Fall of Cherbourg Matter of Hours as Yanks Near Waterfront
1 , - .
Qrealesf Naval
Battle Reported
Raging in Pacific
Jap Fleet Emerges to
Defend Marianas
Lose 600 Bombers
Pearl Harbor, June 21 OI.R)
The greatest naval battle since
Jutland appeared in the mak
ing, if not under way, on the
approaches to the besieged Mar
ianas today between the Ameri
can fifth fleet and possibly the
entire Japanese fleet.
Viadio London quoted the
Japanese Domei agency as say
ing that a "fierce" naval battle
was raging in the waters be
tween the Philippines and the
Marianas.)
The outcome of the battle
may determine the control of
the western Pacific, including
the sea approaches to Japan it
self, as well as the length of the
war against Japan.
Nimitz Statement
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz,
commander in chief of the U. S.
Pacific fleet, disclosed at a press
conference yesterday that
strong Japanese units "possi
bly their entire fleet" had
emerged from the Japanese
home islands in force for the
first time in nearly two years
and had been sighted between
the Marianas and the Philip
pines. "A major engagement is a
possibility," he said in a confi
dent review of the developing
battle for the western Pacific.
"We have put enough muscle
into our fifth fleet to handle the
situation. We assume the Japs
will put in everything they
have. If the fleets join, it will
be a decisive battle."
600 Jap Planes Lost
The American fleet already
has won what may be the pre
liminary to the main engage
ment by shooting down a record
of 600 Japanese planes which
sought to interfere with Ameri
can invasion forces rapidly
completing the conquest of Sai
pan, Japanese naval base and
administrative center of the
Marianas, some 1,500 miles
south of Tokyo.
Three hundred of the enemy
planes were shot down in a sin
gle) day, Sunday, and the others
hf)(e been destroyed in other
engagements since the start of
the invasion a week ago to
day, Nimitz disclosed. Addi
tional damage was believed to
have been inflicted on the en
emy yesterday, he said.
Most of the enemy planes
were believed to have come
from Japanese aircraft carriers,
perhaps part of the fleet which
now is known to be east of the
Philippines. Though the exact
size of the fleet is not known,
(Concluded on page 10, column 3)
Tokyo Claims
Yanks Smashed
(Br the United Press)
Tokyo radio broadcast today
specific claims of heavy Ameri-
dcan naval losses in the area of
1 the Marianas islands where Ja-
i i t i j
r Tjrtiitr&e uiuaucasis nan repuneu
large American and Japanese
fleets.
Apparently engaged in a
propaganda war to- goad the
United States navy into prema
ture disclosures of the situation
in the Marianas, Tokyo radio
broadcast a statement of Ad
miral Kenisuke Takahashi that
"the enemy's landing operations
on Saipan has offered us a
golden opportunity to smash
him with staggering effect. The
enemy on Saipan is dependent
on his communications and will
meet with a serious crisis before
the full force of our counter-offensive."
The Tokyo radio asserted that
an American battleship listed
in a Japanese communique yes
terday as sunk by Japanese
planes off the Marianas June 16
was of the 45,000-ton Iowa
classy
The enemy broadcast, entire
ly without confirmation, said
another battleship claimed to
have been heavily damaged; was
of the 35.000-ton North Caro
lina class "and went down to a
watery grave the night of June
15 off the Marianas."
"Two out of four United
States aircraft carriers which
were heavily damaged and set
ablaze or left heavily listing the
night of June 17," the broadcast
went on, "were of the 24,000
ton Essex type while another
was of the 10.000-ton Independ
ence type which had been con-
jvpttsd from a cruiser. A fourth
pPP'srea to oe also of the t-ssex
ype."
apital jkjouro 5
56th Year, No. 148
Navy Chiefs See
U S Victory Over
Japanese Fleet
Washington, June 21 WB
American forces may at long
last have cornered Nippon's
principal battle fleet for a
showdown fight, and so far as
Admiral Ernest J. King is con
cerned "the sooner the Japan
ese fleet fights, the better we'll
be satisfied,"
The navy's commander in
chief today expressed apprecia
tion for the "cooperation" of
Japan's navy in apparently
moving into battle position in
the western Pacific, and ex
pressed complete confidence in
the outcome of possible con
tact east of the Philippines.
