French Speed North on Rhine as Germans Retreat in Saar Basin
Superforls B-29
Again Bomb Jap
Home Islands
Omura Aircraft Plant,
Docks of Nanking and
Shanghai Targets
C apital
Journal
French Armor Storms Mulhouse
7th U. S. Army Seizes Sarrebourg
ing Nazi Stand in Vosges
.ttO
56th Year, No. 278
Entered is second elast
mttter i Smlem. Oregon
Salem, Oregon, Tuesday, November 21, 1944
Price Five M uCV
I
-ir- ft
Washington, Nov. 21 W The
huge Omura aircraft factory on
the southernmost Japanese home
island of Kyushu was blasted
for the third time today by B-29
Superfortresses.
' Adverse weather diverted
pVrt of the mission, operating
in large force, resulting in two
other strikes one at the docks
of Nanking and the other at
Shanghai against military stor
age and transhipment facilities.
55 Jap Planes Hit
A 20th airforce communique
said 20 attacking Japanese
"planes were destroyed together
with 16 probably destroyed and
19 damaged in the course of the
operation. It was the first time
that a B-29 mission had encoun
tered fighter opposition in
strength. There was little anti
aircraft opposition, however.
It is too early to determine
whether our task force suffered
any losses, the communique
said.
Tokyo said Japanese fighters
intercepted the four-engined
bombers and engaged them
above the clouds in "fierce air
llfiiels." Early claims that eight
Superfortresses had been shot
down and a ninth damaged sub
sequently were enlarged to 14
downed, 11 probably downed
and seven others set afire. Four
Japanese planes were missing,
Tokyo said.
70 to 80 Planes Used
Tokyo press and radio reports
recorded by the FCC said 70
to 80 Superfortresses attacked
the Nagasaki and Omura areas
of northwest Kyushu, southern
most of the Japanese home is
lands, in two waves about 9:45
' a m. (2:45 rj.m.. Mondav. EWT).
Tokyo said low-lying clouds
prevented accurate bombing
and asserted that "extremely
slight" and "hardly any" dam
age resulted. The Domei agency
predicted that further "enemy
losses" were expected when all
reports had been received from
fighter pilots.
?ajura also was hit in the Su
ortress raid Nov. 5, with
, aircraft plant the main ob
jective. While Superfortresses con
centrated on the enemy home
land, other American bombers
and carrier-based planes spread
further ruin through Japan's
shrinking, but still far-flung,
Pacific empire.
118 Jap Planes Lost
Planes from a carrier task
force of the Pacific fleet struck
again at Manila, occupied capi
tal of the Philippines, Sunday
(Saturday, Pearl Harbor time),
setting fire to two large cargo
ships and a large tanker and
destroying 118 enemy planes.
More than 100 Liberators
from Gen. Douglas MacArthur's
Southwest Pacific command
blasted oil installations and
shipping Sunday at Tarakan,
Borneo, with 121 tons of ex
plosives. Huge fires were
started, sending smoke tower
ing 15,000 feet. Sixteen small
vessels, including barges, were
set afire in the harbor.
Other Yank Raids
At nearby Brunei bay, also in
Borneo, other heavy bombers
r scored direct hits on a destroyer
and nearby docks Saturday
night. A battleship and a heavy
cruiser were damaged by bombs
in an attack on Brunei bay two
days earlier.
Other land-based bombers of
the Southwest Pacific and Cen
tral Pacific commands raided
targets ranging from the north
ern Kuriles in the north to New
Guinea in the south and from
the Philippines in the west to
the Marshalls in the east.
Japanese Claim
Bisection of China
(By th United Prtu)
Tokyo radio claimed today
that Japanese forces pushing
southward through Kwangsi
province in China have achieved
a junction with northbound Ja
panese troops, thus attaining the
long-sought bisection of China.
"The cutting in two of China
is now an accomplished fact."
a Tokyo radio broadcast rec
orded by United Press at San
Francisco said.
The broadcast, based on a
dispatch from a Domei news
asency correspondent in south
China, did not state the point
at which the junction of the
two forces occurred, but pre
sumably the meeting took place
west of recently-captured Liu-
Typhoon Bogs
Down Fighting
In Philippines
Allied Headquarters, Leyte,
Nov. 21 (U.l!) American 32nd
division troops, defying a tropi
cal typhoon which hogged
down the remainder of the
Leyte front, methodically re
duced Japanese pillboxes and
other strangly-fortified positions
in the Limon pocket today.
The remnants of an enemy
force once estimated at 3000
hurled themselves repeatedly
against an American road block
of Limon in a desperate at
tempt to break out of encircle
ment, but the American lines
held. An enemy night counter
attack west- of the Limon-Or-moc
road also was repulsed.
