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About Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 1944)
Yanks Burst Across Seine, Isolating Paris, Flanking Robot Coast Toulon Entered By French After Bombardment Street Fighting in Pro gress Americans 9 Miles from Marseille Rome, Aug. 21 (U.PJ French invasion forces entered the western and northern sections of the key naval base of Toulon last night and street fighting was in progress there today aa American forces to the north west stabbed to within nine miles of Marseille, France's sec ond largest city, French forces of the 7th army entered Toulon, a city with a pre-war population of more than 100,000, through the sub urbs of Les Quatre Chemins, Les Routes, and Valbourdin, aft er two battleships and six cruisers had subjected the port to a terrific bombardment. I.e Beausset Taken Other French forces captur ed the town of Le Beausset, five miles northwest of Toulon on the main road to Marseille, while forward elements of the allied forces were approaching Aubagne, key road Junction about nine miles east of Mar seille.. Irtheir sweep around Tou lon,''allied troops with the aid of air and sea bombardment captured Hotel De Golf, one mile east of Hyeres, which had been converted into a strong point by the Germans; the hillr top town of Le Revest-Les-Eaux, a little more than two miles north of Toulon, and Mt. Caume, nearly two miles west of Le Reyest. Pertuis Captured Farther north, allied forces driving toward Avignon cap tured Pertuis, 27 miles north west of Marseille. Also in the northern sector, the allies storm ed into Valensole, 50 airline miles due north of Toulon. French forces of the interior had surrounded the German garri son in Pertuis before it fell "firmly in our hands," an allied communique said. i)tii. Sir Henry Maitland Wil son, supreme allied commands, announced in his dally comr munique that some 14,000 Ger man prisoners have been taken In the first six days of the fast est-breaking invasion ever mounted by the allies. A third German general Ma, Hans Schuberth, civil af fairs commander for the Basses Alps district and his entire staff of six officers and 30 men were among the latest prisoners to fall into allied hands. An official, statement said Schuberth was known as an "ardent nazi." Allied Cruisers Shell Bayonne tan, Spain, Aug. 21 W) TnsAf light allied cruisers be gan shelling . almost non-existent German defenses in the Bayonne area of southern France before dawn today. . Spanish residents of this bor der town 18 miles to the south had a grandstand seat. The cruisers which first pa trolled the coast south of Bor deaux evidently were feeling out German defenses, but drew only an occasional reply from two or three coastal batteries near Bayonne. South of Bayonne Hitler's At lantic wall no longer exists, for the Germans pulled out last night, leaving their defense works in ruins. An American motorized col umn meanwhile was reported to have passed through Angou- leme, 130 miles south of Nantes on the Loire river and 165 miles northwest of Bayonne, without encountering resistance on its way toward the Spanish fron tier. The Americans were said in border reports to have received a joyful welcoming by the French in all villages and towns through which they pass ed. Road to Berlin (By Auoelated Prii 1 Russian fronf: 322 miles f measured from eastern suburbs f Warsaw). 2 N o r t h e r n France: 535 miles (measured from near Me lun). 5 Italian front: 603 miles neasured from Florence), y S o u t h e r n France: 670 niles (measured from Castel-ane). C apital 56th Year, No. 199 JEHTntZSriSS, Saltm, Oregon, Monday, August 21, B-29 Super, oris In Double Raid Against Japan Washington, Aug. 21 W B-29 bombers in the second wave of Sunday's double-strike at Japan reported today sight ing the flames of destruction wrought by the daylight flight of Superfortresses while still a half-hour flight from industrial targets at Kyishu. Four of the huge bombers were reported lost to enemy ac tion in the coordinated day and night attacks by the 20th air force. The announced losses all were sustained by the day raiders which met strong fighter op position. Jap Planes Hit Our planes shot down 15 en emy fighters, while 13 were probably destroyed and 12 dam aged. The text of communique No. 10 from headquarters of the 20th air force: "Superfortresses of the 20th bomber command in Sunday night's attack again hit Japa nese industrial targets in the yawata area of the Japanese homeland island of Kyushu fol lowing up the daynight attack. "Crews of the B-29's on the night mission reported that they could see fires from the previ ous attack burning 30 minutes before arriving over the target. Bombing results were reported in preliminary estimates as fair. Enemy opposition was rather light and anti-aircraft fire was moderate and inaccurate. Strong Opposition "Planes making the daylight attack met relatively strong fighter opposition, and revised estimates of results show 15 en emy fighter planes destroyed, 13 probably destroyed and 12 dam aged from the coordinated day and night