Surrounded Sky Troops in Holland Relieved by British Forces
Baltic Campaign
Capital AJouiraal
Allies Capture Nijmen Bridge
Almost Won
Across Rhine for Invasion Uses;
Tank Battle Rages On Moselle
By Red Armies
Riga Neared 200,-
56th Year, No. 226
Bnttrid u Moond etui
mitUr at Stltta, Or mob
Salem, Oregon, Thursday, September 21, 1944
Price Fiv r
Tallinn Neared 200,
000 Nazis Trapped
Moscow, Sept. 11 IU. The
government newspaper Iivestla
said today that the red army
campaign to liberate the Baltic
states is almost won. Four Rus
sian armies were wheeling
through the Baltics on a 200
miliJront, riding down the rear
guard of an estimated 200,000
German troops threatened with
Imminent death ot capture.
Gen. Ivan C. Bagramlan
stormed the suburbs of Riga.
Marshal Leonid A. Govorov
BWept toward Tallinn. Gen. Ivan
Waslennikov deepened his
thrust toward the sea northwest
of Valca. Gen. Andrei I. Yere
menko pushed against Riga from
the east. v
Writing against that backdrop
in sarcastic vein, Izvestia's mili
tary commentator said that "the
Germans soon will be compel
led to announce the 'successful'
conclusion of the Baltic cam
paign." Front dispatches indicated
that main barriers in the path
of Govorov's two-way thrust
through Estonia already had
beenThuxdled, leaving before
him a relatively clear coastal
plain stretching to the capital
city of Tallinn.
The veteran Leningrad army
under Govorov was revealed
last night to have joined in the
1211. Mmnaidn pnmnlntintf nn
assault arc swinging down from
Sjthe Gulf of Finland to the su-
burbs of Riga.
i Nazi Line Smashed
j An elaborate system of Ger
f man fortifications, based on a
chain of rivers and swamplands
I hugging the west shore of Lake
Feipus, was smashed by a mas
i give air and artillery bombard
is ment.
The Govorov's assault forces
" broke through west of Narva
i and north of Tartu and swarm-
ed through the flattened G,er
I man positions for advances up
J to 44 miles.
'5 MJadio Berlin said the Soviets
; alrorlaunched their big assault
; on Warsaw, forcing several
crossings of the Vistula river
i and winning a foothold 500
(j yards deep in the streets of the
i capital. Berlin said the bridge
1 head was sealed off after a wild
battle that jammed the quarter
I mile wide river with dead.)
: Soviet Premier Josef Stalin
" revealed last night that his
1 Leningrad army .freed for ac
I tion by the capitulation of Fin
land, had been thrown into the
battle for the Baltic states,
joining the offensive opened by
the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Baltic
armies.
Pearl Harbor
Probe Refused
Washington, Sept. 21 (IP)
Assailing republican demands
for a7 congressional investigation
of the Pearl Harbor disaster as
"pure political bunk," Chair
man Sabath (D., III.), said to
day he has no intention of call
ing the rules committee together
to consider resolutions demand
ing an inquiry.
-ti Sabath disclosed his stand as
chairman May (D., Ky.) of the
house military committee turn
ed a deaf ear to a request for
a joint military-naval comit
tee investigation and as verbal
repercussions from the Jap
sneak attack continued to echo
through the halls of congress.
"It's politics, pure political
bunk," Sabath said in an irv-
terview concerning a resolu
tion Introduced earlier this
week by Rep. Harness (R., Ind.)
proposing creation of a special
committee to determine who, if
anyone, was negligent at Pearl
Harbor. Harness says he wants
it J:hown whether persons "in
hijh places" were negligent.
The resolution was referred
to the rules committee, and un
less Sabath is overruled by his
group, it will gather dust there
until forgotten.
"They knew there wasn't
time to consider it before the
recess we expect to start this
week," Sabath declared. "They
are just making a gesture for
political reasons."
Road to Berlin
'Bt the Ajiotittrd Prfijo
1 Western front: 305 miles
from near Arnhem.
t Russian front: 312 miles
frVm outside Pulutsk.