All Traffic Halted
Drenching rains, whipped by
hurricane winds, were lashing
Leyte. Bridges were washed
out, streams becam raging tor
rents and roads were turned
into rivers.
"All traffic, air, ground and
sea, is fraught with great diffi
culty and hazard and battle con
ditions are becoming static,"
Gen. Douglas MacArthur report
ed in his daily communique.
Leyte-based fighters never
theless continued their attacks
on enemy communication lines,
supply areas and waterfront in
stallations along the Ormoc cor
ridor. Thirty-five Japanese
planes retaliated with attacks
on American positions, but sev
en were shot down by air pa
trols and ground fire.
Need 100,000
For War Work
Chicago, Nov. 21 The
CIO convention today was urg
ed by Lt. Gen. Brehon Somer
vell, army supply chief, to help
recruit another 100.000 work
ers foi war plants to turn out
the fighting tools needed in
Europe and the Pacific.
"We must have these workers
at once," said the general in an
address prepared for the dele
gates who yesterday cheered
their president, Philip Murray
after he urged a revision of the
little steel formula limiting
wages and said "we have no
quarrel with business."
Somervell told the conven
tion that production in some
items is 40 percent behind, add
ing, "It all boils down to this:
we are calling on American pro
ductive power for a supreme ef
fort lo meet a supreme crisis.
The doughboy has fought his
way ahead of schedule and we
have to catch up with him."
To the delegates who yester
day heard Murray assert the
CIO would continue "in the
maintenance of our no-strike
pledge." Somevell said:
"I know that you men and
women are sticking to your war
jobs, but there are a lot of
Americans who are not. They
are turning to other employ
ment in quest of greater post
war security. x
Ward Employes Subscribe
To $9000 Worth of War Bonds
Employes of Montgomery Ward company smashed into the
limelight of the sixth war loan campaign early when at one of
the first downtown retail sales meetings of the drive held at the
store Tuesday morning they sub
scribed to S9000 worth of bonds
as against a quota of S4000, or
upped their quota to 225 per
cent. At the same time County
Chairman Douglas Yeater an
nounced receipt of a check of
$100,000 from Montgomery
Ward company as the concern's
allotment here for this drive. In
the last campaign they were as
signed an 580,000 quota but also
upped that quota this time by
20 percent. Dr. E. E. Boring,
head of the retail committee,
showed battle pictures at the
meeting Tuesday, Block Cap
tain Princchouse gave a talk
and other bond selling features
marked the program, including
a talk by Frances Leserer, store
manager.
More of the rolai! sales meet
ings are outlined for different
stores as follows during the
next two weeks, each to be held
at 8:30 a. m.: Wednesday, Sears
Roebuck: Friday, J. C. Pen
ney's: Tuesday, Nov. 28, Wool
worth's; Wednesday, Nov. 29,
Russians Open
Winter Drive in
Western Latvia
London, Nov. 20 if' Red
army troops closed in today on
northern escape routes for en
emy troops rolled back to the
outskirts of Miskolc, Hungary's
fifth city, as the Germans de
clared the Russians had opened
their winter offensive far to the
north .against .300,000 nazis
pocketed in western Latvia.
Late front reports said a Ger
man withdrawal from Miskolc
appeared imminent. Nazi escape
routes to the east and west of
Miskolc, 85 miles northeast of
besieged Budapest, already were
cut.
One red army column had
battled to the outskirts of Eger,
22 miles southwest of Miskolc,
Russian front dispatches said.
Encircling Budapest
Another soviet armored unit
which had rolled through Dio
sgyor, three miles west of Mis
kolc and within 20 miles of the
old Czechoslovakian frontier,
veered north to grapple for a
hold on road and rail communi
cations between Miskolc and the
rail hub of Losonc (Lucenec) on
the Vlovak border.
Units of Marshal Rodion Y.
Malinovsky's second Ukraine
army plunged into the southern
outskirts of Miskloc with the
capture of Csaba and Szirma,
less than one and two miles
south and southeast of the city.
Berlin reports on the Latvian
offensive said the Russians had
I thrown huge infantry, tank,
plane and artillery forces
against the Germans on a 30
mile front, near Liepaja, one of
the two Baltic escape ports left
to the nazis.
Fierce Fighting Rages
The German accounts said the
Russians had ripped holes in the
axis lines in violent fighting en-
i tering its third day, but claim
ed counterattacks had nullified
the red army gains.
The Russian midnight war
bulletin said thtt southwest of
Jelgava, 97 miles east of Lie
paja, the Germans were dis
lodged from some positions in
hand-to-hand fighting.