attack; four planes have been reported lost due to enemy action." The Tokyo radio, as usual, minimized the effects of the raids, terming damage "negli gible" and claiming that 23 planes out of a total of 80 were destroyed in the first raid. It also asserted that 20 parachut ing American crewmen were captured. The Japanese broad casts said the first raid was against four cities on Kyushu, the southernmost main island, naming Fukuoka, Moji, Kokura and Yawata. The latter, site of numerous heavy industries, has been hit twice previously. The Japanese said they lost three fighter planes. War Correspondent Killed in Action London, Aug. 21 (P War Correspondent Thomas Stanley Treanor, front reporter for the Los Angeles Times and the Na tional Broadcasting company, died in a field hospital in France early Saturday morning from injuries suffered in a "tank accident" near Dreux, it was announced today. (The announcement gave no details of the accident, but an NBC statement in New York said the reporter was injured fatally when a jeep in which he was riding was over by an American tank.) Japs Abandon Easing Philippine Invasion General Headquarters, Southwest Pacific, Aug. 21 (P) Japan is withdrawing her planes from- the Moluccas and ripping up the abandoned dromes, leaving that island cluster below the Philip pines wide open for allied in vasion. Largest island of the Moluc cas group, also known as the Spice islands, is Halmahera, 200 miles west of New Guinea and only 300 south of Mindanao. Announcing that "under con stant punishment, the enemy is apparently withdrawing his air forces to bases further westward beyond our bomber range," Gen. Douglas MacArthur said in a communique today: "This will make possible an advance westward without the necessity of costly frontal as saults to clear the way. "Our air force is continuing its pressure out is finding many enemy air bases non-operative and others stripped of planes. Soviet Forces Annihilate 3 Nazi Divisions Moscow, Aug. 21 (&) Soviet forces have smashed three naii divisions in the Sandomier sal ient below Warsaw, while other red army units have yielded slightly before costly German attempts to rescue possibly 200, 000 troops isolated on the Baltie front, a Russian communique announced today. In the Warsaw sector, mean while, Russian troops have driv en closer to Paga, suburb to the east of the city, and have cap tured some vital positions to the northeast, front dispatches said. Marshal Ivan S. Konev's first Ukrainian army, thrusting up the west bank of the Vistula, 11 quidated the trapped Germans north of Sandomierz. "As the enemy refused to surrender, most of the encircled enemy troops were killed," the Russian war bulletin declared. The victory freed Konev's forces for a possible drive either southwest on the main fortress of Krakow, north toward War saw, or directly west across the Polish plains toward German Si lesia, which would snap the Po lish capital's communications lines. 144 Tanks Smashed The slight red army reverse occurred in the Jelgava sector near the Gulf of Rega, where 144 German tanks and self pro pelled guns were reported knocked out. In Estonia, Gen. Ivan Maslen nikov's third Baltic army, cap turing more than 150 populated places, drove to within seven miles of Tartu on the Tallinn Riga railway. Below the Estonian sector in Latvia Gen. Andrei Yeremen- ko's second Baltic army, sweep ing up more than 70 places, ad vanced to within 55 miles east of Riga with the capture of Erg lin on the Madona-Riga railway. Russians Open Romanian Push London, Aug. 21 (U.fi) The German high command an nounced in a communique to day that the red army has launched its long-expected Ro manian offensive, presumably in an attempt to break through the Galati gap to Bucharest and the great Ploesti oil fields. The new assault was launched with strong support from Stormovik attack planes south of Tiraspol and northwest of Iasi, the German communique said, plunging into battle the last quiet sectors of the 1,200 mile eastern front from the Gulf of Finland to the Black Sea, "Bitter fighting is in pro gress in both sectors," the com munique said, but gave no fur ther details. The Russian cleared the Ger mans from Tiraspol, on the north bank of the Dneiper river 60 miles from the Black sea, last April and subsequently established several bridgeheads on the south bank, which, how ever, never were exploited. Iasi, a communications center 100 miles to the west, was brought under siege by soviet troops from the west, north, and northeast last April. Moluccas "The enemy is no longer con testing the air over the Moluc cas." The communique added that the Molucca chain was being "strategically sterilized and di vided into its component links," leaving the numerous garrisons there impotent for anything but local action. Allied planes continued to strike at Japanese targets in the Pacific on a 2,500-mile arc from Timor to the Marianas. American fighters, probably from Guam or Saipan, strafed Rota and Pagan in the Marianas Thursday and Friday. A Liberator damaged a 1,500 ton freighter-transport off Da