Evening star., 1947-09-14
By Robert S. Allen


Third Army officially became oper-
ational August l, 1945. engaged in
flaming battle in two directions and
going like a bat out of hell in both
In the east, south of Caen, Mont
gomery had advanced only slightly
His earlier offensive had spent his
forces. This ill-advised frontal as
sault had run head on into massed
German 88-mms. and large-caliber
AA guns. The wall of heavy artll-
lery moved them down in a Welter
of tremendous casualties in men and
tanks. After a month of all-out
effort Caen finally was taken. But
the operation practically destroyed
British armor.
In the center, 1st Army had ad-
vanced IL miles south of st. Lo
and was pressing forward on a con-
cave line.
An Open Secret
Lucky's jump-of was under veil
of official secrecy that SHAEF (Su-
preme Headquarters, Allied EXpedi-
tionary Force continued in the
United States for several weeks. But
Nazi radios began screaming I'D
Army" within a few days.
The Sd Army had overrun all OF
Brittany and was deep in Central
France before SHAEF released the
fact. The same thing occurred in
the Battle of the Bulge in Germany
The usual explanation was "securi-
ty." But the Sd Army darkly
suspected other eaSons-personal
and political.
SHAEF's sit-down Of the Sd
Army in September, 1915, when the
Saar and Paiatinate lay wide open
before it, left a soaring scar from
which the Sd Army never recovered.
Thereafter it judged everything
SHAEF did in the light of this
tragic blunder.
The second phase of Sd Army's
epic offensive opened with the Ger
mans belatedly tapping their strong
Pas de Calais reserves to reinforce
their crumpling front west Of the
Seine.
CO estimated the enemy had lost
over 25o,OOO killed, wounded and
PU, and was experiencing great
difficulty moving reserves, because
of the airs devastating isolation Of
the battle area.
"A Record Advance
In IA days, Lucky had advanced
farther and faster than any army
in all history. 1t had conquered
more territory than any other army
in a comparable time. Now it was
closing in for a great kill.
In the north, Montgomery finally
had stopped pivoting on Caen ano
had pushed forward southeast tc
about halfway to Falaise. In the
center, 1st Army was destroying
the last enemy remnants in the
Mortain sector.
German Army threw its best re-
manning troops para and Panzers)
into the battle to keep an escape
route open.
The north-South highway tC
Alencon was captured August II
and two days later I'd French anc
5th United States Armored, followed
closely by 18th and Goth Infantry
Divisions, seized Carrouges ano
Sees. German resistance crumpiec
with the capture Of this line. XIV
Corps then hurtled pursuing spear.
heads on Argentan.
As I'd French and 5th Armoreo
tanks hammered on the heels of the
routed Germans, XIX TAG pilots
reported a major withdrawal under
way toward the Argentan- -Falaise
gap.
The Trap Was Set
One XIX TAG squadron spotted
805-1 900 motor vehicles milling
around west of Argentan. Pouncins
on them with bombs and guns, the
whooping PATS bagged their big.
gest MT (motor transport kill Of
the month, claiming 400-500 We.
hicles burned or blown up.
/ The trap was set. All that re-
manned was to spring it. XIV Corps
had penetrated to Falaise.
Sealing the IS miles between tn,
! two towns with solid armorec
barrier was only matter of hours
! The enemy was in rout. Their
was nothing to. stop Sd Army.
/ Except SHAEF and its high-leve
politics.
What the Germans could not d.
SHAEF did. Third Army was sa
down. Patton was ordered not tt
seize Falaise.
SHAEF's explanation for the sit
down was the claim that the Brit.
ish had heavily sown the Falaise
area with time bombs.
The real reason was Montgomery
insistence that he close the gap
! He demanded-and got his way
that Patton be halted from spring
ing the trap he had forged.
Montgomery did not reach Falaise
for several days. And the gap
which XIV Corps could have barred
in hours, was not closed finally unit
August 19.
During that time the bulk of the
trapped German armor escaped. tr
fight again and kill United States
and British troops on other battle
fields.
There was one force, however
Montgomery could not keep from
Falaise. The air.
Fighter-bombers blazed over the
- 11a1I11iayNrn