Evening star., 1944-07-23

d its military hospital, and other places
all have the same spirit 1t is the spirit
Of the parachutists, glider men, artillery
and every other component that goes
with this fighting outfit of American
soldiers.
I can tell you something OF how they
felt about the German and his murder
Gus S8 mm artillery. The general was
giving out some medals to the boys one
night in the little square Of Caren-
tan. A platform had been built below
the statue to the French dead OF the.
other war. Just below the world La
Mort Pour la Patrie," were three para
chutes, red, white and blue. Eleven men
were to receive the Silver Star. Just
as colonel finished reading the second
citation the 88s pumped In two shells
40 yards from the platform.
I was knocked down by the rush of
French civilians to the building line,
and when was able to disentangle my
self from the screaming French there
was scene typical OF war. High up on
the platform stood two generals, and
several men of lower rank, on their feet
as the dust cleared away. Maj. Dunahy
and other officers we're on their feet on
the cobblestones below. Most Of the
men of the battalion of honor were on
their feet, too. No one knew whether
Jerry would pump in some more shells
and blast down some more houses in the
square but the Americans were soldiers.
They didn't falter in the face of shell
fire A woman died in my arms a few
moments later, half her head torn away
by the 88. There were many casualties.
but the 8Ss couldn't scare the men of
the division. They had heard and felt
them before.
Cold.Steel Charge.
Cold steel? Yes, the 10lst used it, and
Jerry didn't like it. In the first bayonet
charge of this war men Of the battalion
commanded by stalwart 1t. Col. Robert
Cole of San Antonio, Tex, got tired Of
the hammering and pounding of Ger
man mortars, the cross-fire of the SSs
and the internal chatter of the Schmeis-
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to their foxholes on the sides OF the
north south road into Carentan. The
Germans were we'll set up in holes and
small houses south and west of the road,
pouring a murderous fire on the Amer
icans fighting their way into Carentan.
II was lying in the ditch and decided
to get out" said Col. Cole. II decided
the best way was to attack. We called
for smoke from the artillery, and then
charged. The Jerry didn't like it,
There were $50 men in that cold steel
charge, the first man-to-man mass fight
in the Normandy campaign. Some Of
them died, but most of them got
through. When they got through the
Germans had died in their foxholes, in
the flooded fields, and in the houses
they defended. The men of Coles outfit
charged with bayonets, grenades and
knives. In all they killed about 200 Jer-
ries in half an hour. I saw the battle
sanguinary. There was more hand-to-
hand fighting around 2:30 that day.
after an abortive truce had been rieeed
up to bury the dead. But the Ameri-
cans ended 1t after German artillery IRE
started on their newly won positions.
Brave Actions.
There were hundreds Of other actions,
some Of the patrol variety and all Of
them brave. There was the action of
the outfit commanded by 1t. Col
Michaeis, for which he got . Silver
Star. west Of Carentan, when some OF
the men were wounded, and 4 medic
used up 90 units Of plasma in one day,
aided by captured German doctors.
There was the quick thinking Of q major
who spoke voluble French. A short
time after the divisions H-hour he was
leading . patrol along hedserow seek
Ing rendezvous with larger force.
"Achtung." said the German chal-