Information Lacking
He made his statement after
Navy Secretary Forrestal had
reported that despite strict ra
dio silence from the Pacific
there have been some indica
tions that American forces "may
have succeeded in catching up
with all or a part of the Jap
anese fleet yesterday."
Forrestal added that there is,
however, "no definite informa
tion" as to the prospective en
gagement. He based his comment upon
a statement yesterday by Ad
miral Chester W. Nimitz, Paci
fic fleet commander in chief,
who reported the Japanese
fleet had been located in the
waters east of the Philippine
islands and indicated that some
engagements may already have
been fought.
Off Saipan Island
Forrestal reported that the
Japanese fleet has been sighted
at "various times during the
past few days, milling around
from 500 to 800 miles to the
westward of Saipan island" in
the Marianas east of the Philip
pines, (A Japanese broadcast re
corded at London said today
that a "fierce naval battle" is
raging off the Marianas.)
Forrestal said that Japanese
planes attacked American na
val units near Saipan Sunday
and indicated that the planes
apparently came from carriers
which at that time were some
500 miles to the westward.
The Japanese plan, he con
tinued, seemed to have been
to launch the aircraft with the
idea that after attacking they
would be able to land for re
fueling on Guam and Rota,
Japanese - held bases in the
Marianas.
"We have no other details of
the resulting air battle," he
continued, "other than the fact
that our forces were ready for
the attack.
"Our carrier aircraft and
ships's anti-aircraft guns wiped
out most of the Japanese
planes."
At Pearl Harbor Admiral
Nimitz has reported that the
Japanese have lost a total of
600 planes since action began
in the Marianas.
33 Bombers in Sweden
Stockholm, June 21 (IP)
Twelve American heavy bomb
ers came down in Sweden to
day, boosting to 33 the number
reaching Sweden in two days.
Two bombers crashed in land
ing today and it was not known
immediately whether the crews
were saved.
Yanks Seize 2 More Japanese
Airfields on Schouten Islands
Advanced Allied Headquarters, New Guinea, June 21 (IP) Two
more Japanese airdromes on Biak island were in American hands
today, giving the allies four airfields on the Schouten islands,
off the Dutch New Guinea -
north coast, from which war
planes soon may attack the
Philippines.
Yank infantrymen, aided by
tanks and artillery, drove the
Japanese from nearby ridges
yesterday, then advanced al
most unopposed onto Sorido
and Borokoe airstrips.
The fields, more than a mile
apart, are within four miles
of Biak's largest airstrip, Mok
mer, captured June 7 and used
by the allies the past week.
Five miles south on Biak, on
tiny Owl island, the Ameri
cans have built another air
field. These four fields, close to
the equator, are about 880
miles from the Philippines and
a like distance from Yap in the
Entered as second Out
mattti at Salem. Oregon
Russians Pursue
Fleeing Finns
From Viipuri
Moscow, June 21 0J.fi) Tri
umphant red army troops
struck out from newly-captured
Viipuri today in pursuit of dis
organized Finnishs column re
treating toward Helsinki under
a hail of fire from Russian
bombers and fighters.
(The British radio said the
Russians had advanced six
miles beyond Viipuri.)
(BBC also said the Finnish
radio was broadcasting con
stant appeals to the people of
Helsinki to evacuate the capi
tal "due to the score of the
Russian offensive in Karelia.")
Marshal Leonid A. Govorov s
Leningrad army stormed into
the ancient fortress city yes
terday to complete a rapid 11
day campaign through Finland s
strongest defenses in the Kare
lian isthmus and bring the
soviet forces within 135 miles
east of Helsinki, Finland's ca
pital. (The British radio said Stock
holm dispatches reported from
Finland that Marshal Baron
Karl Mannerheim had taken
the initiative toward forming
a new Finnish government to
discuss peace.)
