The Wilmington morning star., 1944-06-26
WHITEHEAD VIEWS
CHERBOURG BATTLE


But Cherbourg proper is un-
touched by our artillery IRE
which is concentrated on
points Of resistance.
Late this afternoon the Ger
mans blew up Fort Desfia-
mands. A mighty explosion rip
ned out the sides of the fort
ress and clouded the: eastern
half of the city in dense smoke.
There were explosions OF 9TH
er demolitions as the troops
advanced.
Cherbourg's basin was an IN
ferno of artillery explosions,
flames, smoke ard dust today
one of the most spectacular
and awesome sights I have
ever seen.
And then, when the troops
began the final attack at 2 p.
M, q sudden quiet descended
over the battlefield ghostly
sort of silence which was ur,r
broken for minutes by the nois-
es Of battle. The only sound l
remember was the crunch of
shoes on the gravel as the
doughboys marched on Cher
bourg.
Even though they were told
to stand by their gurs or be
shot as towards, the Germans
broke under the steady ham,
mering of artillery and purs-
sure from the doughboys, and
did not put up the house-to-
house defense many expected
them to do.
1 sat ON a bluff overlooking
the city this morning and
watched artillery and navy
guns work at the, job of "con-
pletely crushing" the enemy.
Rarely in warfare does one
get q ringside seat at close
range and see the spectacular
pyrotechnics such as we look
ed at today.
Our seat was on the bluff
above the old stone quarry
which had been headquarters
for an enemy coast artillery
outfit. A dozen or more troops
and a few newsmen sat in the
warm sun in plain view Of the
enemy and looked at the bat
tie.
IT never have seen anything
like this, even in pictures"
said Sergeant Richard Nichols
of Jackson, Tenn, an artillery
observer.
Neither had any of us.
Shells were bursting on =
sand spit near Fort Desfia-
mands, east of the harbor's
main inner channel where the
Germans had q battery Of big
guns blasting away at our posi-
lions. We could see the flash
of these guns and the enemy
walking about them.
Observers finally ranged in
on the positions and gray
bursts from our Smelling mush-
roomed up.
LAY something on them"
shouted 1t. James Timothy
Kennedy of Warren Apart
ments, Washington, d. C.
"Man, this is something that
happens to q mortal man once
in a lifetime-to be Il BILE to
. fire like this at extreme
range"
"That's what I'm DOING"
said the observer.
Shells then were crashing on
the sand spit. Soon four or
five guns were silenced but
the Germans would run from
underground shelters at inter-
walls, fire their remaining wea-
pons and run back to their
shelter.
We've got them running
around like wild men," chort-
led Sgt. Nichols.
Below US troops carried dy-
Mantle toward q tunnel In q
quarry.
eve cleaned out that tunnel
yesterday, or thought we had"
said Timothy. But it is a reg
ular rabbit warren Of holes
and tunnels. This morning
Germans came out with ma
chine-gun and gave us more
trouble, SO we are going to seal
the whole thing.
Through a high powered tele-
scope I watched doughboy pa
troll led by 1t. Shirley Lam
don, ZIG West Mansfield. Spo-
kane, WASH, working its way
toward the city, feeling out
defenses and checking each
house along a road. 1t was
apparent they were meeting no
opposition.
Across a narrow valley on
the next ridge there was a
movement of men. They were
identified as doughboys of an
other unit. We could see tanks
nosing through hedges, getting
into position to fire on the
beaches.
Then just outside the harbor
we saw boats laying q smoke
screen, shutting back and
forth with streamers of white
smoke trailing them. The Ma
Wy had arrived to help the
Army batter the enemy's de-
lenses.