Evening star., 1944-08-20
War Review
Nazi Rout in France
PreSages Victory
By Howard p. Bailey

AAAoAA AAiOo dS hNI NIdIlCiicS WllcTc Jut
Normandy and Brittany Peninsulas
unite at their base, has reached such
proportions that the battle of France
Is nearly won.
The German high command, hard
put to supply reserves and materiel
to support three-front war In
Western France, Northern italy and
all along the Russian borders, last
week faced new problem when the
American 7th Army under command
of 1t. Gen. Patch of Guadalcanal
fame made sudden and highly
successful landing on the shores of
Southern France and quickly eX-
panded number of beachheads, into
a strongly held sector which yester-
day extended laterally about SO miles
and inland at least 80 miles at some
points.
Unbelievable as it may seem,
American casualties in the landings
did not exceed 800, while in the first
phase of the landing more than
1000 prisoners were taken. The new
front along the Riviera now runs
from point just below Cannes to
La Lavandou on the coast and then
moves inland to turn south again in
a movement intended to flank the
naval base at Toulon where the loyal
French scuttled their fleet rather
than have it fall in enemy hands.
Aimed at Rhone Valley.
The present direction of the drive
is toward the Rhone Valley, up
which an inviting path leads to the
interior of France
The success of the new landing was
materially aided by thousands of
parachutists who dropped behind
the German fixed Notifications. The
troops occupying the defensive posi-
tions, many of whom were i'm
pressed natives of overrun terri
. tories. quickly surrendered. 1t is
probable that mechanical units of
this southern Allied army will strike
out to meet units of 1t. Gen. Pat
tons forces coming down from the
north to meet them
Everywhere in, the interior of
France the patriots are arising to
strike at the enemy behind the lines
and many small garrisons of few
hundred Nazis who have ruled
French towns and cities with an
iron hand are being isolated and
slain Or captured. The French
Army of the Interior, which has
been secretly training under reg
ular army officers and sergeants
and which has appeared well armed
with plenty of light artillery and
mortars as we'll as machine guns
Is proving of tremendous value not
only in the south but in North
western France.
Under present tactics, Allied
mechanical forces divide and sur
round the enemy and the French
patriots mop up the units so iso-
lated or aid fast driving Allied
infantry in accomplishing this
result.
Patton Advances Vital.
Spectacular and successful as the
landing in Southern France was, the
important action of the week was
largely connected with the advance
of Patton's Sd Army columns which
are now in the suburbs of Paris.
whose citizens have gone wild with
JOY, and which have. according to
German reports, reached the banks
OF the Seine at Vernon and Nantes.
All week long, the main issue was
whether 1t would be possible to close
the gap at Falaise and entrap the
German 7th Army. Patton's armor
and the Canadians around Caens
steadily narrowed the mouth of the
sack but toward the end of the week
1t was admitted that most of the
mechanical units had managed to
pull eastward and northward to
escape the trap.
However, it was a case of out of
the frying pan into the fire If the
more easterly units of the Patton
forces have now reached the Seine
and pinned the enemy down in
larger but sturdier moose. The only
escape now appears to be across the
Seine, all Of whose bridges but one
have been destroyed. 1t was re-
ported that the enemy has concen-
trated large numbers of boats and
bargeS to evacuate the remnants of
their 7th Army which is estimated
to consist of 10000 to 100000 men
in miniature Dunquerque. Clear
ing weather however. has proven
die c n ho ha A11iol
air force has struck heavily at the
boats.
There were evidences that the
Germans had moved a considerable
number of units of their 18th Army
which constituted the principle de-
fense of the shores in the Pas-de-
Calais area into the Normandy
battle front. around Caens and these
units, already badly battered, are in
the same entrapment as the 7th
Army.
Strike Toward lie Hayre.
Taking advantage of the weaken
ing of the Nazi force north of the
original Normandy beachhead,
British and Canadians have launched
an offensive toward LIE Havre and
the rocket-launching area. In its
initial stages this now drive has
progressed to Cabourg and Dives
sur-Mer about 13 miles northwest of
Caens and about II miles from LIE
Havre. Success in that direction is
ardently sought by the British for
there can be little doubt but that
the British are feeling the effects of
the buzzbombS which still come over
intermittently, day and night.
The Nazis claim, incidentally, that
their bigger bomb, the W., is now in
Use and that it is guided by a pilot
who balls out over the target area.
A glance at the map on this page.
which indicates only a relatively
small part of France under Allied
control, hardly gives true picture
of the situation for Allied command
ers have emphasized that success lies
not in the occupation of any specific
amount of territory, but rather in
the crushing Of the enemy's armies.
Since D-day German losses in
France In killed, captured or
wounded are estimated to have
reached well beyond 100000, and