FRANKFURT — Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to his SHAPE headquarters near Paris today after completing a whirlwind 18-hour visit to troops winding up "Exercise Combine."
Eisenhower left Rhine-Main Air Base aboard his plane at 9 am after an L17 liaison plane had flown him from an air strip near Friedberg where he saw 2d Armd and 4th Inf Div troops attacking the little town near Bad Nauheim.
The Allied supreme commander toured the "front" near Friedberg in an automobile flying his newly adopted green and gold SHAPE flag. Eisenhower was briefed on the assault by Col A. E. Schanze, 8th Inf Regt CO and Cal Robert G. Lowe, CO of the 2d Armd Div's Combat Cmd R, but it was to the enlisted men in the maneuver that Ike turned his attention for the most part.
He questioned infantrymen, tankers and artillerymen about the attack. He fired questions about their position, strength, weapons, support, their mission and just how they were going to carry it out.
He got a squad-leader's view of the assault from 8th Inf Sgt Arthur T. Blevins and was filled in on what part individual tankers were playing in the maneuver by Sgt Donald E. Liimatta, a 2d Armd Div tank commander.
Eisenhower expressed interest in the Air Force team operating with ground forces during the attack calling for air strikes by radio when needed. Capt Douglas N. Taylor, 36th Fighter-Bomber Wing, explained the working of his tactical air control party.
The SHAPE commander gave a few pointers on how to camouflage 105-MM howitzers and 155-MM self-propelled guns to Capt William R. Eiler and Sfc Ernest T. Hawkins, 18th FA Bn. He pointed out that breaking .the silhouette of the big guns with camouflage netting was most important.
Gen Thomas T. Handy, EUCOM, commander-in-chief, Lt Gen Manton S. Eddy, 7th Army CG, and Maj Gen Williston B. Palmer, 2d Armd Div CG, accompanied Eisenhower on the tour. Eisenhower saw Maj Gen Harlan N. Hartness, 4th Inf Div CG, briefly at an advance air strip before he took off for Rhine-Main.