3 Italian front: 580 miles
from 25 miles below Bologna,
Allies Advance
In Hard Fighting
In North Italy
Rome, Sept. 21 Mi Greek
troops of the eighth army fought
to within 2000 yards of Rimini
on the Italian Adriatic coast yes
terday but rain slowed down the
fifth army's offensive after Am
erican forces had captured the
heights dominating Firenzuola,
an important junction on the
road to Bologna.
Headquarters described fight
ing on both ends of the front as
intensive and declared the Ger
mans were "clinging desperate
ly" to their defensive positions.
Break Through in Po
The enemy's hold on Rimini
and the gateway to the Po valley
was jeopardized by the Cana
dians, who broke through Ger
man defenses southwest of the
port and advanced to San Loren
zo, less than two miles south
west of Rimini.
As a result of this break
through, the Canadians were in
position to outflank Rimini on
the west and isolate its defend
ers. They were within a mile
of the Marecchia river which
flows into the Adriatic at Rimini
and only three miles from the
coast northwest of the city.
A mile behind the farthest
point of the Canadian advance a
large enemy force still was wag
ing a desperate battle on San
Marino ridge.
Peaks Captured
American troops, meanwhile,
beginning their drive down the
northern slopes of the last moun
tain barrier guarding the plains
of northern Italy, drove the Ger
mans off the heights of Monte
Montale, Monte Acuto, Monte
Frena and Barco. They were 25
miles northeast of Florence and
only two miles southeast of Fir-
enzuola, which is a junction of
roads extending northward
through the remaining nazi de
fenses. The doughboys also fought
their way toward the key town
of Santa Lucia, which is part of
the Futa pass defenses of the Go
thic line.
In the Ligurian coastal sector
fifth army troops approached the
outskirts of Pietrasanta, 19 miles
north-northwest of Pisa, in a
steady advance which reached
the foothills at the western ex
tremity of the northern Apen
nines. Hold to Last Man
A partial explanation of the
resolute German opposition to
the fifth army was seen in this
order found on two captives:
"I am detailed to guard this
position and to notify platoons
of all enemy attacks. This posi
tion is to be held to the last map
and bullet, even if the enemy
breaks through on all sides sup
ported by strong artillery and
mortar fire. Only on the auth
ority of the company command
er will this position be aband
oned." Two Capture Seven Germans
Portland, Sept. 21 (IP) Lt.
John L. Lucas and his sergeant
crept stealthily up to a German
infantry patrol in France and
captured seven men one night,
he wrote his wife here. After
ward he felt a prickling sensa
tion in his feet. Completely
bare, they were full of thorns.
Eastern Peleliu Veritable
Gibraltar of Fortifications
By Richard W. Johnston
Aboard Expeditionary Flagship, Palau, Sept. 21 U. The ma
rines who conquered southern and eastern Peleliu foot by foot
and yard by yard tonight fought for inches in the western pen
insula against the best fortifi-
cations thev have encountered . Peninsula are so sheer and cruel-
since Tarawa and 'over the
worst terrain in the Pacific.
The Japs have dug in along
an incredible network of con
necting coves equipped with
steel doors. These natural forts
range from ridge to ridge, and
the Japanese are able to give
one another mutual support
with cross-fire from the ent
rance of every ravine. Their
mortars and artillery cover the
peaks.
The caves are hollowed and
floored five levels deep, mak
ing the entire chain or coral
cliffs into a gigantic bombproof
shelter.
This is the first Japanese
strongpoint in the Pacific which
literally, as well as figuratively,
is comparable to Gibraltar.
The ridges on the western
7645 Japanese
Killed in Battle
On Palau Isles I
IT. S. Pacific Fleet Headquar
ters, Pearl Harbor, Sept. 21 IIP)
American Invasion of the Pa
lau has cost the Japanese the
small island of Anganr, most
of Pelellu and 7645 lives, but
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz re
ported last night that "the en
emy resistance Is better" on
rocky and rugged Peleliu.
The .Nimitz communique
spoke of "slow progress being
made" in heavy fighting by the
First marine division on Pele
liu, where the invasion of the
vital Palau line of defenses
started a week ago today. The
Japanese had the advantage of
rocky, timbered elevations.
