The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980, February 21, 1943, Page 1, Image 1

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Rationing Data,
Blanks Given
(Se Pages 1, 14)
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Mon. sunrise 8:02
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Salem, Orecjon. Sunday Morning, February 21. 1343
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" . By HAROLD V. BOYLE
" WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN SOUTHERN TUFv
!Feb. 16-(Delayed) (JPy-A lone General Sherman tank bole v" ,
en a last-ditch, running fight with 10 German tanks in '-4 o
save an American column of light vehicles from destr o, and
destroyed four Mark IVs before the crew was forr eave
their own shell-riddled and flaming tank, i v
Their act, which, in one soldier's estimate, sa Ameri
can lives, was hailed by officers and men alike a the most
gallant engagements of the African war.
, . The tank, which single-handed fought a German column, in
cluding one giant 52-ton Mark VI to a standstill, was named "The
Texas" and the battle it put up against hopeless odds was a little
.Alamo but with every American emerging alive.
The action took place February 14 when American forces out
cumbered more than two to one, tangled with more than 100 Ger
man tanks in the greatest battle of its kind in Tunisia,
i y The US tanks suffered severe losses in both men and equipment,
but inflicted eaual or greater damage on the German foe, and kept
"Y
Destruction on tracks is the M-4, or General Sherman, tank shown
above. One of these models enraged In a running fray with ten
German tanks in the American withdrawal in southern Tunisia,
- stopping four of them, including one Mark VI, a heavy type just put
into use by the nazis. The accompanying story depicts the battle.
UN Photo. - : . i
the nazis from spreading through the entire Faid valley.
The commander of the embattled "Texas" is Lt. Col. Louis V.
Hightower, 34, native of Winnsboro, Tex, whose wife lives at Allen
town, Pa. Hightower, who would rather fight than talk about it, had
to be questioned over a two-hour period before he would give de
tails of "the battle.
"The credit for the score we chalked up belongs to our gunner,
CpL Austin H. Bayer, of La Porte, IndL," he said. "We pulled out
about 7 o'clock that morning while about 30 tanks were attacking us
at a hill called Djebel Lessouda not far from Faid.. . ., v
SO Tank Included Giants . "
- "When we got there, IS Mark IVs were ahead of us and 22 more
on the crest to the left
. "We sat there and shot at them, knocked out about five or six
while losing three ourselves. Then the 22 tanks came over the hill
toward us and turned out to be 50, including at least four of their
giant Mark VI 's which so far as I know have never been in action
oa any front before.
"We drew back to cover as they tried their usual trick of en
velopment. We kept pivoting back and shooting at first one Ger
man flank and then the other. We kept from being surrounded, but
at a heavy cost- then their dive bombers caught us, coming over
In wave after wave. ; --
"They didn't hurt us much; but smoked us up so we couldn't
see through the dust We pulled across two miles of open field into
Sidi Bouzid with our artillery covering us by uring their 105 milli
meter howitzers for direct fire.
"They were hitting -German tanks at every pop. I saw three go
up in flames with just three, poufs.
: "We reorganized in the town but after two hours they began
another huge double envelopment. We got our artillery and two
supply trains safely out and then started down the road to Gafsa
ourselves.
"After getting all our tanks
meoiums we took out across country and came across nine Mark
IVs and one Mark VI about 700 yards away opening fire on one
of our columns of half tracks and light vehicles which were com
pletely helpless before them. . ;
Hit by Many Shells
"One shell fragment came right down the tube of our gun but
caused no serious injury among our crew. Another shell went through
the bogie wheels and under the tank, tearing out the other side like
a rabbit Another hit our turret but didn't penetrate. Then a shell
struck our suspension system.
"Each shell hitting sounded like a giant anvil or tremendous
bell. It made your ears ring. As soon as our gun was un jammed we
began firing again but another shell mashed the bottom of our left
rear cas tank and flaming gasoline spurted over the back of our
tank, its tracks, and on the ground about us.
"The guns on the other medium tank were jammed and since the
light tanks were too thinly armored for the task before us, I sent all
three away and signalled the column of our light vehicles to swing
behind the Texas. j '
- "As the Germans turned in for what they thought was a picnic
we let go and struck their commander's tank with our third shot stop
ping him as cold as if he had hit a tree.
