raa TAKEN, 1
GUT H HA
IF
Light Bombing
On Outskirts of
Rome Reported
Enemy Source Says Brit
ish Attempt Landing at
Qri on Italian Coast
London, July 21 U.R Sev
eral incendiary and light bombs
were dropped In the Rome sub
urbs during a 65-minute air
alarm today, a Bern dispatch
reported, but no planes ap
peared over the city itself.
A neutral source, cut oft at
12:03 p.m. while telephoning
Rome from Bern, later re-established
contact with the fascist
capital and was informed that
the alarm ended shortly after
1 p.m., a United Press dispatch
said.
There were no allied reports
of a raid on Rome or Its en
virons. A nazi broadcast reported
coastal guns at Bari in south
eastern Italy had beaten off the
At allied attempt to land on
tne Italian mainland.
The alarm sounded only a
little more than 48 hours after
more than 500 American bomb
ers subjected the Italian capital
to its first air raid in history
Monday. An alert also was
sounded Monday night but no
raid developed.
British Officials Silent
Radio Zeesen in Germany re
ported that allied planes at
tacked Rome last night, but it
was possible the station was re
ferring to an air alert sounded
Monday night, though no raid
developed then.
A Paris broadcast quoted
Berlin sources in reporting that
British troops had attempted a
landing near Bari, nearly 150
miles up the Adriatic coast of
Italy. Coastal batteries opposed
the landing attempt and the
S;nture ' proved a complete
ure," the broadcast said.
As usual, British official
sources declined to comment on
the axis report. If a landing
actually was attempted, it prob
ably was more in the nature
of a reconnaissance raid by
commando troops than an in
vasion attempt.
The British made several
commando raids on the Italian
Mediterranean island of Lam
pedusa before launching the of
fensive that led to its capitu
lation last month.
Eern dispatches revealed that
Italy was making additional
preparations for anticipated in
vasion of the mainland. The
command of the fifth army,
whose jurisdiction Includes
Home and Florence, announc
ed that church, bells would toll
klhe event of an allied landing
ow nearby shores.
Once the invasion alarm has
been given, Bern said, all traf
fic would be banned and In
habitants would have to remain
In their homes pending further
instructions.
Renewed Italian invasion jit
ters coincided with the an
nouncement that Premier Mus
solini and Adolf Hitler had met
in a northern Italian town Mon
day while American planes
were dropping bombs on Rome.
The terseness of the com
munique announcing the meet
ing and the absence of the
"friendliness" and "cordiality"
phrases that marked announce
ments of previous meetings was
interpreted here to mean that
there had been a showdown
between the two axis leaders on
the increasing seriousness of
the Italian situation.
fiava Rock Hard Problem for Troops Training
In Central Oregon; Operations on Schedule
Headquarters, Central Oregon
7,,N, 01 isn A ,
"ciu signal corps construction oattalion, fresh
from a long tour of duty in a desert war games area, is finding
its worn in tne cascade range-
as Oregon maneuvers start the
opposite of that just completed.
Where previously the men have
fought shifting sands, now they
combat rough and rocky terrain
left by volcanoes which once
spouted lava about the country
side. Setting thousands of poles for
communication lines throughout
the vast maneuver area, the
soldiers find lava rock a real
Hblem. The rock soon dulls
inary tools. Officers say
blasting is necessary in 90 per
cent of the work. To keep up
with the army schedule and
not because signal corps men
cannot do the job demolition
Capital
55th Year, No. 172
Feeder Line Cut by
Japs Unable to
Break Through
Allied Blockade
Allied Headquarters in the
Southwest Pacific, July 21 VP)
American bombers were cre
dited today with sinking a crui
ser and two destroyers of a Jap
anese convoy attempting vainly
to run the allied sea and air
blockade around the big Munda
airbase in the Solomons,
A force of three light cruisers,
six destroyers and two trans
ports, undoubtedly seeking to
aid the hard-pressed garrison at
Munda, was spotted by Catalina
flying boats shortly after mid
night yesterday in Vella gulf
just west of Kolombangara is
land. The Catalinas followed the
convoy until strong formations
of Liberators, Mitchells and
Avenger bombers arrived with
bombs which blasted atleast
three warships to the bottom
and sent the remainder fleeing
or limping northward.
