Evening star., 1944-07-12
Yanks Seize Key Hill
After Taking Losses
5to|id|y for 7 Weeks
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star War Correspondent.

WITH UNITED STATES FORCES
IN NORMANDY, July II (Delayed
For two weeks American infantry
men had bided their time in the
dark northern shadow of Hill 1872.
The little hill, only about 800 feet
high, is crowned with diamond
shaped beech forest and thick un-
Idergrowth. On the northern slope
there are hedgerows and orchards,
on the southern slope are woodlands
reaching the main Caumont- to-St.
I,o road.
The height is st. Los biting
watchdog, with Germans intermit-
tently pouring mortar fire into
American bivouacs. 1t Is an irri-
tating spot. For tactical reasons
the infantry delayed its attack.
Nearly three weeks ago Battalion
Comdr. Maj. Orlando Barsanti of
Colman, Tex. in quick move. ac-
tually held the crest a short time.
He was forced to withdraw.
The American forces have pa
tiently taken their punishment.
Hill 1872 became a curse word.
Last night came the welcome Or
ders to wipe 1t out.
Hill Heavily Fortified.
1t is one of the strongest points
and the highest elevation in st. Los
perimeter defenses, and the city, in
turn, is one of the major points of
enemy main resistance on a line
extending to Caen. roughly parallel
to the sea and about Is miles in
land.
On the hill slope are deep dug
outs and log barricades. 1t is de-
Tended by machine guns, grenades,
and mortars by the German troops,
which include paratroopers. All are
excellent troops.
The attack opened with an ar
,tillery barrage, starting at $50 a m.
and lasting for an hour. pouring
hundreds Of tons of shells on an
area 400 feet square. The dawn air
bombing was called of because of
the weather.
An intense barrage followed all
morning, concluding with a rolling
barrage, behind which the infantry
proceeded up the slope in an in
fantry- -tank-engineer combination.
A tank preceded each infantry
squad AS a guard 1t was accom-
panied by four engineers.
Barrage Dazed Germans.
The infantry flushed the hedge
rows. The engineers would guide
the tank to a point where it could
stick its nose through a hedgerow
and blow path through the en-
bankment.
The tank-engineer infantry COM
bination depended on the artillery
barrage as If it was a moving wall.
The enemy field fortifications
were so strong it was necessary to
attack while the foe was still dazed
by the shelling. The Germans
emerged from dugouts numb with
shock.
In the late forenoon, the clouds
cleared and more than so Thunder
bolts dive bombed the German DO
sitions. Each ship made two runs,
one bombing and one strafing.
Early in the afternoon, the crest
was taken and the troops advanced
through the woods down the south
slope to the road. Our losses were
light.
1t was a perfect day, said the
men. over the shell-burned body OF
st. Los watchdog.
American Prisoner Freed.
Twenty -one-year-old Robert Fu-
silier, 5-year veteran from Port
Arthur. Tex, in quest of ammuni-
ton, found an enemy pistol and
stuck his rife into a dugout en-
trance to force the surrender of six
Germans and release John Simpson
OF Park Ridge, ILL.,, who had been
held captive for five hours. The
freed soldier warmly shook the
hands of all his ex-captors In ap-
probation for the kindness with
which he was treated.
""uSAiCN UAiC duFdIlIC OVSI
burned carcass of Hill 1872 from an
artillery forward observation post in
a cider barrel" 1000 gallon thick
store cistern used by Norman peas
ants to harden cider.
In the company were three Vir-
ginia soldiers. Sherman Carter of
Norton, Charles Sewers Of Bartons-
vile and Louis Wooten of Lynch
burg.
The hill capture was the most i'm
portant Of the days advances. All
along the American front. our
troops were approaching the main
line OF enemy resistance with heavy
firepower.
Outposts were penetrated at sew