"We got a second tank with one shot -
"The ght remaining nazi tanks then braked to a stop, but we
kept going at about 14 miles an hour, firing steadily as we pulled
away. We hit .one tank three times before discovering that it was a
Mark VI. I saw the last shell burst against him but don't know whe
ther he was disabled. However, he didn't fire any more.
"As another Mark IV came up to him, we hit it at the same
range with one shot It went through the turret and the tk broke
Into flame like a flower. ; :
Dodged 44uay When Wrecked
v "Another Mark IV, approached the burned tank which was stu
pid because we had only to bring over our gun a hair and he flamed
tip with our first shot Then our gun momentarily jammed as the five
remaining Mark IVs really opened up on us.
"I shouted to my boys: 'Now is the time.to git We boiled out of
there like peas from a hot pod before the tank had stopped running.
We dodged behind the tank and kept it between us and the Germans.
After walking a couple of miles we fixed up a -half-track we found
abandoned, picked up a soldier with a broken hip nearby, loaded him
in and drove on. . j ; .,- -..-;-,-
"We came to another tank which some of our fellows were about
to destroy because of engine trouble. We put it back in shape. Our
crew got In and we picked up our convoy of half-tracks and jeeps
and came on home. i-i-'Y"-.: -"'Y .":-: Y-k
ft. The other members of the tank crew included Sgt Mirtenwark,
28, driver, of Ottawa, Kas.who said "I just drove a bit tig-zaggy
when they let go at us; Pvt Earl Agl. 24. gun loader from Para
Could, Ark, Warrant Officer O. W. Coley, 33, battalion radio officer
from Lewocd, W. Va. ?
"Effort Saved Men,' Equipment ';
"Colon! Hightower saved at least 300 men and much of our
equipment because the German tanks had already opened up on our
column and their armor was too heavy for anything we hadj said
Tech. Sgt Harry E. Pursley, 25, of Akron, Ohio, who was in one of
the half tracks. i Y
"Another thing he knocked those tanks out with high explos
ive ammunition, because he was out of armor-piercing stuff. That in
Itself is one for the books." !
"All our men would gladly follow Colonel Hightower through
bell and high water and that's putting it mildly," said Private Harry
M. Bennett 20. of Johnson City, NY. !
Yeah,"l said Technician John M. Preston, . Pasadena, Calif. "If
the colonel went out to bid the devil good morning this whole gang
would go a':ong to say howdy, too." i
IO0DDS4
away except two lights and two
Transfer
Of Milk
Signed
New Control Setup
Not Solved in Bill;
Tax Paying Changes
By RALPH C. CURTIS
Transfer of milk ", control to
the state department of agricul
ture, completed in so far as the
legislature is concerned Satur
day when Gov. Earl Snell sign
ed the bill previously unani
mously by both houses, raises
several interesting questions,
not least of which is the choice
of a new director for the already
sizable department which will be
come, with .the acquisition of these
new duties, not only larger but
livelier politically speaking and
more difficult to administer.
Though "he asked for it" in his
inaugural message, it's just pos
sible that as Gov. Snell signed the
bill with his right hand, he
reached for an aspirin with his
left
Heretofore milk control has
been carried on by a board of
three citizens appointed by the
governor, and as administrator
selected by the board. Though
the milk control act baa been
a bone of contention, the board
and administrator have absorb
ed most of the jolts and bumps
incident to policy-making and
enforcement, and have "dug in"
behind rather well-established
precedents.
Transfer, to the agriculture de
partment will look like a ' "new
deal" to the Various factions af
fected by milk control, and, there
LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR
Third readings Monday:
In House: HB 108. ' SB 80, 130,
164, 177, 183, 217.
In Senate: SB 150, 200, 168, 197,
206, 212, 220, 221, 228, 231, 243;
44. HB 277, 137, 245, 238.
will be a scramble for advantag
eous positions. As close observers
of the legislature have observed in
recent days, there is sharp divi
sion between organized dairymen
and independents.
Just how the milk control or
ganism is to be incorporated into
the agriculture department Sen.
Thomas R. Mahoney's bill pre
scribing the transfer does not
specify. It merely changes a defi
nition so that "milk control
board" means "state department
of agriculture" and repeals 'sec
tions creating the board.