Most of Peleliu Won
(A more optimistic report
came from the battle scene last
night in a Blue network broad
cast by Webley Edwards, rep
resenting the combined Ameri
can networks. Covering one day
more of fighting than was en
compassed in the official com
munique, Edwards said the ma
rines have won all but a small
strip on the northeast coast of
Peleliu.)
The announcement of 7045
Japanese killed on Peleliu and
600 on Angaur came after a
communique told of the virtual
conquest of the latter, where
only mopping up action re
mained for the' 81st army divi
sion. Three-fourths Slain
The casualty estimate for
Peleliu covered virtually three
fourths of the estimated 10,500
enemy on the island wheh the
invasion was launched. Offi
cers on Peleliu described its
rocky, cave-pocked terrain as
the worst yet encountered in
the drive westward across the
Pacific.
A small, unnamed island off
the northeast corner .of Peleliu
was occupied by the marines
without any report of resist
ance. ,
Hitting again at the inner rim
of Japanese defenses, Liberator
bombers from Gen. Douglas
MacArthur's command pounded
installations in the Davao area,
at the southern end of the Phil
ippines, with 120 tons of bombs.
Many explosions and fires were
reported. There was no inter
ception. New Airfield
A new airfield was reported
started on Angaur. The inva
sions of Peleliu and Morotai, in
the Molucca islands west of New
Guinea, provided ready-made
airstrips for the allied forces.
Small, planes were reported al
ready using the Peleliu field,
and the Morotai field, 300 miles
south of the Philippines, pre
sumably has been put into
shape.
Prohis Approved
For Oregon Ballot
Portland, Sept. 21 W
Claude A. Watson of Los An
geles, the prohibition party's
candidate for president, and his
running matct Andrew Johnson
of Willmore, Ky., were approv
ed for the Oregon ballot at
nominating assemblyhere last
night.
ly sharp it would barely be
possible to surmount them even
without opposition.
They are so jagged men ac
tually are injured merely by
falling down.
Maj. Gen. Roy S. Geiger, com
mander of the Pacific fleet ma
rine forces, toured our front
lines, encircling the ridgehead
today as well as the secured
sections of the island and termed
the terrain "the worst I ever
saw." He said the battle for
Guadalcanal was not even re
motely comparable to this.
The job of hollowing the cor
al mountain chain has been a
matter of years, not months,
and it is obvious the Japanese
have been prepa'ring this key
fortress of Palau for decades in
flagrant violation of their mandate.
Yank Marines Storm Ashore on Peleliu (IP) Troops of the First marine division stormed ashore
from beached "Alligators" as one of the early waves of assault troops hit the beach at Peleliu
island in the invasion of the Palau group which began Sept. 14. Smoke is from burning "Alli
gator." (Photo by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal on assignment with Wartime Still Picture
pool. (Picture radioed from Honolulu to San Francisco.)
Bombers Aid Army in
Invasion of Holland
London, Sept. 21 lP) American planes bombed railyards sup
plying the Siegfried line at Mainz and Coblenz today, struck an
oil plant on the Rhine at Ludwigshafen and '"supported allied
aircraft in the continuing airborne invasion of Holland," a U. S.
Eighth air force communique said. A thousand or more heavy
Germans Show
Friendliness
By Jack Franklsh
Kornelimunster, Germany,
Sept. 20 (Delayed) u.R) The
Germans in this border region
which American captured a
week ago are discarding their
hostile attitude and warming
up toward the invaders, but
doughboys are taking the show
of friendship with a grain of
salt.
The GI's doubt that these wo
men, children and old men who
dis-obeyed a nazi order to eva
cuate really are glad to see
them. They have been remin
ded that Germans "won the
peace" after the first World
war by similar tactics and they
have been warned against fra
ternizing with civilians.
Many of the people profess
to be anti-nazi, and they say
the allies will find a similar
friendly attitude through the
whole Rhineland. but one young
4-F German told me:
"The Rhinelanders will be
friendly all right, but don't
trust them too far."
