First Eye-Witnesses Stories Of How Allies Poured Into France

Northern Advocate, 7 June 1944, Page 4

First Eye-Witnesses Stories Of How Allies Poured Into France

(8.0. W.) RUGBY, June 6. Following is the first eyewitness’ story of operations from a correspondent at a Marauders' base. He says: From the cockpit of one of the many hundred planes r.upporting the Allied landing, I watched the battle rage on sea and in the air. Fields along the French Channel coast were dotted with parachutes or Allied airborne forces who had landed a few minutes before, and interspersed among the parachutes were aircraft, probably gliders. The first signs of the battle were flashes from the Channel below which, through the mist and naval smokescreen, gradually became distinguishable as the 'warships’ guns shelled the coast.

The Channel was not “jammed with shipping’’ as might have been expected, but on every hand were forces of ships, either battering the coastline or bringing up forces to take advantage of the beaches.

Pouring .Into Countryside

Flying back over the sea, flashes of the big naval guns showed where the West Wall was breached and where our troops were pouring into the countryside, mingled with plough and verdure. Thick hedges provided plenty of cover for our advancing troops and narrow lanes approaching the main arterial roads will be easily prepared for road barriers. Tonight, confirmation of the new Allied landing was rushed from the coast by Nazi motor cyclists, who were chased down a road below me by a fighter. Another correspondent said that the Luftwaffe was not in evidence, but from the ground the Germans put up a great barrage of flak against an absolute skyful of coursing planes running the gauntlet, from American single-seater Thunderbolt fighters to British four-engined Halifax bombers.’ Parachutes Blossom “To our right, as we dropped bombs on the coastline defences, a Liberator was hit by a burst of flak and exploded in a great burst of flame,” he said. “A few seconds later a Marauder from a formation ahead similarly was blasted to pieces, but parachutes blossomed forth from the smoke.” Another correspondent writing later says: “The second front has begun. I saw it open, and am back again on an English airfield. The situation seems to be/going well. The Luftwaffe has not yet put in an appearance in strength, and masses of manoeuvre on both sides are moving into* position. We began the day with a rain, of bombs from the air at dawn. Then came a naval bombardment and the first troops were just nosing inshore as I headed back to write this despatch with the spearhead of tactical bombers who went irflo attack enemy shore batteries.

“Before returning, I flew for miles inland, but saw no German armoured divisions on the move. The air umbrella exceeded that at Dieppe. No outfit seemed without its cover. There were so many of us in the air that we had to get up by co-ordinated degrees to avoid crossing each other’s lines.”