Though the -transfer will in
volve no imposing mechanical
difficulties, the fact remains that
whereas most existing divisions of
the department of agriculture per
form chiefly administrative and
service duties, milk control has
been and likely will continue to
be unless suspended "for the
(Turn to Page 2 Story A) '
Minesweeper
Aground, Coos
PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 20 JP)
The 13th naval district announced
Saturday night a minesweeper at
tached to the Coos Bay navy sec
tion base ran aground Saturday
just outside the Marshf ield har
bor. -:. ; Y Y -
The announcement said:
"Survivors were landed by
coast guard rescue vessels and a
patrol of plaints surveyed the im
mediate waters during the rescue
work. No loss of life was indi
cated, although a complete re
port is not yet available, f j
"Next of kin of the injured or
missing will be immediately no
tified. Navy and army doctors
were posted at South Cove where
the . survivors were landed."
3-A Volunteer
m Halts
WASHINGTON, Feb. ; 20 jiff)
The war ; department Saturday
halted ; acceptance of applications
from 3-A selective I service regis
trants for induction : as volunteer
officer candidates. "
Applications now .in process will
be completed, the department
said, and the status of volunteer
officers now In service will not
be changed. ; YY -r ; ' -
The department said that under
present quotas the 15,000 men on
the volunteer officer candidate
list represent a 10-montb supply.
Dried Beans9 Peas and Soups Added
To Rationing List; Foods Frozen
This Week During Registration
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 -(jF)-Secretary
of Agriculture Wickard
Saturday night directed the ra
tioning of dry edible beans, dried
peas, lentils and dehydrated and
dried soups along with the pro
cessed and canned vegetables and
fruits to be rationed beginning
March 1.
These foods were added to the
ration list Wickard said, because
of "extremely heavy demands, by
the American armed forces and
the Russian army."
Pending start of rationing, re
tail stocks of these commodities
were frozen Saturday night They
win not be available to consum
ers next week.
" Wickard, the food administrator,
said supplies of beans, peas, Jen
tils and dried soups had dwindled
considerably in recent weeks be
cause of short supplies of meats
and other high protein foods. Con
sumers turned to these vegetables
at meat substitutes.
These commodities will be ra
tioned under the new point-system
ration books to be distributed
next week. The point values will
be determined by the office of
price administration.
The office of price administra
tion said that housewives would
not be required to declare the
amount of dried vegetables they
have oa hand at the time they
make their declarations on the
rationed canned goods.
While not forecasting quantities
which might be available under
rationing, the secretary said per
capita civilian supplies of these
foods for the marketing-"yea end
ed next September I, at; compared
with supplies in the previous nut
keting year, were about as follows:
School Support
By State Plan
1st Bill in Hopper
For New Levy ; 2nd
Being Drafted
The first half of the "permanent
support for schools" program
which the house taxation and rev
enue committee of the Oregon leg
islature is devising was visible on
Saturday, when the first of two
related bills was introduced. They
are to be submitted to a vote of
the people, if the legislature gives
its sanction.
This first bill would create a
new tax levy theoretically a pro
perty tax levy, though it would
be offset by surplus income or ex
cise tax funds if any were avail
able iij, the amount of $36 a year
for every child on the state school
census. The present two-mill ele
mentary school tax would be elim
inated, and so would the transfer
of "income tax surplus" as such,
as provided in legislation which
the house passed last week.
Under the terms of the bill
which is yet to appear, it is under
stood that an elective board in
each county would be created to
allocate this state support money
and, in order to safeguard the dis
tribution, exercise some supervi
sion over district budgets. .
Committee members said the
proposed "optional community
property law" measure which" is
being drafted at their request also
may be ready for introduction
Monday or Tuesday.
British Hold Firm
On Gandhi Prison
NEW DELHI, Feb. 20.-(A,)-The
British government Saturday re
iterated its position that the re
sponsibility for M o ha n d a s K.
Gandhi's h u n g c r strike rested
solely with him and that any de
cision to end it must be made by
the Indian nationalist leader him
self. - -v; Y w.Y-;-- Y v-r--
As the 73 - year - old .Gandhi
completed the 11th day of his 21-
day fast in the guarded palace oft
me Aga Khan at foona, we gov
ernment issued a communique in
Bombay saying that his condition
had-changed considerably for the
worse and was regarded as grave.
Y (In Washington, Secretary of
State Hull conferred with British
Ambassador Lord Halifax and ex
pressed ' American concern over
the situation in India, but corres
pondents were given to under
stand it in no way meant Ameri
can ; intervention.)
Dried beans, 7 and 8.8 pounds;
dried peas and lentils, 03 and 1.2
pounds; dehydrated soups 0.3 and
0.3 pounds.