vao in the southern Philippines Friday. -iri German Prisoners in Southern France Invasion (IP) Captured German seamen are transferred from an American PT boat to a Canadian assault craft off the beachhead in southern France. An American destroyer sank their ship. (AP wirephoto from OWI radio from Canadian navy.) Big3 Talk World Postwar Security Organization Washington, Aug. 21 W) Representatives of the United Slates, Great Britain and Russia today began planning a world security organization which all agreed must be based on the "sovereign quality" of large and small nations alike, and must be backed by military forces available promptly and in strength. Secretary Churchill Sees War End Near With the Eighth Army near Florence Aug. 20 (Delayed) ) Prime Minister Churchill told a brigade of bronzed Canadian tankmen today that the great battle raging in Normandy pro mises to bring the end of the war much nearer. "I cannot predict an early end to the war, but I could not guar antee against it ending sooner than we have allowed ourselves to hope," declared the prime minister as he faced a great cir cle of fighting men backed by their Sherman tanks not far from the front lines. Touring the eighth army front with Gen. Sir. Harold Alexan der, the prime minister visited ground where the allies fought more than a week to push the Germans back to Florence. He wore the uniform of a colonel, an honorary rank. Churchill nimbly dismounted from Alexander's car to face the Canadian tank forces which played an extremely vital part in smashing through the Gustav and Hitler lines in the Liri val ley. About 100 men before him had helped raid Dieppe in France. "The enemy is still active and strong," he said, "and the Ger man army still fights with the relics of its old efficiency. But behind the lines, weakness and division are spreading and ev erywhere, there are signs of in ternal decay and dull apathy overtaking the weak. "The dissension is such that when a general goes to Berlin, he doesn't know whether he is to be promoted or hanged." Churchill Praises American 5th Army Rome, Aug. 21 ( Prime Minister Churchill praised the American 5th army today as one of the great striking forces of the allied nations and paid a special compliment to U. S. troops of Japanese and Negro ancestry. Churchill paid his tribute to the 5th after witnessing a par ade of the famed 34th infantry division. "The 34th was the first, or among the first, of all United States troops to leave the new world and carry by their sacri fices and valor the precious blessing of freedom and justice to lands enslaved," the prime minister said. Americans Build Air Bases in Riveria Rome, Aug. 21 ff) Ameri can aviation engineers began constructing airdromes in south ern France the day after allied assault forces put ashore, it was disclosed today. The cooperation of French farmers, who showed the en gineers where minefields were located, was credited officially with saving many precious hours and possibly many lives in the task. Journal 1944 " of State Hull ODened the initial session of the historic confer- ence at Dumbarton Oaks at 10:30 a.m. (EWT) with a sharp rap of the gavel on the horse shoe shaped oak table and said: "The conference will come to order." In his opening address Hull called for strong commitments to use force when necessary, saying it "must be available promptly, in adequate measure, and with certainty." Ambassador Andrei A. Grom yko, chief Russian delegate, re sponding to Hull, likewise em phasized the need for force cap able of preventing a recurrence of world war. While he stressed the responsibility for world se curity, to be borne by the great powers 'because of their strength, he said, the founda tion of a world organization must be "the principle of the sovereign equality of all free dom loving countries." Sir Alexander Cadogan, the British delegation's leader, like Hull and Gromyko emphasized the need for force and for fair treatment of small nations, but he declared additionally that "peace may come sooner than some expect" and that therefore the conference should move swiftly toward setting up some framework of future interna tional cooperation. The first session lasted about 35 minutes. Nazi Amazon Killed on Tank On the British Front, Nor mandy, Aug. 21 (fl) The first German "Amazon" definitely identified as fighting with the Wehrmacht, apparently as a member of a tank crew, was found dead during the battle of the Normandy bulge. A British stretcher bearer re ported today: "A woman soldier was dis covered when British burial squads were going over the scene of the bitter tank battle in the Vire sector between Viessoix and Burcy. "Her flaxen hair had rolled out of her steel helmet and fal len to her shoulders. She was in full German uniform and wore trousers, field boots and a small pack in battle order. On her jacket was a silver star, a type of badge not often seen on Germans, and the epau lets of her tunic had the braid of a corporal." The stretcher bearer said he searched her clothes without finding any hint of her name or identity. A photograph of