for a
truce,
With a great force of American
armored troops poised in an as
sault and almost half way around
the capital, $4,000 armed French
patriots, aided by several hundred
thousand citizens who welded what
arms they could find, defeated the
Nazi occupation forces in a four
day battle ending last night.
The patriots occupied all public
buildings and arrested all Vichy
government representatives who
did not flee, said a formal an
nouncement signed by 1t. Gen.
Joseph Pierre Koenig, command
er of the French Forces of the In
terror and newly-named military
governor of Paris under General
De Gaulle.
Around the world-in London,
New York, Buenos Aires, Algiers
and scores of other cities-the re-
lease of the "City of Light" from
the darkness of Nazi rule was ahil-
ed in ceremonies featuring the play
ing of "The Marseillaise," historic
anthem of liberty, and the raising
of the tri-color of the republic.
Church bells were rung in London
and many other cities of England.
So far there was no word OF
any entry into the city by Ameri
can troops. General de Gaulle al
ready had conferred with the AL
lied Supreme commander, Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, on possible
immediate resumption OF French
civil administration, and liberation
Of the capital lent emphasis to ru-
mors that President Roosevelt and
Prime Minister Churchill might
hold their next meeting there soon.
Gen. Koenig was expected to go
to Paris tomorrow with his entire
London staff, and he may join Gen.
de Gaulle there, but it was pointed
out at Gen. Koenig's headquarter' S
in London that no attempt would
be made to move a full civilian
governmental organization into
Paris until the Germans are clear
ed out Of the entire area and the
danger of their return in force is
passed.
The fact that the liberation OF
Paris was accomplished by tn e
French, and announced by them
rather than by Allied Supreme
headquarters, may have been part
Of Allied strategy to bolster French
confidence and emphasize to the
world the resurgence Of France.
A press relations officer at AL
lied Supreme Headquarters said
this evening that he had no Off
cial confirmation Of the news of
the liberation, but this presumably
was simply because the city W a S
freed from within. No doubt Of the
accuracy of the French announce
ment was implied.
An agreement which was to have
been signed today between til e
British and the French for govern
ing liberated France may now be
signed in Paris in the near future,
and parallel agreement between
the United States and the De Gaulle
committee is expected also to be
signed in the French capital, with
General Eisenhower representing
the Americans and General Koenig
the French.
General Koenig's announcement
said the Germans were defeated
everywhere" in the French capital
after street battles which began
with police strike and an order
from the French Committee Of
National Liberation for general
instruction.
| Then, from Saturday through
Tuesday, there came mob battle
surprising anything Paris has
known since the battle of the Bas-
tile. The core of the resistance
was the lie de La Cite, which was
turned into "a fortress against
which the German attacks broke,
General Koenig's special commu-
nique said.
A railway strike which tied up
traffic in the whole Paris area help
ed. along with the police strike, in
clearing the way for the French
to wrest control of the city, French
headquarters in London said. So de-
termined were the employees to stop
traffic that some of them lay full
length across the rails.
Crack SIS elite guard troops form
ed part of the Paris garrison, and
these placed machineguns at stra-
tegic intersections in a futile at
tempt to break up the massing of
crowds.
As the outbreak started neonlo