Under Wickard's directive to
the OPA, dried edible beans and
peas of all classes and varieties
win be rationed. The dehydrated
and dried soups include all types
such as vegetable, tomato, corn,
potato, onion, cabbage, borsht, dry
cheese, noodles and meat or
chicken combinations, beans, pea,
soy bean, meat or poultry, bouil
lon cubes, or any dry or hydra
ted soup made of a combination of
Here's How
To Obtain
Ration Book
For thousands of Salem home
makers who some time this
week will register for war ra
tion book No. 2, to e used in
purchase of specified processed
foods and later In buying meats,
these facts have been gathered
from rationinr board and school
officials by The Statesman as a
guide:
L Registrations are to be
made on the consumer declara
tion form printed In a news
paper. You may clip that on
page 11 of today's Statesman.
Be sure that It Is completely
filled out More readable re
sults will be obtained with
sharp, soft-leaded pensil or
typewriter than If use of Ink
Is - attempted. ; ' V . v .; : y
t. Consumer declarations are
to be flled thla week preferably
fbXftheYday set aside for per
sona whose last names begin
with the same letter as does
yours:
Monday, A-C, inclusive.
Tuesday.' D-H.-
Wednesday, I-M.
Thursday, N-S.
Friday. 8-Z.
No registrations are to ' be
taken Saturday.
3. They are U be filed be
tween the hours of t and t p.
m. at your nearest elementary
school building. If you are un
familiar with the city, select
It from this list:
Bush, University and Mission
streets.
Engiewood, 19th and Nebras
ka streets.
Garfield, Cottage and Marion
streets.
Grant, Cottage and Market
streets.
Highland, fifth street and
Highland avenue.
McKinley, end of South High
street Y
Richmond. Richmond avenue
and Mill street
Washington, .Center and 12th
street : :
4. Take with you every, war
ration book No. 1 which has
' been issued to any member of
your household. City school
teachers, who once, again are
handling free of all charge the
registration, are required to
check those books against the
numbers ' you have written . oa
your declarations. -
Demand Grows
To Limit Army
To Food-Size
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 - (ff)
Farm state congressmen, not en
tirely appeased by a White House
agreement that troops might help
harvest Y crops, pressed demands
Saturday for a limited army with
Senator Bankhead (D-Ala.) say
ing its size must be tailored to
fit food and munitions production.
That Swould be "the common
sense, practical solution of our
manpower problem, Bankhead
said in a radio address. Y '
Similarly, Senator Bushfield (R
SD) declared the war and agri
culture , departments must get to
gether and limit the armed forces
to a size American farms can feed.
On the other aide of the capital
the house' minority committee
formally reported the- Kilday bill,
which war . department officials
opposed, to give-family men man
datory draft deferment and put
draft quotas on a statewide basis.
' Bankhead, who talked with the
president Friday, announced that
he would proceed with his two
bills, one providing compulsory
deferment of farm labor and the
other directing compulsory fur
loughs until January; 1944, of all
experienced farm hands now in
uniform and stationed in the Unit
ed States. -
any of these products or other In
gredients. Wickard recommended that the
OPA, in determining point values
for the new Items to be rationed,
give consideration to establishing
point values for the dried soups
at relatively low levels. No steps
should be taken, he said, which
would discourage the maximum
practical explanation in the pro
duction of this type of food, and
especially those with a soy bean
base.
Wickard said the production
of dried beans and peas In 1942
exceeded all . previous records.
However, nearly half the sup
ply of dried beans available for
consumption during the current
year and almost two-thirds - of
the supply of dried peas, will be
needed, he said, by US military
forces and allied nations. Rus
sia alone, he said, needs 509,
00,009 pounds"' or about one
fifth of the total supply of
beans. Y-
Anticipating even greater mili
tary and civilian demands during
the next marketing year, Wickard
recently increased 1943 farm pro
duction goals -of beans from 2,
800,000 to 3,800,000 acres, and
dried peas from 665,000 to 725,
000 acres. Last year 2,376,000
acres were planted to beans and
530,000 to peas.
With the dried vegetables em
braced in Saturday night's order,
the rationing program now in
cludes canned and frozen fruits
and vegetables, canned soups and
canned baby foods (except cere
al.) The sale of fresh fruits and
vegetables and . other foods will
remain unrestricted. . -
Registration for the new ration
ing books will start on Monday.
