Evening star., 1944-06-18
'YouCrazy Americans,
This Isn't War, Nazi
Prisoner Declares
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star War Correspondent.

WITH UNITED STATES fORCES
In FRANCE, June 17-Fast driving.
battle-searred infantry. pushing
westward without halt since dawn
yesterday and throughout a star
less night. early today firmly held
two bridges over the wide Douve
River between Saint Colombo and
Nehou and were halfway across the
Cherbourg peninsula.
You crazy Americans. This Is
not war. It's madness" said a
German captain among the more
than l00. prisoners taken in night
of fighting tactics In dark.
The river crossing followed das =
of hard fighting hedgerow to hedge
row, through sniper-filled blossom
ing apple orchards, and narrow
lanes.
Opposition Is Severe.
The opposition, severe at times,
consisted of remnants of German
units. We are now nearly in the
open.
mo boundaries any more. Moth
ing but Germans anywhere around
us. Operating high, wide, and
| handsome" read the instructions
/ issued shortly after dawn.
Late yesterday the Americans
forced their way to two bridges and
crossed TO Nehou before the enemy
had time to blow up one with
vanguard of tanks covered with
heavy infantry fire from the st.
Colombo bank.
Then the Americans found them
selves in Nehou with their ammuni-
ton nearly gone. The Germans
were launching a counterattack.
| A hurried message to headquarters
brought a "serenade." The artillery
concentrated fire on targets just
west of Nehou through which the
counterattack was moving.
Countryside Shakes.
The "serenade" shook the country
side for miles around. BY this time
the Americans were reinforced, while
other units were advancing toward
the river, clearing resistance pockets
in the rear
The infantry moved nearly 10
miles westward in the farthest
American penetration in Normandy
Starting with slow, cautious ad-
vance, hedgerow to hedgerow, of in
fantry, the drive developed today
into a major battle, continuing all
night as the infantry cleared heavy
resistance pockets to the north
around Orglandes to straighten out
the line there.
Some day! Some day!" said an
enthusiastic commander as the
"serenade" shook the apple blossoms
from trees in orchard headquarters.
Where is Cedric?" jocularly
asked a staff officer. Cedric is an
enemy sniper with machine pistol
who, hidden in a treetop, had taken
pot shots at the staff during the
past three days, but stayed invisible.
I'm sure going to miss Cedric"
Drivers Pinned Down.
just then came runner from the
division motor pool saying the driv-
ers were pinned down by a sniper
somewhere in a tree. 1t was un-
doubtedly Cedric" But Cedric re-
manned invisible.
The drive started at dawn. ac-
companied regimental headquarters
most of the day. crouching along
bitches clogged here and there with
German dead, half covered with
rain water.
Snipers left behind in retreat were
encountered every few minutes.
Bullets were cutting bushes with
sharp pings" of occasional shells
screaming overhead One ssniper
shot In q tree was found tied to a
branch for9support.
The lanes were Uttered with enemy
helmets caps and discarded papers.
A few prisoners were brought in,
mostly from the medical corps. We
crossed orchards Uttered with dead
cows and horses Three unhurt
heifers were shifting dead cows,
moaning curiously.
The countryside shows little sign
of war except unburied corpses
Norman farmers and their wives
hoe gardens, milk COWS and make
cheese, apparently oblivious to the
retreating Germans and advancing
Americans
This is exceptionally prosperous
land, with large red tile -roofed farm
houses and big, clean barnyards
everywhere. The apple-cheeked
women are uneXcited, but the liber-
alton is generally welcomed.