The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-08-21
PA7TON'S POWERHOUSE RACES
EASTWARD THROUGH FRANCE;
FIGHTS, FIRE RAGE IN PARIS
TROOPS FLANK
FAMED CAPITAL
Nearest American Column
Last Reported 10 Miles
From Heart OF City |

SUPREME HEADQUAR
TIERS ALLIED EXPEDI-
TIONARY FORCE, Monday(
Aug. 81. - up - 1t. Gen.
George S. Patton's armored
powerhouse raced eastward
through France on a 1000
mile front today, reaching
the Seine on both sides of
Paris. One column stabbed
within 10 miles of the French
capital where street fighting
r a g ed between partisans
and the tottering Germans.
Near Nantes, Is miles above Pa
ris, the Americans smashed in
force to the Seine, boxing in the
riddled, retreating remnants of the
German Seventh army. (The Ger
man radio said the Americans all
ready had crossed the Seine with
the aid of para chutists)
American columns also reached
the Seine at Vernon, As miles above
the capital and in the vicinity OF
Fontainbleau, IS miles southeast Of
Paris, as we'll as driving to the vi
cinity of Versailles, 10 miles from
the heart of the city.
Others were around Corbeil and
Melun, Is and Is miles respective
ly southeast. Farther south anoth-
err force neared Montargis after a
swing northeastWard above the
Loire river and 20 miles east Of
Orleans. g
AS the onslaught bulged uncheck-
ed IS miles beyond Charities
through the Orleans gap, threaten.
ing a great encircling sweep south
of Paris, Berlin dispatches indi-
Gated the German people were be.
ing prepared for wholesale with.
drawal from France to the Reich
borders. 49,
There still were no reports Of
any great stiffening Of German
defenses and from Paris itself
came the sound Of demolitions. The
Paris radio was silent through the
third way.
A Versailles resident told an Am
erican patrol near that city that
street fighting was raging in Paris
between students and patriots on
the one hand and German on the
other. He said there were numet
Gus fires in the city and urged that
Americans quickly come to the aid
of the Partisans. This resident said
he had been in Paris only two hours
previously.
The time of liberating Paris ap"
peared matter of Allied choosing
but there was more at stake than
Paris itself.
Although the capital in the pub
lie view is one of the biggest plums
of victory, one Allied officer COM
mented, we're shaking the tree to
uproot the German army, not pri.
marily to get the fruit.
Nevertheless, in anticipation Of
possible early Allied occupation Of
| the cdplual, deIl. NHoI1eS Oc va tAAS
and Brig. Gen. Joseph Pierre Koe-
mig, commander of the French lib
Grafton forces, flew to Gen. Dwight
Eisenhower headquarters Sunday
for a half-hour conference. No news
of the decisions was given out but
De Gaulle emerged smiling.
Patton's formidable battle array
was in position to smash through
on either side, north across the
Seine toward the Pas de Calais or
on through the gap around Paris
to the south-or both. There was
no inclination among the staff Of
ficers here to disclose which way
he would strike.
Above Paris retreating German
Seventh army soldiers under Al.
lied air attack were swimming and
ferrying across the Seine to es-
cape being hemmed in by the AM
orleans. i
1