US Employes
Draft-Headed
Committee Suggests
Fewer Deferments,
End Overlapping
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20-(JP)-A
special presidential committee re
ported Saturday that thousands of
able-bodied men at government
desks, can be released to the armed
forces if deferments are strictly
limited to holders of essential jobs
and needless and overlapping
functions and positions eliminated.
: The committee, composed of
Paul Bellamy, editor of the Cleve
land Plain Dealer, chairman; Eric
Johnston, president of the cham
ber of commerce of the United
States, and Ordway Tead, member
of the New York City board of
higher education, was appointed
December 15 to formulate a gen
eral policy to govern draft defer
ment of federal employes. Presi
dent Roosevelt probably will is
sue an order soon embodying the
main features of the report .
The committee concluded . that
work clearly essential to the war
effort or necessary to maintaining
the indispensable civilian govern
ment services should be the test
for deferment - - - '
Declaring that the federal serv
ice "is not a draft evader's para
dise as has been loosely charged,"
the committee recommended that
each federal agency set up a spe
cial committee to determine de-
(Turn to Page 2 Story B)
Many Interned
Gain Release
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, Feb. 20-
Gen. Jean Marie Bergeret, deputy
French civil . and "i military com
mander in chief,, announced Sat
urday night that 5000 political
prisoners still interned in north
Africa would be released or re
patriated within two montha. .
."No De Daullists are now held
in the camps," he said, "all have
been given their liberty, There
were about 20 of them." .
Of the 7000 persons interned
when the allies landed in north
Africa last November, 200 French
nationals and about 1100 foreign
ers have been freed he said.
At present there are 3000 Span
ish republican . refugees in the
camps. Y
"The commission has decided to
allow all those approved by the
allied military securities service to
accept, work in army labor units
under the Y same x conditions as
French . citizens,", be said. fThey
will be free also to accept work in
private economic pursuits."
: T''Y--:'' Y'YY- Y-' J ' ' ':" '" '' Y,''YY ; ''
Fall of Pavlograd
Brings Big Power
Site Into Range
lumsian lide
Turned'; New
Thrust Held
Alexander Directs
Forces; 8th Army
Imperils Port
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, Feb. 20 -fP-Military
authorities said Saturday
the "tide has turned" in Tunisia
after American and British troops
hurled back Marshal Rommel's re
newed thrust toward the Algerian
base of Tebessa in mountain pas
ses near Sbeitla and Kasserine. '
Gen. .Sir Harold Alexander,
guiding genius of the British
Eighth army's unparalleled 1600
mile advance from the approaches
of Alexandria to the outposts of
the Mareth line, took personal
command of all allied ground for
ces in Tunisia under Gen. Eisen
hower. He started organization of
the supreme offensive to throw
the quarter-million axis troops'
into the Mediterranean. --
' Reports that the Eighth army
was about 40 miles 'so nth of
Gabes and had captured the Is- -land
of DJerba, 35 miles across
the Golf of Gabes to the east,
put allied power and British na
val power so close to that port
that It was believed, Gabes was
no longer of any use to the axis
as a, f apply base for nasi forces
entrenched in the Mareth line.
- Sfax, a good 90 miles to the
north, now is the main supply port
and this is -within easy reach of
allied bombers, both from the wes
tern side and from the ' Eighth
army front
Allied forces in forward posi
tions of the Ousseltia valley be
low Robaa were withdrawn from
the eastern to a western line of
hills,' because their position be
came untenable after the Ameri
cans were forced back further
south. ,
The British Eighth army sent
curtains of artillery shells into
German positions approaching the
Mareth line in the Medenine. area
and were in contact with the ene
my there. British patrol sparred
with the foe 30 miles south in the
Fount Tatahouine area. Dust
storms hampered this powerful al
lied arm some 65 miles inside
southern Tunisia from Libya.
Marshal Rommel sent a strong
patrol against an aUied brigade
la the Sbiba region, 20 miles
north of Sbeitla, and also at
tacked US forces guarding the'
Kasserine gap, aa allied spokes
man said. At Sbiba. the Germans
were said to have lost six tanks
and six self-propelled gnu. The
spokesman said enemy losses
were even heavier at the Kas
serine pass.
. Snow, rain and gales, swept most
of Tunisia, grounding virtually all
planes.'.'.--.'.''.' - y .
