Evening star., 1944-10-29

ob sisters and political 1oriters."
ness a parade. A. P Photo.
the foot. Practically all transport OF
troops and supplies was confined to
single hard-surfaced highway roughly
paralleling the sea.
Along this road trucks were running
bumper to bumper almost night and
day. The position, Of course, would
have been untenable If the Luftwaffe
had been in the air. But during the
winter German air power had been
essentially destroyed as a striking force.
So the enormous volume of traffic con-
tinued day after day. almost undis-
turbed. All the time substantial Ger
man forces were. in places, only two or
three miles south Of this road.
Then 1t Happened
Then came the great break Through
at MarignyAwest of st. Lo- carried
out primarily by the 1st Infantry Divi-
sion. which had been quickly shifted
from the American left flank, and the
I'd and Sd Armored Divisions while other
troops conducted a stubborn holding
operation. The break-through was an
unquestioned success, reaching the sea
at Granville on the western coast of
the Cherbourg Peninsula
Immediately following this came the
smash southwark of the Goth Division
which captured the rubble heap which
had been the little city of Periers with
hardly any losses-a notable triumph,
for in the preceding month this divi-
sion had suffered the heaviest casualties
Of any American troops in France.
To the eastward there was still stub
born fighting, destined to continue with
heavy American losses for another
month.
The 4th and 9Th Armored Divisions
struck southwark through Periers. To
their own amazement they met with
almost no opposition. I happened to
catch up with the 4th Armored as,
without firing shot. it rolled into the
old cathedral city of Coutances. I'M
pressed enemy troops-Poles, Russians
and Mongols-left without leaders, sur
rendered in vast numbers: At one place,
for example, more than 1000 mostly
slant-eyed mongols, marched down a
side road in body, holding up their
hands. They had been hiding in the
woods. waiting for an opportunity to
give up.
In the outskirts Of Coutances one
man was wounded slightly by a sniper.
The news spread rapidly up and down
the line. The 4th Armored was proud.
1t had its first purple heart. The prog
ress through Coutances and the i'm
portant road junction city of Avranches
on the edge of Brittany was victory
parade rather than a battle-fantastic
to any one who had taken part in the
fighting of the past few weeks.
The Dash on lie Mans
At this point the 9Th, 90th and 10th
Divisions were to mop up behind the
tanks The 4th Armored and 9th Divi-
sions swung westward through Brittany,
invested st. Malo and captured Rennes.
The goth, 10Th and 7th Armored Divi-
sions swung in a great loop southeast
ward through Mayenne, Erne, Laval to
lie Mans-the latter the largest city yet
taken in France. The ball was carried"
by the Goth Division commanded by
Brig. Gen. Raymond Mclean, peacetime
Oklahoma City banker and the only
civilian officer at that time intrusted
with high command. The division,
split into two combat teams, carried out
bold maneuver. Both combat teams
cut themselves off from their supply
lines in their final dash on lie Mans.
This move was the basis of Gen. Pat
toms announcement that the Sd Army
had turned the enemy's left flank"
This was true. The Goth, 18th and 7th
Armored had swung the outer claw Of
the 'kel and kessel" maneuver which
the Germans had used 80 successfully
In the conquest Of France around the
enemy forces. 1t was accomplished
relatively without opposition, without
bloodshed. The enemy forces were being
held by the 1st Army which was press
ing them from the north and west while
the British were pushing In from the
north and east.
The 10th and 7th Armored swung
northeastward, establishing themselves
at Dreux, about 80 miles west of Paris.
The Goth turned northward, taking
Alencon and pushing on to Cambois
against which British elements were
moving from the north. Meanwhile
armored elements Of the Sd Army had
pushed on as far as Chatres which was
supposed to have been captured.
This was costly error so far as cor
respondents were concerned. 1t cost the
lives Of three Of them-but that is an
other story. Motorized cavalry units OF
the Sd Army pushed even farther
toward Paris and . story was broadcast