Even young children are giv
ing the V-sign to passing troops.
An older boy said he had been
a member of Hitler's Youth
but he was glad he could be a
Pathfinder (Boy Scout) again.
One young woman whose hus
band is serving somewhere in
the Wehrmacht said the "little"
nazi regime was vicious but that
she still believed Hitler, him
self, meant well.
Polish Paratroops
Dropped in Warsaw
London. Sept. 21 (U.R) The
German DNB news agency re
ported today that allied planes
dropped Polish parachutists in
Warsaw.
"On the fifth anniversary of
the unconditional surrender of
Warsaw, a large formation of
Anglo-American bombers car
ried out a demonstrative raid
for the purpose of encouraging
remnants of the underground
movement in its desperate
struggle," DNB said.
"They dropped a number of
Polish shock troop leaders who
were all shot down in the air.
The dropping of Polish para
chutists took place at midday."
Later Paper Delivery
Because of the opening
of school, delivery of the
Capital Journal by carrier
will be a little later, except
Saturdays, than during va
cation time, as the boys
have to wait until school
is over.
bombers and fighters were em
ployed.
Medium forces of more than
400 Flying Fortresses and Lib
erators bombed visually at
Mainz, on the Rhine near Frank
fort 75 miles behind invested
Trier in the main German fron
tier defenses, but used instru
ments at Coblenz and Ludwigs
hafen, Coblenz is on the Rhine
70 miles southeast of sur
rounded Aachen. Ludwigshaf
en lies about 100 miles east of
Thionville, France, where Lt.
Gen. George S. Patton's Third
army is battling the Germans.
The heavy bombers attacked
other, unspecified targets in
western Germany.
Hundreds of Thunderbolt and
Mustang fighters escorted the
bombers and also supported the
fifth successive day of airborne
landings in Holland.
From Italy, other Flying Fort
resses and Liberators support
ed the Russians by bombing rail
communications in Hungary
leading to the eastern front.
Throughout the day at inter
vals, the German radio shout
ed warnings of bombers ap
proaching west and southwest
Germany.
With Mainz and Coblenz
bombed again, allied air forces
have announced since Tuesday
blows at 13 railroad yards di
rectly used in the intensifying
battle for Germany and Hol
land. Congress to Recess
Until November 14
Washington, Sept. 21 IIP)
Congress voted to recess today
to Tuesday, Nov. 14 a week
after the national elections.
Many members began leaving
the capital, homeward-bound
to put a whirlwind finish on
their political campaigns, soon
after the house concurred in the
senate's adjournment resolu
tion. Under the resolution's terms,
congress could be called back
for any legislative- emergency
by its presiding officers, or upon
a joint written request of the
majority or minority leaders of
the two houses.
Chinese Execute
General for Flight
Chungking (Friday) Sept. 22
'Pi Gen. Chen Mu-Nung. com
mander of the 93rd Chinese
army has been executed for
failure "to carry out his in
structions to defend Chuanh
sien," stronghold on the way to
Kweilin, the Chinese central
news agency said today.
General Chen "fled at the ap
proach of the enemy," according
to the dispatch. The execution
was carried out at the front
Sept. 20, on orders of the Chi
nese high command.
(MCV
U. S. Casualties
Pass 400,000
Washington, Sept. 21 (U.R)
American combnt casualties in
this war, a.r officially announced
here, passed 400,000 today to
reach a total of 400,780 as com
pared with 389,125 a week ago.
Secretary of War Henry L.
Stimson announced that army
casualties through Sept. 6 to
taled 337,743, including 64,488
killed, 177,235 wounded, 48,725
prisoners of war, and 47,315
missing.
The army total was 10,020
greater than that announced by
Stimson a week ago.
Navy, coast guard, and ma
rine casualties as announced to
day contributed 83,017 to the
overall total. They included
25,152 dead, 23,867 wounded,
9,532 missing and 4,466 prison
ers. The navy total was 1,508
larger than that of a week ago.
Stimson announced that of
the army wounded, 72,583 have
returned to duty.