The capture of Viipuri, whose
fall brought Finnish capitula
tion in the 1939-40 war, broke
a "bottleneck" of the coastal
route leading to Finland's ca
pital and front dispatches in
dicated the routed Finnish
troops would not be able to
make a stand on the compara
tively wide open territory.
Pursuit Continues
With the occupation of the
key city, a junction point on
Viipuri bay of six highways
and five railroads, the Russians
struck swiftly at the retreating
Finns and sent bombers and
Stormovik fighters deep behind
the enemy lines to blast a path
for ground forces.
Other red army aerial for
ces, attempting to disrupt com
munications between the capi
tal and the front lines, hit rail
junction, highways and three
troop trains.
Bomb Carrier .
Genoa Harbor
Rome, June 21 (U.R) Ameri
can Thunderbolt fighter-bombers
attacked and seriously dam
aged an enemy aircraft carrier
in Genoa harbor, believed to be
the 20,000-ton Italian carrier
Regola which was seized by the
Germans last September, it was
announced today.
A formation of Thunderbolts
led by Lt. Gordon A. C. Moody,
of Coldwater, Mich., scored five
direct hits on the warship.
The Thunderbolts drove their
bombs home through intense
anti-aircraft fire thrown up by
the Regla's batteries and every
other ship and shore gun in the
harbor, then swung back to rake
the vessel with machine gun
fire.
One Thunderbolt was so heav
ily damaged by flak that the
pilot was forced to bail out six
miles outside Genoa harbor. He
was picked up later by a Cata
lina flying boat which landed in
the middle of a coastal minefield
to rescue him.
Carolines, Celebes east of Bor
neo, Timor in the Netherlands
East Indies and Darwin, Aus
tralia. American construction crews
hastened to put into operation
both Borokoe, which the Jap
anese never quite got ready to
use. and Sorido, also in bad
shape. The allies now occupy
most of the flat southeastern
half of Biak which is suitable
for airstrips.
Headquarters announced to
day that Boston attack planes,
operating possibly from Mok
mer or Owi, attacked enemy
shipping off Manokwari, Dutch
New Guinea. 135 miles to
the west, Monday, and sank a
1000-tnn freighter, a small
coastal vessel and four barges
at a cost of one plane.
Salem, Oregon, Wednesday, June
4
I a i - .'j.-.- - ,,i
Jap "German Soldier" Captured in France VP) This Jap, cap
tured while serving in the German army in France, gives his name
and serial number to an American as he files along with other
German prisoners rounded up in the Normandy coast area. (AP
wirephoto from coast guard.)
Berlin Again Blasted by
1000 Heavy Bombers
London, June 21 (IP) More than 1000 American Flying Fort
resses and Liberators blasted Berlin and the capital's outskirts
today and the German radio indicated that at least some of the
planes flew on eastward possibly in the first shuttle raid from
Britain to new American bases in Russia. The bomber fleet had
an escort of about 1000 fighters,
making a total force of some
2000 planes which carried the
aerial war. once.. mora to the
heart of the German homeland.
Basdorf, on Berlin's outskirts,
also was blasted.
German broadcasts admitted
damage and casualties and
threatened to retaliate with
"bigger and more powerful ex
plosives" than those used in the
current rocket bomb offensive.
First Liberator fliers back at
British bases said there was
plenty of flak over the targets
but they did not see a single
German fighter a rare occur
rence in raids on the hub of
Germany.
Shuttle-bombing flights from
Britain to Russia would com
plete the "ring of steel" thrown
about Germany by allied bomb
ers. Flights have been made
already from Mediterranean
bases to new American airfields
inside Russia. Russia's frontier
is some 900 miles air line from
England easily within the
range of both Flying Fortresses
and Liberators which yesterday
flew more than 1000 miles
roundtrip to the Stettin area.
Berlin broadcasts said the
Hannover and Brunswick areas
also had been attacked by the
daylight raiders, but there was
no immediate allied confirma
tion of these reports.
During the night the tempo of
the allied aerial offensive was
maintained as RAF Mosquitos
thundered out in relays for four
hours to harass German lines of
reinforcements by blasting the
Mezidon railroad yards near
Caenin the Normandy battle
area. Rail yards at Chartres
also were hit.
