Berlin Beachhead

U.S. soldiers who fire guns, even for practice, in the Western Sector of Berlin have to be mighty careful, for Russian-held territory lies on every side. The only rifle range found suitable for U.S. troops is adjacent to popular, perennially crowded Wannsee Beach. One morning two weeks ago, as Major General Lemuel Mathewson's sharpshooters were at their daily target practice, a stray bullet nicked a seven-year-old girl building castles in the Wannsee sand. The child recovered nicely, but the general, to play safe, ordered the beach closed on weekday mornings thereafter.

It was as though New York's sweltering millions had been told to stay away from Coney Island. Free Berlin's press and public sweated in open indignation while Soviet Zone newspapers fanned their ire with hot blasts of anti-American propaganda. One doughty West Berliner defied both the general's edict and the guns by taking his usual morning dip clad in trunks, a medieval cuirass and a stahlhelm (see cut). The beachhead he established was held. Last week, West Berliners were once again taking their ease at Wannsee each morning. The sharpshooters were getting up in the middle of the night to do their target practice in the small hours, when nobody wanted to swim anyway.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.