A third destroyer was listed
as probably sunk, and a trans
port and yet another destroyer
were damaged.
Four bombers were lost two
Mitchells and two Avengers.
Munda Steadily Pressed
The action, described in to
day's communique, .from the
headquarters of General Doug
las MacArthur, served to main
tain steady pressure on Munda,
big airbase on New Georgia is
land, which has been hit by
land, sea and air attack since
the southwest Pacific offensive
started on July 1.
This fourth attempt to crack
the Munda blockade brought to
17 the number of Japanese war
ships listed officially as having
been sunk in the fast-spreading
allied offensive in the Solo
mons. Five more are consid
ered probably lost.
Allied ground forces moving
slowly in on Munda were aided
yesterday by Dauntless dive
bombers which dropped 18 tons
of bombs on Japanese gun posi
tions along a perimeter about
two miles east of the airdrome.
An enemy destroyer at an
chor in the harbor of Sarong,
Dutch New Guinea, and a medium-sized
cargo ship off the
coast there were bombed with
unobserved results.
U. S. bombers also hit the
Kahili airdrome on Bougainville
island, starting numerous fires
and explosions with 42 tons of
bombs, and started large fires
among supply dumps and Instal
lations at Madang, New Guinea.
Innkeeper Executed
For Sheltering Flier
New York, July 21 VP) The
nazi-controlled Paris radio said
today that an innkeeper in the
French town of Cormeilles had
been put to death by order of a
German military court for giv
ing overnight shelter to an
American airman.
Maneuver Area. Camn Ahhnf
. .. . .. . .
squads from the corps of en
gineers assist in blasting be
cause of their training in hand
ling explosives.
Often ground which appears
soft enough for post holes proves
to be solid lava two feet under
neath and not old lava rock
which becomes softer with the
centuries.
Poles were cut, trimmed and
barked by the signal corps men.
They were cut from areas pre
viously designated by the forest
service and under careful super
vision so that no fires may re
sult. Most of the poles lack the
usual cross arms; instead wire
SSSfJiSSUSs: Salem, Oregon, Wednesday, July 21, 1943
j
First Americans to Bomb Rome MP) First man to drop bombs on military objectives in the 500
plane American raid on Rome was Lieut. Fred G.- Wheeler (right), Redwood City, Calif., who
compares notes with his pilot, Col. Sam Gormley, Alhambra, Calif., after their return from their
mission. (This Northwest African air force photo was transmitted to Washington by U. S. signal
corps radiophoto in Algiers.)
Bombing of Paramushiro
Described by Raid Crews
Headquarters, Alaska Defense Command, July 20 (Delayed) VP)
Alaska pilots training in combat flying over Kiska celebrated
today with the first successful raid on Japanese territory since the
bombing of Tokyo. Aleutians-based bombers returned without
the loss of a plane from a long distance bombing of Paramushiro,
Japan's northernmost military
Strike Slows
Ford Operation
Detroit, July 21 U,R)A dis
pute between union shop com
mitteemen and a foreman dis
rupted production of aircraft
engines at the Ford Motor com
pany's River Rouge plant, for
several hours today.
The walkout began at 4:30 a.
m. when 2500 men arid women
affiliated with United Automo
bile Workers (CIO) quit work
in protest against the discharge
of four committeemen.
Full production was resumed
by the day shift at 7:30 a.m.,
but 45 minutes later 523 em
ployes in the cylinder assembly
division sat down at their
benches.
However, these employes re
sumed work at 9 a.m. and pro
duction was .back on schedule.
A company spokesman said
the dispute began when the
committeemen protested the
presence of a foreman who had
docked 17 women workers for
quitting early July 1. The com
pany transferred the foreman
to its Highland Park plant, then
discharged the four committee
men, the spokesman said.
will be fastened by single in
sulator.
This, officers, explain, be
cause the line will be torn down
once the maneuvers end.
Stringing of the miles of
copper wire is being started on
an undisclosed number of cir
cuits. The exact mileage used
in the network was not divulg
ed, except that one circuit will
comprise 168 miles of wire.
One of the construction bat
talions is made up entirely of
colored troops, under command
of white officers. Encamped
in. a lush valley, their tented
areas - is as immaculate as if
within the limits of a regular
garrison. During the day they
toil long hours in clearing
brush, digging holes, setting
poles.
base. . The raid came as a logi-
cal development after the
American occupation of Attu
and had long been expected and
prepared for, with Japanese
shipping being swept from the
northern seas by naval surface
vessels.
