Evening star., 1944-07-02
9th Division Loofs After Capture of Cherbourq
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S1I D5VISIV1I IL
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ing two of his infantry regiments
were confering on the brink of the
great westward push which was to
cut the Cherbourg Peninsula, leav-
ing the enemy defenders of the port
in rat hole.
A sniper was operating from the
foliage of q nearby apple tree while
l was standing there. A bullet
passed through trouser leg of one
of the colonels without scratching
him.
Enviable Battle Record.
The men of the 9Th were in tip
top shape and calling for action.
They had an enviable record, having
been among the first in the North
African landing 18 months ago
turned the tide of battle in Southern
Tunisia, swept through the poppy
fields of the Sejanine to capture
bombwrecked Bizerte and fought
desperately through the dry Sicilian
hills west of Mount Etna to capture
the stronghold of Randazzo.
They had just arrived in France
after six months of Intensive train
ing in England. The problem of
Gen. Eddy and his colonies was new
to their experience, largely due to
the type of country.
Normandy is one OF the loveliest
lands on earth. It is land of apple
orchard after apple orchard, of pas
lures full of fat cows with full
udders, of ripening wheat fields, of
rich farmers, of big stone farm
houses. of ancient turreted chateaus
surrounded by moats whose water
Is green with algae, of frequently
recurring woodland.
Hedges Ideal Hiding Places.
But above all it is land Of
hedges. Fields, orchards and pas
lures for the most part are small.
Each is surrounded by an earthern
bank four to five feet high rising
out of a ditch, and osf-top of eseh
ditch is a thick hedge. The banks
provide perfect earth works. The
hedges are ideal hiding places for
snipers.
Gen. Eddy said this war the
nearest thing he had seen to m
dian warfare, a warfare of scouts
and sharpshooters.
1t was necessary for the most
part to take the hedges one by one
although for considerable stretches
at times they were undefended. Four
or five Germans protected by one
OF the earth banks could cause great
damage to company advancing
in the open and it seemed at times
as If every tree had its sniper.
The officers considered the prob
lem from all angles in this barn
yard not far from the town of Ste.
Mere Eglise, where an American
cemetery was being laid out in the
ditch. Beside them lay three dead
Germans.
Bullets Begin to Whistle.
A battalion Of infantry came
briskly up the road, the men walk
ing in two single files along each
ditch. 1t looked peaceful enough,
but bullets began to whistle about
our heads and it was necessary to
deploy across the fields, taking shell
ter at each hedge row until rifle
men could flush 1t of snipers.
hour or more, and the operations
usually resulted in a few casualties.
1t was hard to spot these Snipers.
They Wore camouf1age capes of ap-
ple-leaf green, which caused them
to blend almost perfectly with the
foliage. When such a sniper was
spotted, 1t was sure death, as five
or six rifles were turned on him.
American soldiers have had little
occasion to use their rifles in this
war before. Sometimes they have
wondered if all the intensive small
arms training had not been a waste
OF time. The country fought over
before has not afforded much op-
portunity for craftsmanship. Now
this training paid enormous divi-
dends.
I stayed with the battalion all
afternoon. 1t was a rather monot-
onous afternoon in some ways. with
the long pauses behind hedgerows.
sometimes men would take maps
while the bushes were being flushed.
Ihe sun was warm, the apple trees
were in bloom, the birds were sing
ing. What lay ahead still was
good deal OF mystery.
Sharp Brush With Snipers.
The two infantry regiments con-
tlnued this sort of fighting all the
next day. I accompanied the head
quarters Of one of the most famous
regiments in the American Army
while it captured signal truck full
OF valuable radio equipment, brought
In about 40 prisoners, most of whom
were from a medical unit. and had
one sharp brush with snipers and
hidden field pieces while crossing
an open pasture.
Barely had we started to bivouac
for the night when word came that
one of the battalions commanded
by 1t. Col. Michael B. Kaufman of
Sheridan, Wyo., had forced a cross
ing OF the Douve River and was now
on the western bank in the little
town of Nehou with the enemy
threatening a counterattack and
with their ammunition nearly ex-
hausted
The crossing of the Douve was