RAF Slashes
Wilhelmstiaven
LONDON, Feb. 20 The
heavyweights of the RAF, flying
again by the light of a full moon
and with" a large bomber com
plement of the Royal Canadian
Air Force, dealt the second suc
cessive night blow on ' Wilhelm
shaven - Friday night, laying a
fiery carpet of destruction on
U-boat lairs and shipyards in a
30-minute saturation raid. " ' -
The bright night brought out
strong fighter opposition on this
and companion raids on western
Germany but ground defenses at
Wilhelmshaven were Y reported
comparatively feeble apparent
ly because of the bashing they
took on the preceding night.
Eleven bombers were lost and
one enemy fighter was destroyed
in . the aerial tangles sugguested
by - the.,aecuht of ... one Halifax
bomber pilot who said:.
"There seemed to be bombers
wherever you looked and fighters
weaving here and these among
them." . . -y :..
It - was Wilhelmshaven't 72nd
raid and the bomber command's
13th night attack , on Germany
proper in the last 19 days.
Krasnograd Rail Hub'
Taken by Vatutin;
Caucasus Pressed
By The Associated Press
Russian forces drove through
the thawing Ukrainian ice
fields to within 38 miles of the
big , power site of Dniepero
petrovsk on the Dnieper river
Saturday night by capturing
the major rail junction of Pav
lograd while another soviet
column scooped up Krasnograd,
60 miles southwest of Khrakov.
Both cities were captured by
the superb army of Gen. N. , F.
Vatutin which earlier had seized
Lozovaya. His main force ap
peared to be striking southwest
toward the Sea of Azov to envelop
the sorely beset Germans striving
to escape the Russian fury in the
Donets basin. Y
railways leading from Kharkov
Salyyansk to the Ukrainian . cap
ital of Kiev.' Pavlograd is on the
Khark6v-Crimea line and only 40
miles from the big German base
of Poltava. Advancing west of
Kharkov the Russians were less
than 218 miles from Kiev. v
In the Caucasus, the Russians
drove spearheads deeper ' into
the narrowing . sector around
Novorossisk where the German
Invaders are pocketed, captor-
Ing Hskaya, 22 miles southwest :
of Krasnodar,' . and Novomls-' -
' fiaiktavckava. 9.S nll tn '
. northwest, said, the ' midnight -communique
as recorded by the'
- soviet Monitor. Uskaya is only
' 49 miles east of Novorossisk oa '
the Black sea coast. 1
West of Rostov the Russians
rolled forward, capturing "a num
ber" of ' populated places and
huge quantities of war material,
including 600 trucks. 48 locomo
tives, 3984 - railway cars, ' 100
wagons with ammunitioin, Ger
man planes parked on airdromes,
tk. i..- -i
dared. 1
By taking Pavlograd the Rus
sians were only 20 miles from
Sinelnikovo, a rail junction whose
seizure would cut off thousands
of German troops fleeing out of
the Donets basin via Stalino. ' 1
Japs Blasted
Across Whole
Pacific Area
By The Associated Press
By sea, air and land the Japan
ese were smitten Saturday over a
wide expanse from bleak Attu is
land in the Aleutians off Alaska,
through China to the Solomons
and Burma. A navy flotilla bom
barded the enemy at Attu but fog
obscured the results.
Allied" heavy and medium
smashed again at Buin on Bou
gainville island and Faisi in the
north Solomons, dropping ,23 tons
of bombs on airdromes at Kahili
and Baallale and the seaplane base
at Faisi, a communique from al
lied headquarters in Australia de
clared Sunday. J Y
The hail of bomb destrrvf
grounded . enemy aircraft, and
smashed into fuel and ammunition
dumps, starting enormous - fires
and sending smoke more than a
mile high. The harbor was de
serted ; of shipping, apparently
cleaned out after previous at
tacks, and no Japanese planes
gave battle, the communique ad
ded.- Y.;- !
It was the third raid in three
days on Buin, where allied bomb
ers started fires Thursday and
sank four enemy merchant shipt
with total tonnaae of 27.000 ton
Friday. Y - - r
Tokyo made the wholly uncor.
firmed claim of sinking . two . de stroyers
and a large transport ell
San Cristobal island, south of
Guadalcanal. -'
. The Chinese twice frustrated
Japanese attempts to cross the
Salween river in western Yunnan
ter-attacking c o n t i n u ally In
northern Kiangsu. The Japanese
won Hoihong and . Suichi in
Kwangtung in south China. Amer
ican planes teamed up With the
RAF to batter ,' Japanese "head
quarters in northern Burma at
Maingkwan, troop concentrations
and another Japanese field head
quarters. ...