Nazis Removing
Rhine Factories
By Don Whitehead
In Germany, Sept. 12 W
The Germans have begun dis
mantling factories west of the
Rhine and are shipping the ma
chinery to eastern Germany to
prevent its falling into the hands
of American troops.
The Yanks meanwhile held
firmly to Iheir breaches in the
Siegfried line against continued
counter-attacks.
Forward observers in the
Aachen area saw the Germans
dismantling a factory and load
ing the machinery on a train and
trucks. They immediately called
for air and artillery missions to
blast the transport.
In Stolberg the doughboys still
fought house to house, cleaning
out stubborn resistance. The
Germans had made every house
a strongpoint but the town was
almost cleared as American
troops reached high ground on
its eastern side.
7,nl'
Russians Accuse Finns of
Helping Germans to Escape
Moscow, Sept. 21 'U.R) The Russian press today angrily accused
Finland of violating armistice terms and of treacherously helping
Germans to escape the country. The naval organ, Red Fleet,
AnafriVieA tV, aifnnfinn "in- "
tolerable" and demanded "strict
unconditional fulfillment of all
armistice terms."
"Izvestia said "every day. ev
ery hour is precious." and ac
cused Finland of duplicity in
aiding in a leisurely German
evacuation.
"The soviet people cannot for
get that for a long time Finland
used ils geographic position per
manently to threaten our north
western borders." Izvestia said.
"Finland was granted indepen
dence by the Soviet Union in
1917, but thrice violated not
only the principles of grateful
ness but the laws and principles
of peaceful ncighborlincss.
r j . f I! m
J tna or nazi ivnine ruver uerense Line
Punctured Except for Its Last Water Course
French Advance on Southern Front in Lorraine
London, Sept. 21 M British armor and American parachutfl
troops have captured the Nijmegen bridge across the main branch
of the Khine in Holland, Having the important span from German
destruction and paving the way into Germany.
Today the allied forces swung across the bridge toward Arn
hem, where surrounded sky troops had been battling grimly for
control of the last river crossings before Germany. German
broadcasts tonight said the cutoff forces had been relieved by
troops of the British second army. The Germans claimed with
no allied confirmation that 2R00 of the British First airborne
division had been captured.
With the northern end of their historic Rhine river defense
line punctured except for ils last watercourse by the sweeping
threat, the Germans scraped up a large part of their remaining
armor and hurled it into battle along the Moselle, 200 miles to
the south. There the U. S. Third f-
army was engaged in its great
est series of tank battles since
the invasion of France.
Fighting through rugged hills
and forests northeast of Nancy,
veteran American tankmen de
stroyed 105 nazi tanks, field
dispatches stated, as the Ger
mans struggled desperately to
save at least their upper Rhine
line.
134 Tanks Destroyed
Despite the ferociousness of
the German effort, however,
French troops of the Third army
drove close to Flin, five miles
north of Bacarrat and 20 miles
southeast of Nancy.
The Nijmegen bridge, a mile
and a half long concrete struc
ture, was seized intact by Brit
ish armor striking swiftly from
the south and American ele
ments of the First allied air
borne army which hit from the
north.
The British tanks then crossed
the Waal, the Rhine's largest
arm, and streamed northward to
the relief of the beleaguered
air-borne pocket at Arnhem,
key to the Emmerich gateway
to the Ruhr and northern Ger
many. Arnheim, on the Nedger
Ryn, Is eight miles north of
Nijmegen. Some Germans were
reported still holding out In
Nijmegen itself, however.
Coblenz Bombed
. American Flying Fortresses
and Liberators flew to bomb
Coblenz and Mainz, central
Rhine distribution points behind
the front as the fighting flared
to a decisive stage with the
allied armies a month ahead of
their timetable.
The Germans counter-attacked
by land and bombing from
the air in a desperate attempt
to save their historic river de
fense line, but some of the west
ern front's hottest fighting vir
tually set the seal of doom on
perhaps 100,000 enemy troops
caught In western Holland.
