The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-08-29
Soissons And Chateau Thierry Fall To Tanks
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on beyond Soissons and Chalons in a bid to collapse the entire Nazi defense position in northern France.
 Barely g miles beyond Chalons, which the Germans said Pattons men had entered, lay the forest of the Argonne, and beyond that his- toric Verdm and the Alsace-Lor- raine invasion road to Germany.
 Headquarters announced that the German armies of northern France had lost l22 900 killed and captured in their disastrous defeat in Nor- mandy, and it was indicated that the enemy had nothing left to make a stand short of the Siegfried Line, on the Franco-GeFman border.
 Speeding Troops
 Patton's troops were speeding through the broken enemy defenses as swiftly as on peacetime maneu- vers. with their rate of advance ape parently only checked by the mobil- ity of their supply columns.
 Berlin commentators said Pat- ton had thrown three army corps. totalling 10 divisions - possibly i50,O00 men - into the break through north of the Marne.. with another three divisions heading eastward from Troyes toward AL sace-Lorraine and the Saar valley
 As the American Third Army struck, British, Canadian and Amer ican units north of Paris surged across the Seine bridgehead. brought the river port of Rouen under rife fire and sent their tank columns stabbing northward for the robot bomb coast.
 South of the Marne, the Yankee armor was driving eastward at breakneck speed. sweeping through Coulomiers, La F'erte Gaucher, Montmirail and Sezanne. and on 10 the marshes of St. G0nd, just north east of Sezanne and more than 60 miles east of Paris.
 The graves of Americas dead at chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood. which had lain under the German heel for more than four years. were by-paSsed in the twin sweeps north and south Of the MarneAnd seemed certain to fall back into American hands without a struggle.
 Front reports indicated that the Memorial bridge across the Marne at chateau-Thierry and probably the other 1918 monuments around that American battle shrine still were intact.
 Patten's Trinmphs
 Patton's whirlwind trinmphs. which so far had failed 10 meet any serious German opposition, meant that the Nazis. if they wished to stand anywhere short Of Belgium and the Sedan Gap or the Rhine. must try to dig in on the Somme or Eambre lines. more than SO miles beyond the present front. Even those river barriers were not ex- peeted to prove a serious obstacle to the swift American drive.
 The first breakthrough was forced at Meaug. and the Americans plunged on l6 miles above the Marne to capture cuyergnon, n miles south-southeast of the his- Iorie forest of compiegne and 2i miles southwest of Soissons.
 The whereabouts Of the second column after it's crossing at Laterte- Sous JOurarre was not immediately disclosed, but it was believed to be heading northeastward for Belleau Wood and chateGu.Thierry.
 On their right flank, other AmeEt- can tanks. riflemen and mobile artil- lery were advancing at 2 rate Of better than a mile an hour, sweep ing eastward more than 2s miles in their drive from coulomiers to the st, 6ond Marshes,
 ls-Afiie Drive
 Farther to the southeast, Ameig1 can armored forces were disclosed officially to have driven i6 miles north of Proves beyond Arcis-isur Aube and about i5 miles northeast of Troyes toward vltFy-Le Francois, which the Germans said already had been captured.
 As the American line wheeled n0flheastgard toward the great battle-ground Of the last war, Allied tanks, infantry and guns poured through the Seine river bTldseheads In and above Paris in Q mighty tide that threatened t0 enguh all 0g the German positions along the robot bomb coast,
 Security blaeked out all official news on the progress Of the Allied forces across the Seine, but t was indicated that the main striking force was aimed n0rihwafd ai Dleppe, Amlens and B0uloRne.
 Only a few thousand survivors Of the German 7th Army remained on the southwest bank Of the Seine, fighting Eith small arms against overwhelming Allied land and Ar Forces,
 Enemy fsemnanls
 The emmy remnants were aquheAed Into the three great loops 0f the Seine between Rouen and the ChaE- mel, and trying desperately to fight llaelf way aer0as to safety. Allied planes and artillery maintained a