The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-09-05
Potton's Men Buck Nozis
BY ROBERT c, RICHARDS

With U. s, Third Army on Moselle River, Sept, (, (uP)-Lt. Gen, George s, Pattons battle -grimed fighters came to grips tonight with the Germans In the tiny village of Port-a-MouSSon, astride the Moselle lS miles south of Metz,
 CThiS dispatch was the first word direct from the Third Army front in several days)
 After scattered fighting between patrols early this morning, the Ger mans withdrew to the east bank of the riVern blowing up the bridges across the eo.foot Moselle behind them.
 Late tonight the Americans definitely held half of the burning town, while Germans hidden In the high hills across the river were pounding tho west bank with machine guns and 8s's,
 Although patrols previously had stabbed across the vital waterway guarding the last Nazi defenses in Northeastern France, this was the only point at which American troops were standing on the MoSelle in substantial strength,
 We rolled into the village about 1 p, m, when artillery fire ceased, Only the trailing columns of blue smoke rising over the edge of the town near the waters edge betrayed the fact that . battle had taken place,
 A Sweat.Streaked lieutenant said most of the Germans pulled back across the river about 5 Q, m, but scattered fighting from house to house continued until 10 q, m,
 They have been shelling the hell out of this part of town all day" he said, But they are lousy shots, and haven't hit me yet"
 French villagers said many Ger. mans were unable to make their way across the river and were hids ing on our side waiting for night to try again,
 Uneasy Feeling
 Two young French brothers, Fran. eois and Paul, led the way up the hill for e look across the river, We had an uneasy feeling as we crept along Q stone path, because we real. ized it was possible that Germans with machine guns might be in the bushes behind us. And we knew for certain that both artillery and machine guns were looking down on us from across the river.
 While we crouched in a plum orchard and trained glasses on the hills across the river, attempting to discern German positions, ma chine gun fire rattled intcrmittently on our left,
 Two Mustang fighter planes roll. ing overhead told why the Nad ar. tillery suddenly ceased firing. Now near the waters edge the silence some times was broken by a single angry Spat of some American car. bine.
 Villagers squatted or stood by the roadside and watched the American infantrymen walking their steady, plodding gait on both sides o! the main highway, moving toward the town.
 Relief
 The sight of them was a relief to the civilian French, who fully ex. pected the Germans to attempt to swarm into their half of the town again tonight.
 The proof of what happened yes- terday in the nearby village of Matincourt and Nancy was enough to make them dread a possible re- turn of the NaziS.
 Capt. F, Coe Kerr of New York city, with the same outfit moving into-Po A Mousson, told what happened. there.
 We came through Martincourt at ( p. m. yesterday" he said, and found the city completely burned mad five civilian machine -guuned.
 "The villagers told us French forces of the interior entered the town a few hours earlier, hunting food, and got into fight with the Germans who surprised them. The EFT retreated from the village. leav. ing behind one youth with a broken leg.
 "The Germans machine gunned him, and then half-tracks moved through the village, hurling incen- diary grenades and firing 20 nm incendiaries. We found one old man of 72 who had been picking apples and was hit from the rear. He law with the apples and his cap beside him, burned to a cinder.
 Wanton Destruction
 The Germans had no complaint against any of them, other than that they fed FIT members. They rolled the same half-tracks through the village and burned it entirely to the ground except for one small sec- ton.
 'sThey machine gunned nine civil- ians and severely wounded a young