Employment in
War Work Slackens
Washington, June 21 IIP
Employment in war manufac
turing industries has dropped
an average of 100,000 workers
a month this year, the commerce
department reports.
Jobs in non-war industries
have declined almost 50.000 a
month the report said, adding:
"Manpower shortages in some
individual plants persist, but
the general trend is downward."
The department predicted this
trend would continue in war
industries but that employment
in non-war jobs would remain
about the same during the sec
ond half of this year.
The Weather
Clear tonight, partly cloudy
Thursday. Little temperature
chanef. Max. 75, min. 52. Rain.
0. River. -.15.
21, 1944
Capture Jt3p
Forts in Burma
Southeast Asia Headquarters,
Kandy, Ceylon, June 21 (U.R)
British troops, driving north
along the Kohima-Imphal high
way, captured a Japanese
strongpoint eight miles north
east of Kanglatongbi after
fierce bayonet fighting, a com
munique announced today.
At the same time, other al
lied forces advancing south
from Kohima cleared two
enemy roadblocks below Maram
to leave only approximately 20
miles of the road in Japanese
hands.
British imperials also fought
off a Japanese counter-attack
on the allied lines across the
Imphal-Kuhrul road, 17 miles
northeast of Imphal.
In northern Burma, Chinese
troops and airborne Chindits
formed a tight circle around
Mogaung, on the Mandalay
railway, and killed a Japanese
party attempting to escape
down the Mogaung river south
of Kamaing.
Kachin levies and Gurkas,
forging ahead from newly-captured
Tiangzup in the Fort
Hertz valley, captured Jnip, six
miles to the south and were
reported taking a heavy toll
of fleeing Japanese.
Winsfead Awarded
Soldiers Medal
Washington, June 21 (U.R)
Warren W. Winstead, MM2C,
USNR, Independence, Ore., was
one of six navy men awarded
an army decoration, the sol
dier's medal, for rescuing the
crew of an army bomber from
the flaming plane after it crash
ed and exploded on Momote
airstrip, Los Negros island in
the Admiralty group, April 23,
1944.
The war department report
ed Winstead was cited for brav
ery and "superb disregard of
extreme danger."
Col. de La Roche
Kidnaped, Slain
London. June 21 (U.R) German-controlled
broadcasts said
today that Col. De La Roche,
ranking officer in the Vichy
state police force, had been kid
naped and slain.
The first radio reports of the
assassination had Identified the
' victim as Col. Casimir De La
Rocque. chief of the notorious
Croix De Fau, French fascist
i organization.
11
F 1 -cnts
8th Army Vets
Drive 4 Miles
Beyond Perugia
Rome, June 21 (U.R) British
eighth army troops have clear
ed the Germans from Perugia
and advanced three to four
miles beyond the town, a com
munique said today, while
rench and American units of
the allied fifth army on the
British left flank pushed slowly
northward against bitter enemy
opposition.
Driving rains slowed the al
lied armies all along the cen
tral battlefront and desperate
nazi rear guards were putting
up a fierce delaying fight every
where, but there was no indi
cation that the main German
forces had been sent into ac
tion. Pursuit Continues
Latest reports said the Brit
ish were fanning out swiftly be
yond the town in full pursuit
of the retreating nazis.
Twenty-three miles to the
west, other eighth army forces
captured Chiusi and swept on
northeast of Lake Chuisi to
highway 73.
There was no major change
in the fifth army front to the
west, but headquarters spokes
men said French and American
troops were running into savage
resistance in the Radiofani sec
tor and north of Grosseto.
The Americans on the Tyr
rhenian coastal flank captured
Monte Pescali, a hill feature 10
miles north of Grosseto dom
inating the intersection of high
ways one and 73, where stub
born enemy rear guards had
been holding out for days.
French Seize Villages
On the American right.
