Evening star., 1944-07-09

meters east of La Haye, with thu
little village of Lithaire changing
hands several times before the Nazil
finally were ejected-on what wa.
hoped would be = permanent basis
Only a few points of resistance
remained to be steamrolled in thu
La Haye perimeter.
There don't seem to be many
Of them in the town itself, but some
are still dug in around the edges,
Said 1t. Richard Halligan. Troy
N. Y. But we've got them clampec
from two sides and are dropping
artillery on the south road out OF
town. They either have to try tc
make 4 break for it-and risk get
ting brushed OF the road by shells
Or stay there and be captured
1t suits us either way"
Surprised Nazis Captured.
Earlier in the day foot patrol.
went into town and emerged after
capturing a dozen surprised Nazis
A few were told they could 60 back
in and inform the remaining Ger.
mans in La Haye they could escapt
the razing bombardment II they
surrendered Immediately. None O
the prisoners would 60 back int
town-they were glad to be out o
the war and glad to be out Of th'
town where they had been subjected
to heavy firing for days.
AS I walked into this command
post only a few hundred yards from
the outskirts of the village = trucl
drove past with two young Naz
| prisoners. They had just been tax
en- and wore sullen expressions.
'They are just bunch Of youni
grouches," said PIT. Raymond E
Winkowski, Philadelphia. we arr
getting plenty fed up with the wa.
they fire every round in the gun al
us and then want to give them.
selves up"
Sniper Caught on Roof.
I'VE caught one sniper on roof,
said Pfc. Elmer Fernow, %, Lemay
Mo, who was sitting behind a stone
wall by Pfc. Winkowski. "Wher
he started to climb down from thu
roof he fell of and broke his leg
That was pretty good"
Pic. Fernow and his fellow dough
boys were burned up because they
had seen many Of their comrades
become casualties in this ambush
country where every hedgerow hold
either an enemy machine gun, I
sniper, a mine or a BOBBY trap.
MY best buddy lost both hi
legs" said Pic. Fernow. He wa
lying in a ditch with his leg
stretched out. An .88 hit at tn,
edge Of the road and shell splinte
took of his legs. He was still liv
ing when the medics took him ava!
but I don't know whether he Il
still alive"
At one end OF another commant
post 1t. Col. j. P. Davis. Bainbridg,
Island, Seattle. Wash, showed us ,
German machinegun dugout in ,
hedgerow giving it commanding
sweep for more tnan 4 mile.
Heavy Fire Described.
That shows you what We had :.
face to take this place." he said
I'VE had to come across that oper
country. When our doughboys go
to that ditch 800 yards away the!
opened up on us-just to drive u
into the ditch. They had mortar
already zeroed in and plastered tn,
ditch from one end to the other
That's the kind of trap they lik'
and there isn't much you can dt
about 1t as long as you're attacking
But when we drop few shells in or
them they pull out and run back Il
the next prepared position. Their
the whole business begins ovel
again. That's why it takes so long
The La Have area is marked witt
many signs of the six-day battle
Destroyed German trucks. motor.
cycles and abandoned equipment
litter the road shoulders and owe
the whole sector spreads the stinl
OF death from the carcasses of dair,
cows and horses killed by shells
bullets and BOBBY traps meant t,
kill men.