four Germans soldiers and the woman was found in her wal let. Lying dead near her was a German soldier in a panzer uniform who was identified as the man standing beside her in the group photograph. Tour Begun by Willis Mahoney Klamath Falls, Aug. 21 W Willis Mahoney, democratic nominee for U. S. senator, be gan a campaign tour of Oregon today after announcing he will open an office here in addition to his state headquarters pre viously opened in Portland. Price Five Cents Subs Sink 19 More Jap Ships Washington, Aug. 21 (TV American submarines in the Pa cific and Far East have sunk 19 more Japanese ships, includ ing a light cruiser and an es cort vessel, the navy reported today, bringing to 706 the total of enemy vessels sunk by subs. Making its first report on United States submarine activi ties in 11 days. The navy said these vessels had been sunk: One light cruiser, one escort vessel, one large tanker, three medium cargo transports, 11 medium cargo vessels and two small cargo vessels. The total of combatant ships sunk by submarines rose to 56, while 11 others have been re ported probably sunk and 14 damaged. American underwater craft have sunk 630 non-combatant ships, probably sunk 26, and damaged 101, bringing to 858 the total of Japanese vessels of all kinds sunk, probably sunk, or damaged since Pearl Harbor by our submarines. Nazis Destroy Warsaw Areas London, Aug. 21 () The Germans are laying waste large sections of Warsaw with artil lary and planes, trying to smash underground forces battling nazi troops within the city, Pol ish quarters here said today. Much of the old city has been virtually wiped out and the fa mous 15th century cathedral has been almost pulverized, the in formants said. A communique relayed from the underground said German infantry and tanks had pene trated into the old city, where patriot fighters are concentrat ed, after a terrific artillery and plane bombardment. The Polish telegraph agency said the Germans have seized 70,000 Poles in Warsaw in the last few days and herded them into a concentration camp in an effort to break the revolt. Quoting the Polish under ground radio in Warsaw, the news agency said the Germans were "systematically burning down the city. Street after street has been set on fire." Destruction in Fleeing Germans in France By Edward W. Bcattie With the British in Pursuit o( the German Army, Aug. 21 (U.R) The German army today is perilously close to rout as the swirling battle of western France heads toward two great climaxes which may make it the battle for France or the battle for Europe. These are the climaxes which may be reached in this week's fighting: 1. The fall of Paris a great climax of the spirit set free in the city which for generations has been the fountain head of liberty in continental Europe, and a great military triumph to cut off the hub of the entire French railway system. 2. The final destruction of the German 7lh army, together with its associated panzer groups and artillery and infantry drained from the 15th army defending the Pas de Calais and the low countries. The second is of far grealer military importance than the capture of Paris because it un doubtedly means the end ot further serious fighting in France. Destruction definitely is "in Siege of Revolt-Torn Proceeds on 3 Sides as Allies Finish off 7th Army Survivors Battle of Northwestern France to Be Ended in Complete and Decisive Victory Says Monte 109,575 German Casualties in Sweep to Paris Supreme Headquarters, AEF, Aug. 21 (UP.) The battle of north western France has ended in complete and decisive victory for the allies and the end of the European war is in sight, Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery declared today as allied armies laid siege to Paris from three sides, breached the Seine river line, and swung in from Normandy to finish off the survivors of the routed nazi 7th army. "The Lord, mighty In battles, has given us the victory," Mont gomery said in a stirring order of the day to the combined British, American, and Canadian armies under his overall ground com mand. "The news is very good from the war fronts all over the world. The end of the war is in sight. Let's finish off the business in record time." Montgomery said the past 10 days have seen the elimination of the German army south of the Scine as an effective force, and that "terrific" destruction of nazi men and armor still is go ing on in the by-passed Nor mandy pocket. Victory Definite "The victory has been defin ite, complete and decisive," he said, asserting that the allied tri umph marked the beginning of the end of Germany military domination in all France. "Having brought disaster to ! the German forces in northwest France, we must now complete the destruction of such of his forces as are still available to be destroyed. "After knowing what has happened to their armies in northwest France, it is unlikely that these forces will come to us, so we will go to them," Montgomery's order declared. 