French colonial troops occupied
a number of villages northwest
of Radicofani yesterday, in
cluding Monticello, Seggiano,
Vigo Corcia, Bani San Filippo,
Paucia, Palozzetta, Poggio Ma
Jane, Pantano and Campo D'Or
cia. The French gains, averaging
about four miles, were battered
out after bitter street fighting
in most of the captured villages.
On the Adriatic coastal front,
British eighth army forces con
tinued their almost unopposed
advance northward, driving
four miles up the coastal road
to the Menocchio river.
The British columns occupied
San Benedetto Del Tronto, big
fishing port and pre-war resort
town, Cossigiano, 10 miles in
land, and Grottamare, three
miles north of San Benedetto.
Landon Predicts
Dewey on First Ballot
Chicago. June 21 (IP) Former
Gov. Alt M. Landon of Kansas,
1936 republican presidential
nominee, predicted on arrival
today for the GOP national con
vention starting Monday that
Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New
York "will probably be nomin
ated on the first ballot certain
ly not later than the second."
Meantime a prominent mem
ber of the Pennsylvania delega
tion who declined to be quoted
by name said "there is no other
course conceivable than that our
delegation will go for Dewey."
Pennsylvania's 70-vote dele
gation, second largest in the con
vention, is uninstructed. The
group will caucus Sunday night
to decide its position.
Nazis Step-Up Robot Bomb
Assaults on South England
London, June 21 (U.R) The Germans stepped up their robot
bomb assault on southern England last night and today in defiance
of allied air fleets that have pounded their launching bases with
tens of thousands of tons of ex
plosives in the past five months,
Just as allied officials were
about to congratulate themselves
on a 24-hour lull in the enemy
attacks, the winged, Jet-propelled
torpedoes began to roar
across the channel coast from
the Pas De Calais area again
with even more frequency than
previously.
A British announcement la
conically acknowledged that the
attacks had "increased slightly"
and caused "damage and casual
ties" in southern England, which
geographically includes the Lon
Americans Smash in Suburbs to
Within Less Than Mile of Docks
As Nazis Dynamite Port Quays
Trapped Germans Rolled Back on Left Flank As
Acqueville Seized Troops on Right Advance
Beyond Valognes Good Progress Made
Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, June 21 (IP)
American troops smashed within 1500 yards less than a mile of
Cherbourg's waterfront today, driving between two fortress bas
tions under cover of air and artillery bombardment.
The fall of the great supply port seemed only a matter of hours
tonight.
The piledriver offensive crashed through the suburbs along the
inland road between Fort du Rnule and Fort Orteville, nazi strong
points shuddering under bombs as well as leaflets calling on the
trapped nazis to surrender.
Nazi demolition squads worked feverishly to cripple the port
through which the allies could pour a flood of men and supplies
into Normandy.
Another force rolling the trapped Germans back on the left
flank seized Acqueville, at the base of Cape de la Hague, the land
finger jutting northwest of .
Cherbourg and possibly offering I
a chance of escape by sea.
On Right Flank
Troops on the right flank ad
vanced beyond Valognes, and
supreme headquarters declared
"good progress" was made to
ward the prize harbor today.
Supported by powerful artil
lery and air bombardment, vet
eran American troops assaulted
Fort du Roule, within a mile of
Cherbourg's docks, and Fort
Octeville, bastion two miles in
front of the military harbor
area, blasted by nazi demoli
tions. The. Germans staged a last
ditch defense in these strong
points, and fighting was report
ed in the built-up suburban sec
tion of France's third greatest
port.
Acqueville Taken
Acqueville on the; flank Is
four miles southwest of the
port, and only 11 from the tip
of the Cape de la Hague. The
American advance also cap
tured Teurtheville-Hague, two
miles south of Acqueville.
Eighty nazi tanks have been
destroyed by the allied liberat
ing armies to date, supreme
headquarters said.
Heavy fighting was reported
in the Tilly-Sur-Seulles area
near the center of the front,
and an American spearhead to
the west had pushed within two
miles of St. Lo, communications
hub of Normandy,
The assault upon the two forts
of Cherbourg sprang forward
from St. Martin Le-Greard, four
miles south of the port.
Hilltop Fortress
Fort due Roule, a major key
to control of the besieged Ger
man stronghold, stands atop a
450-foot hill.