The whole fate of the Ger
mans Ruhr valley and the safe
ty of their entire northern flank
was turning on the outcome of
this first victory and the un
folding of a second battle about
to take place for control of the
crossings of the northern branch
of the Dutch Rhine at Arnheim,
The seventh army, closing in
on the last 12 miles to the Bel
fort gap, also made gains all
along its front.
Siege of Calais Begun
With the fail of Boulogne, the
allies began a real siege ham
mering of Calais. A 3,000 to
4,000-ton bomb attack was made
on the town yesterday.
About 1,000 German marines
were still holding out at Le
Portel, approximately two miles
south of Boulogne, a position
dominating the entrance to the
harbor, and there still was some
fighting at Wimereux, two miles
north of Boulogne. The Cana
dians, in working through the
chain of concrete forts at Bou
logne, had taken 6,000 prison
ers. inis nappenen in iu.,t
and 1941 but this cannot and
must not be repealed."
Izvestia charged that Finland
had violated the preliminary
conditions of the armistice by
not expelling German forces
from Finland.
"In spite of the passage of a
whole week since the Finns un
dertook to disarm the German
forces remaining in Finland af
ter September 15 and hand them
over to the allies as war pris
oners, not a single German sol
dier has been disarmed. More
over, Finnish authorities are
helping the Germans to leave
the country disarmed," Izvesia
said.
n . r r i
Greal Tank
Battle Raging
By Wes Gallagher
Alsace-Lorraine, Sept. 21 (IP)
Adolf Hitler has thrown in a
large portion of his armored
forces against the U. S. third
army and for three days this
armored force has been engaged -in
the greatest single tank bat
tle since the landings in France.
The battle has seen the de
struction of 105 nazi tanks.
As this is being written on a
box of bazooka shells, American
artillery shells are whistling;
overhead at a number of Mark
VI Tiger and Mary V Panther
tanks dug in near Bures, 18
miles northeast of Nancy.
From there an irregular bat
tle line is active in a wide ara
north to points near Chateau.
Salins.
But there is no regular Una
of tanks. Both forces range
many miles on both sides of
these lines in sorties.
Much of the mobile forces at
the disposal of the Germany
army has been thrown reck,
lessly into battle. Many of tha
destroyed Tiger tanks dotting
the battle area had Just had
their numbers painted on them
in the factory.
It Is the first time the Ger. ,
mans have committed their ar
mor in this strength since tha
fighting at Caen in Normandy.
Battling the panzer veterans,
some from the Russian front,
are young American tankmen
who have given more than they
have taken but who have not
come out unscathed.
Allies Month
Ahead of Plans
London, Sept. 21 (U.R) Gen,
Dwight D. Eisenhower's cam
paign is well over a month ahead
of schedule, and his next camp
proDaDiy will Be established in
Germany, Merrill Mueller said
today in a pooled broadcast from
Paris.
Mueller, National Broadcast
ing company correspondent,
broadcast on behalf of the
American networks after his
return from Eisenhower's head
quarters in eastern France.
He said Eisenhower drova
himself so hard his health suf
fered and he was Instructed not
to leave f""" n t
But "lie is in top form again
today," inc L.iu.iL..ti,t.r
"and the sparks are flying about
getting this thing over with."
"We are well over a month
ahead of schedule, which is
wonderful for the tactical opera
tions, but a first class headache
for Ihe strategic planning,"
Mueller said.
"For Hie past two weeks tha
fullest concentration has been
given the supply line and ser
vicing parts up to the stage lina
of the present operations. This
Herculean task has been ac
complished only by the most
concentrated effort of each In
dividual in I hose seldom her
alded but vitally necessary or
ganizations." Army Denies Opening
01 Soldiers' Ballots
Washington. Sept. 21
The army today officially de
nied charges that its censors had
opened envelopes containing
soldier votes in slate primaries.
Secretary of War Stimson,
asked at a news conference
about the charges, said the war
department had investigated
them and that the inquiry "has
not disclosed 1o date a single
ballot envelope opened by an
army censor."
The Weather
Scattered thunder .showers tn
mtcht. orrastonni rain. Coolpr
Frtrinv. Max. 81 . min. 54. Rain,
-7.4. River, -3.2 ft.