10,000 More Surrender Almost as he spoke, 10,000 beaten, dazed nazi veterans laid down their arms and surren dered to the overwhelming al lied tanks, artillery and rifle men massed around them in the Normandy pocket. At the same time, British, Canadian, and American troops surged east ward toward the Seine, herding the disintegrating remnants of the 7lh army into the guns of Yankee forces that crossed the Seine northwest of Paris and fannejl out across the enenny's line ul iiigiu. Already, It was announced that Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's 3rd army in its sweep to Paris had captured 49,650 Germans, killed 11,025 and wounded 48, 900 a total of 109,575. 3 Generals Taken United Press War Corres ent Richard D. McMillan re ported that the latest bag of cap tives included three nazi gen erals: Lt. Gen. Badinski, com mander of the 276th division; Gen. Elfeidt, commander of the 84th corps, and Lt. Gen. Menni, listed as leader of the 84th di vision. The forcing of the Seine river barrier virtually isolated revolt torn Paris and menaced the nazi robot bomb bases along the charnel coast. Allied headquarters an nounced officially that the Americans were across the Seine a great strength at Man tes, and German radio reports admitted that Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's troops also forced a crossing 12 miles to the north at Vernon. A steady stream of men and armor was reported pouring into the bridgeheads and Ber lin said Patton's forces were fanning out along the south bank of the Seine on a front more than 30 miles, reaching (Continued on page 7, column 6) Store for the cards" for the reeling Ger mans, as the British mop up bewildered fragments of Ger man units in the Argantan-Fal-alse pocket and move on a broad, straight front toward the Seine to squeeze the fleeing re mainders of the 7th army against the on-rushing Ameri cans. The retreating Germans hard ly are an organized army any longer. Some divisions are down from 10.000 to 15.000 men to 1000 or fewer. They are short of transport, short of guns, short of any hope of as sistance. If, as seems likelv, they can be brought to a show-down bat tle this side of the Seine it is doubtful, in the opinion of allied military authorities whether they wilt ever again be able to stand up and fight within France. Paris S- French Battle Nazis in Paris London, Aug. 21 0J.R) Th German army battled a spread ing French patriot rebellion in the streets ot Paris today and a United Press dispatch from the Franco-Swiss frontier reported that puppet Premier Pierre La val and his collapsing pro-nazl government had fled from Vichy to the German border. While the Germans placed Paris under virtual martial law and threatened It with destruc tion if the Patriots did not sub side, French Maquis sources re ported Laval and others in his collaborationist cabinet had ar rived at Morvillars, less than six miles from the Swiss border. United Press Staff Corre spondent Aldo Forte, who cross ed into France from Switzerland several days ago, said Laval and his suite were travelling under a heavy German SS guard, moving swiftly in power ful camouflaged automobiles. French quarters in London estimated that 30,000 to 50,000 Maquis organized members of the French forces of the inter-ior-'-were leading the rebellion .in an effort to speed the libera tion of Hi,; largest city in conti- nental Europe and th fourth largest in the world. Maquis Capture City of Toulouse London, Aug. 21 VP) . Th Algiers radio said today that on Sunday the Maquis captured Toulouse, sixtli largest city ( France. Toulouse (Pop: 213,200) la in southwest France, 60 mile north of the Spanish border. Frequent neutral reports have told of German withdrawals from that area. Another Algiers radio report said French forces of the Inter ior were fighting German troops in the streets of threatened Mar seille, second city of France, which lies close to American seventh army advance units. French patriots now control France comprising eight depart ments, says Gen. Joseph Koenig, commander of the French forces of the interior. In a communlgue broadcast by the Algiers radio, Koenig said that during the week ended Aug. 19 French patriots killed 1821 Germans, wounded 415 and captured 22C5, suffering only slight losses themselves. Reports relayed here through Port Bou, Spain, said the Ma quis controlled the entire Pyr enees region of southwestern France from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. All German forces just north of the Spanish border have withdrawn north ward and French patriots hava appointed administrators. A dispatch from Irun, Spain, said the last German forces at Hendaye, just across the border in France, -have pulled out and only regular French customs men guarded the frontier. Bomber Sinks Big Jap Cruiser Off China Chungking, Aug. 21 W A Liberator bomber of the U. S. 14th air force has sunk a 14,200- ton Japanese cruiser in a sweep off the Chinese coast east ot Hongkong, Gen. Joseph W. Still- well's headquarters announced today. The attack look place Satur day, Ihe announcement snld. The Weather Pair tonight and Tuesday. Con tinued warm. Max. 87; Min, 47. Rain 0. River today. -4 It.