The bombers were from the
army's 11th air force, which has
done the lion's share of all fly
ing in the Aleutians the last
year.
Returning pilots reported the
bombing was no more difficult
than flights against Japanese
bases on American islands in
the Aleutians. They came out
of the overcast into clear skies
above Paramushiro and looked
down on a square mile of mili
tary installations. They saw
some Japanese planes but none
wanted to fight.
Veterans Make Raid
Only light anti-aircraft fire
was met. Bombs were dropped
near ships in the harbor. They
saw what appeared to be an
ancient fort, built long before
bombers were ever made.
The raid was made by veteran
pilots who had been over Kiska
many times. Some led raids on
Attu only a little more than a
month ago during the American
fight for that island.
The pilots all knew they
were making a dangerous sur
vey flight in preparation for fu
ture flights which will event
ually hit all the Kuriles as well
as more thickly populated Ja
panese territory.
Lieut. Tom Merrill, navigator
for one crew, has had an auto
mobile stored in Los Angeles.
Pilots said he has been boast
ing about it ever since he ar
rived in the Aleutians, but be
fore every raid he has offered
to sell ft to any taker at a great
ly reduced price.
The men carried no special
(Concluded on pare 10, column 6)
Don't Miss Salem's
United Nations
Festival
Sunday, July 25, p.m.
on the
STATE CAPITOL
LAWN
EVERYBODY WELCOME
(Bring your own chair
or pillow!)
Jonii
General Admits
Battle Tough
Allied Headquarters in North
Africa, July 21 Gen. Dwight
D. Eisenhower declared emphat
ically today he was confident of
a complete allied victory in Sic
ily, but said the task facing Brit
ish and Canadian forces was one
of bitter fighting with a gener
ally slow advance.
"Due to the nature of the ter
rain and the location of the ene
my forces, the task facing th
British eighth army, including
Canadian forces, is one of bitter
fighting with a generally slow
advance," the allied commander
in chief said.
"The (American) seventh ar
my is making a more or less
rapid advance through weaker
resistance, thus over-running
substantial portions of the island
and confining the enemy to pro
gressively smaller areas."
Two Warships
Bombard Kiska
Washington, July 21 VP) The
navy reported today that two
small American warships bonv
barded the Japanese defenses
on Kiska island in the Aleutians
Tuesday and the enemy failed
to return the fire.
In the south Pacific, mean
while, the Japanese bombed the
American base on Funafuti, El
lice islands, in the latest of (
series of light attacks against
advanced outposts guarding the
supply lines to Australia. The
enemy caused no damage or in
juries at Funafuti so far as re'
ports here showed.
Navy communique No. 448
said:
"South Pacific (all dates are
east longitude)
"1. On July 20, during the
early morning, three Japanese
bombers dropped several bombs
on Funafuti, Ellice islands. No
damage was reported and no
personal injuries were sustained.
"North Pacific:
"2. On July 20th, two U. S.
light surface units bombarded
the Japanese main camp in the
Gertrude cove area on Kiska
The enemy did not return the
fire."
The navy had not reported
any raid by the enemy on Funa
futi since April 26, at which
time American occupation of the
advanced position in the south
central Pacific was disclosed.
The Japanese bases closest to
the Ellice islands are in the Gil
bert group to the north.
am
AJL
Price Five Cents
Red
s
Move Puts Base
Of Orel in
Tough Plight ,
Moscow, July 21 (U.R) Rus.
slan troops drove in behind
Orel to within less than five
miles of the Bryansk railroad
today, practically immobilizing
the only line for evacuation or
reinforcement of the hard-pressed
German base.
Striking southward from cap
tured Studenkovo, five miles
above the Orel-Bryansk rail
way, the Russians brought it
within easy gunshot range and
left the threatened German gar
rison to the east without a feed
er line, lield dispatches reveal
ed. At the same time the red army
stepped up its attacks along a
450-mile front running south
from Orel, consolidating and
expanding new gains which had
carried spearheads across both
the Donets and Mius rivers.
(The German high command
acknowledged fierce defensive
battles in the Orel salient and
along the Donets and Mius riv
ers and conceded "local pene
trations" by powerful Soviet
formations, but claimed the
wedges were "cordoned off.'