Berlin asserted fighting was
particularly fierce near Prie
kule, 20 miles southeast of Lie
paja. Knudsen Inspecting
Boeing Aircraft
Seattle, Nov. 21 W) Lt. Gen.
William S. Knudsen, director of
the army air tactical service
command, was here today to
confer with Boeing Aircraft
Co., officials and to inspect the
company plants here and at
Renton.
Discussing B-29 Superfortress
scheduldes, General . Knudsen
commented that Boeing expects
to reach capacity production in
the middle of 1945.
He and his party were receiv
ed by Brig. Gen. Donald F.
Stace, Los Angeles, on arrival
here from Spokane. They will
fly to Sacramento from here.
Milles. and Thursday, No. 30,
Fred Meyers.
Dr. Boring also Tuesday an
nounced the 30 block captains
who will have charge of the
drive in various sections of the
retaail district as follows: Paul
Wilson, Jim Beard, Pat Johnson,
Fred McKinney, Roy Harland,
Lawrence Brown, Al Ramseyer,
Russell Monesteele, Orval Lama,
Walter Zosel,. William Phillips,
Al Morris, Leo Childs, Tinkham
Gilbert, Lief Bergsvik, Edw.
Majek. Charles McElhinney, Ri
chard Smart, Judge Grant Mur
phy,. Carl Aschenbrcnner, Loo
Reimann, W. W. Chadwick,
Lyle Lcighton, Lloyd Hill, Ken
neth Wilson, Carl Halvorsen,
Carl Gels and Ifenry Kropp.
The retail committee will
meet at 11 o'clock Wednesday
morning to outline further
plans, other members of the
committee being Ralph Bent,
LeRoy Gleisner, Lyle Lcighton,
Frances Leserer.
(Concluded on pace 14, column 6)
i"'
General Allied Advance UP) On the southern end of the west
ern front the French 1st army by-passed Belfort to capture Dan
nemarie and reach Seppois in a drive for the Rhine. Arrows in
dicate these and other allied advances including the U. S. 3rd
army's advance to Kesselingen, the U. S. 1st army's capture of
Hamich and the American 9th army's taking of Durboslar.
2350 U.S. Aircraft
Raid German Oil Plants
London, Nov. 21 UP) A record fleet of more than 1100 Ameri
can fighter bombers destroyed at least 52 German planes today
while the 1250 heavy bombers they were escorting plunged 4000
tons of explosives onto three zealously guarded synthetic oil
plants. An 8th air force spokesman said the score of the swirling
Dames over namDurg, narourg-v
and Merseburg might approach
the 208 destroyed on Nov. 2.
Then, as today, the Germans
came up to defend the huge Le
una synthetic refinery at Merse
burg, 100 miles southwest of
Berlin.
The mighty fleet was well
guarded today and it struck in
fine weather even as Gen. Eis
enhower promised Germany a
winter of remorseless bombard
ment from the air.
The 1100 fighter craft made
up the most powerful escort
ever dispatched with the bomb
bers and most flew from Brit
ish bases, the 8th air force an
nouncement said.
The Leuna synthetic oil
plant at Merseburg. at almost
the exact geographic center of
Germany, was bombed for the
12th time on Nov. 2. It once
was capable of supplying 50,
000 tons a month. The Deutsche
synthetic oil refineries at Ham
burg are among the largest in
the reich. The great Rhenamia
refineries are located six miles
south at Harburg. All were ob
jectives loday.
More than 100 Mosquitos of
RAF bomber command many
carrying two-ton blockbusters
hit Hannover twice last night.
RAF Lancastcrs also bombed
Coblenz during the night.
Allies Edge
On Ravenna
Rome. Nov. 21 UP) Behind
strong artillery, British Eighth
army troops have captured
strongly defended sugar factory
buildings at Zuccherificio, two
miles south of Ravenna on the
Adriatic, allied headquarters an
nounced today. The -buildings
had been used as a German ob
servation post. A number of
prisoners were taken.
West of Forli on the highway
to Bologna, other British troops
captured several localities in lo
cal gains.
German raids on the Fifth ar
my sector have been beaten off.
There was no major action.
The Mediterranean allied air
force flew approximately 1800
sorties yesterday, from which 27
aircraft are missing. These in
cluded attacks by strong forces
of U.S. 15th army air force hea
vy bombers on an oil refinery at
bBlechhammer in Upper Silesia.
The Weather
Partlv cloudy and fog in val
levs tonight and Wednesday.
Little temperature change. Max.
47. mln. 31. Monday rain, 0.
River. -3.3 ft.