The French worked for more
than a century building up
Cherbourg's forts and defenses
and the Germans now are mak
ing a last stand in the inner
ring which embraces part of
the city itself.
Smoke hung over the city as
the trapped German defenders
carried out hurried demolitions
in the strategic harbor, now in
plain view of the attacking
American troops coming out of
the hills surrounding their ob
jective. U. S. Public Debt
Passes $190 Billion
Washington, June 21 (IPi
The public debt of the United
States has passed another
milestone $190,000,000,000.
At the close of business June
19, today's treasury statement
showed, it was $190,057,000,000
compared with 140,104,000,000
a year ago.
Excluding guaranteed obliga
tions of certain government
corporations, the debt was
$188,414,000,000. That is the
figure covered by the legal
debt limit recqntly boosted
from $210,000,000,000 to $280,
000.000,000. don area, though specific dis
tricts hit were not disclosed.
Allied fighters destroyed sev
eral of the bombs in the air be
fore they could crash and ex
plode. One exploded in the air
when neither fighters nor gun
fire were heard, though it pos
sibly had been hit previously.
No explanation was offered
immediately for the Germans'
ability to increase the tempo of
their attacks despite the heavy
air bombardment of their
launching platforms along a 30
mile stretch of the French chan
nel coast.
Inner Forts
Under Assault
By Wes Gallagher
Supreme Headquarters Allied
Expeditionary Force, June 21 UP)
U. S. doughboys supported by
heavy artillery and air bom
bardment today assaulted two
key inner fortresses guarding
Cherbourg one less than a mile
from the commercial docks
and fought house-to-house
through the city's suburbs.
(An NBC broadcast from Nor
mandy declared "our ground
forces are moving into Cher
bourg.") The power drive from the
south hammered against Fort
Du Roule, on a hill at Cher
bourg's outskirts and within a
mile of the docks, and Fort Octe
ville, a little more than a mile
to the west.
Cherbourg's great military
port area, now exploding under
German demolitions, lies only
two miles behind Fort Octeville.
The Germans were making a
last ditch stand in these inner
ring fortresses.
Heavy fighting was reported
in the built-up suburban section
of France's third greatest port.
The assault upon the forts
raced forward from St. Martin
Le-Greard, four miles south of
Cherbourg, and advance units
on the western flank drove to
Acqueville, three to four miles
west and slightly south of Cher
bourg's city limits.
Nazi Shortage
Of Infantry
Gen. Eisenhower's Advance
Command Post, June 21 (IP) A
glaring shortage of infantry in
Normandy has compelled Field
Marshal Karl Gcrd Von Run
stedt to commit his prized pan
zer units to the actual line of
battle instead of holding them
in the rear as a striking weapon,
and information reaching Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower's head
quarters today Is that at least
78 nazi tanks have been de
stroyed. Reporters at advanced head
quarters have been told that
Von Rundstedt now is in a posi
tion where he cannot bolster his
crumbling Normandy defenses
without weakening other areas,
including the Pas-De-Calais and
southwest France.
Sending the panzers Into
front-line batlle. Von Rund
sledt sacrificed 18 Panthers and
27 Tigers, as well as other
types. In addition, it was said
here, many more German arm
ored units have been crippled,
Nazi Prisoners Warn
Of Robot Bombs
Austin. Minn.. June 21 'P
The Austin Herald reported to
day that a railroad employe had
picked up five swastika-embellished
sheets of paper warning
of robot bombings in store for
the United Slates after a train
bearing war prisoners had
passed through here.
The newspaper said a sample
leaflet read:
"Amerikans: Soon the robot
bombs will come lo your soil.
Soon you will feel what war
means. Quit the war before it
is too late."
The leaflets, the Herald said,
will be turned over to the fed
eral bureau of Investigation.
Nazi Bodies In Bosporus
Istanbul, June 21 (IP) "Hun
dreds" of bodies of German sol
diers, apparently from troop
transports sunk by the Russians
In the Black Sea, are drifting
into the Bosporus, it was report
ed today.