(The London radio reported
that Russian forces driving to
ward Orel from the east were
less than seven miles from the
city.)
Advance in All Sectors
Soviet military reports said
the red army was advancing in
all key sectors of the southern
front winding down from the
breached Orel salient to the
Sea of Azov in the Taganrog
area. They described the Rus-
n drive as a series of en
circling movements reminiscent
of the last great winter cam
paign which swept the Germans
500 miles westward from Stalin
grad. The concentric squeeze on
Orel was described as tighten
ing swiftly, threatening the key
stone city midway between
Moscow and Kharkov not only
with direct assault but with iso
lation for reduction of the Ger
man garrison in the manner
made famous at Stalingrad.
Synchronized with the drive
down into the base of the Orel
salient from the north were in
tensified attacks on the sagging
rim of the bulge from both south
and east attacks which yester
day netted 50 towns and vil
lages in advances ranging up to
seven and one-half miles.
To the south in the Belgorod
sector, the army organ Red Star
said, the Russians were mopping
up the area from which the
Germans had been ousted, res
toring the situation before the
German offensive which began
July 5.
Charred Tanks Strew Fields
"The red army is rolling for
ward over fields where lie the
charred carcasses of the Ti
gers (the 60-ton German
tanks)," Red Star said. "Soviet
salvage detachments already
are towing the booty to the
rear."
Deeper in the Ukraine in the
regions south of Izyum and
southwest of Voroshilovgrad,
what began as local Soviet
thrusts was developing into a
gigantic battle for the Donets In
dustrial basin.
The crossings of the Mius and
upper Donets shaped up as a
possible renewal of the attempt
last winter to encircle the Do
nets basin and force a German
withdrawal.
"The battle is mounting in
ferocity and intensity hourly,
with fierce infantry clashes rag
ing in several sectors, heavily
supported by tanks, artillery
and aircraft," Red Star said.
The push across the Mius was
reported to have cut the only
supply railroad serving Tagan
rog, southern anchor of the
German line since Marshal
Semyon Timoshenko threw the
nazis out of Rostov In their first
major reverse of the war.
Axis Gets Set for
Stand at Mount
Hold All Road
Capture Accomplished by
Americans; Axis Armored
Back; Half of 40,000 Prisoners Nabbed by Yanks
By Virgil Plnklcy
Allied Headquarters, North Africa, July 21 U.R) The axis U
bringing in reinforcements for a last ditch stand around volcanlo
Mount Etna on the northeastern tip of Sicily, Gen. Dwight D.
Eisenhower indicated today as allied armies stormed through
the main enemy communications of Enna and slugged furiously at
Catania on the east coast.
Americans and Canadians converged In a pincers with the aid
of French Moroccan troops to capture Enna and occupy approxi
mately one-half of Sicily's 10,000 square miles, cutting off axis
rear guards and forcing the main enemy divisions back toward tha
northeastern peninsula opposite the toe of Italy's boot.
Eisenhower said "The enemy apparently plans to make a stand
along a line at the base of the northeastern peninsula, including
Mount Etna." He predicted bitter fighting and slow advance
in the final stages of the conquest of Sicily. (Radio Algiers said
Catania was being attacked
from all sides and might fall at
any moment.)
The fall of Enna, a town of
27,000 on a high horseshoe
shaped hill In mid-Sicily, cut
off German and Italian rear
guard troops and gave the al
lies control of a network of
roads leading to all corners of
the island. French Goumiers,
native Moroccan troops, parti
cipated in the allied advance.
Canadians Close In
The Canadians closed in on
Enna from the southeast, break
ing through stubborn enemy
resistance, while the American
7lh army reached the road junc
tion from the southwest, after
flanking operations that carried
some units farther northward
toward the coast.
The effect of the capture of
Enna was to split Sicily in half,
with the allies controlling all
territory south of a line running
from Catania on the east coast
to Enna and thence southwest
ward to a point beyond Agri
gento, where the Americans
were stiU advancing. Enna rep
resented an advance of about 35
air line miles from the nearest
south coast port of Gela, but
the troops covered many more
miles in their offensive over
mountain roads.
Of greatest importance, how
ever, was the seizure of the road
network centering at Enna. The
axis, with mid-island defenses
crumbling, was being driven'
steadily back toward northeast
Sicily and its main communica
tion lines are vanishing except
on the north coast.
The rearguard action fought
by the enemy In the Enna sec
tor and the fierce battle at Ca
tania were regarded as design
ed to gain time while the main
axis forces fell back toward
Messina, only a few miles from
the toe of- the Italian boot.
Two axis armored divisions
were among the enemy forces
falling back from the Enna area
Eighth Has Stubborn Foe
At Catania, however, enemy
resistance continued strong
against the 8th army of Gen.
Sir Bernard L. Montgomery.
Field dispatches said that the
battlefields south of Catania
were strewn with German dead,
and wrecked tanks of the Her
mann Goering division, while
allied warships and airplanes
hammered at the coastal road
leading northward to Messina.
Prisoners taken in Sicily were
estimated to total around 40,000,
more than half of them taken by
the Americans. As usual, Italian
prisoners complained that the
Germans took their transport
and fled, leaving the Italians to
walk. They also complained
(Cnnclurlnd nn page 10, column 7)
Disorderly Youngsters May
Be Denied Gasoline Rations
"Wolves of the Home Front" who howled hilariously and drovd
automobiles accordingly about the streets Friday night, threaten
ing a mass battle at a skating rink and later, when one of th.
leaders landed in the county
jail, may find their fangs drawn
and their lusty howls reduced
to a whisper when they seek
more gasoline.
License numbers were taken
of 25 vehicles, most of which
bore stripes of white tape, and
today, under orders of Chief of
Police Frank Minlo, officers of
the department checked with
the secretary of stale's office
and obtained names of regis
tered owners.
These names, together with
the license plate numbers are
being turned over to the Salem
ration board and the OPA for
future action.
Drivers of many of the cars,
police state, herded their jalo
pies around the streets of the
city, disregarded safety rules
Last Ditch
Etna; Allies
Pound Catania
Canadians and
Divisions Forced to Fall
-
Free Germany
Group Formed
Moscow. July 21 VP) Forma
tion of a committee composed ot
German prisoners of war and
refugees to work for a "fre
Germany" was announced in a
manifesto published here today.
The manifesto was signed by
33 persons, including five de
scribed as former members of
the reichstag, and was address;
cd to the German army and th
German people.
President of the group is th
German poet, Erich Weinert.
Other offciers include Major
Karl Hetz, first vice-president,
and Lieut, Henrich Count von
Einzidel, second vice-president.
Former members of the reich
stag said to have attended th
session in Moscow a week aga
are Martha Arendzee, Edwitt
Hoernle, Walter Uubricht, Wil
helm Florin and William Pieek,
The latter is the former Comin
tern leader in Berlin.
U.S. Force Bomb
Myitnge Bridge
New Delhi, July 21 MV-Hea-vy
and medium bombers of th
U.S. 10th air force yesterday
heavily attacked the Myltng
railway bridge on the important
Japanese-held Mandalay-Ran-goon
rail line in south central
Burma, a U.S. headquarter!
communique said today.
Almost 30 tons of bombs were
dropped on the bridge during
the concentrated attack. One for
mation reported that bombs
were seen to straddle the 150
foot span for Its entire length,
but resulting smoke made ac
curate assessment of damage lnv
possible. Other formations rt
ported hits on the north ap
proach and in the center, and
additional possible hits.
The Mu river railroad bridge
was attacked by B-25's, with
both direct and near hits re
ported. The attacks were mads
without loss, the announcement
said.
Raid-Free Night
En joyed by Britain
London, July 21 tP) Britain
enjoyed another raid-free night
last night the fifth successive
night to pass without the sound
ing of an alert anywhere in th
United Kingdom.
and even parked their cars in
the middle of the street.
Reginald Alforde, 20, said te
be working in a Portland ship
yard, was given a 90-day jail
sentence by Justice of the Peace
Joe Felton when he was haled
into justice court and pleaded
guilty to a charge of disorderly
conduct.
The group had styled them
selves the WOHFS and were set
to howl. After Alforde had
been locked up, a group of them
appeared at the sheriff's office,
and when told to disperse asked
if "the jail could hold 300" and
when informed that accommo
dations could be arranged, went
away. Police anticipated a re
turn of activity Saturday night
but it failed to materialize.