Plan to Reverse
Price Trends
Washington, Nov. 21 UP) Ac
tion to reverse recent price ris
es described as small but dis
turbing, is expected shortly, de
signed as an assurance to work
ers that living costs' will not
outrun pay scales.
Climaxing a series of admin
istration moves all pointing to
a decision to hold on to the
principle of the "Little Steel"
wage formula until after V-E
day, the OPA prepared to take
specific steps to hold the price
line.
Price Administrator Chester
Bowles called a news confer
ence for this afternoon but can
celled it to polish further a new
regulation to be put into ef
fect. Associates said it prob
ably will be announced tomor
row. The conference was arranged
on short notice after Sunday's
statement by Economic Stabiliz
ation Director Fred M. Vinson
that "disturbing'' advances in
costs of living, especially in tex
tiles and clothing, "must stop."
Observers believed Bowles was
ready to:
First, tighten controls over
fabrics and wearing apparel, the
items singled out by Vinson as
inflated: and
Meeting of Big 3 Faces
Postponement Until Spring
Washington, Nov. 21 UP) Plans for an early meeting of Roose
velt, Churchill and Stalin appear to have hit a snag. Despite
hopes freely expressed here and in London, the best prospect now
- nn.in ,.i ;n tod a
iu a hoiicj comj
The whole schedule of post
war conferences and world
peace organization evidently is
having to be revised in conse
quence. Exactly what has happened to
the projected big-three meeting
before the end of this year is
not certain. But presumably
the way in which the European
war is having to be fought full
scale into the winter and the
probability now that it will last
into next spring has had a
lot to do with it.
All three leaders, as Presi
dent Roosevelt told reporters a
faw days ago, wanted to have
the conference. And Mr. Roose
velt emphasized his desire for
it by saying he thought it took
priority over his invitation to
visit Paris. Prime Minister
Ike Calls for
More Supplies
To Crush Nazis
Supreme Headquarters Allied
Expeditionary Force, Paris,
Nov. 21 Gen. Eisenhower
declared today his plan for fu
ture operations is to increase
pressure steadily all along the
western front until the Ger
mans are crushed. To do this.
greater supplies are necessary,
the supreme commander of the
western front said.
"I want more supplies than
we are getting and I think the
soldier wants more than he is
getting, both now and in the fu
ture." he said.
"To get peace, we have got to
fight like hell for it." the com
mander said. "Npw let's do it."
Happy Over Breakthrough
Eisenhower appeared fit as
ever after a tour of all parts
of the fighting zone, and said he
was especially happy over the
French breakthrough to the
Rhine.
"No single instance has pleas
ed me so much in a long while
as the capture of Belfort by the
gallant French army and its
reaching the Rhine," Eisen
hower said.
The general told correspon
dents that his plans were to hit
and hammer the Germans with
increasing pressure, reaching
it peak on the day the nazis
finally surrender.
"Unless everyone all the way
through the nations those at
the front and those at home
keep on the job everlastingly
and with mounting intensity, we
are only postponing the day of
victory," Eisenhower declared
Maximum Effort Needed
"The very maximum effort
must be made on the day of
surrender."
Eisenhower declined to make
any prediction as to when the
war would end and said his
call for an all-out effort both
at the front and al home was
his "prescription for victory."
He said the weather had pre
vented a full effort in the air
in the current offensive but ad
ded: "One thing that continues to
grow to my intense satisfaction
is the teamwork between the
ground forces, navies and air
forces."
He said that while he saw no
sign yet of a German crackup,
the Germans were human be
ings like other people and if
confronted by failure after fail
ure of their armed forces, they
would inevitably crack. It is
the allied job, he said, to con
front the Germans with more
and more of these failures.
Not Critizing
In asking for more supplies,
the general made it clear that
he was not critizing the efforts
of the home fronts in allied
countries up to now, but simply
stating that still more materiel
would be needed as still greater
numbers of soldiers are com
mitted to battle.
He said he was convinced
that allied peoples at home are
one with the armies in deter
mination that the enemy shall
be given no minutes to rest. He
reiterated that the enemy must
be hit and hammered until he
collapses.
To achieve this breaking
(Concluded on page 14, column 2)
, . .
"high time" the trio should get
together again.
From what they said it was
clear that Stalin had expressed
similar views although he con
fined his latest public state
ments to Ihe necessity for Anglo-Soviet
collaboration lo make
a lasting peace.
But Stalin is tied to the east
ern front in a way that Church
ill and Roosevelt are not lied
down in the west. In the broad
est sense of the word he liter
ally does command the ret!
army. With Germany bent upon
suicidal resistance, the red
army has finally come up to the
time for another winter of
fensive. Officials here say that at
such a time It is highly unlikely
1 that Stalin would leave Russia.
3rd Army Nears Saarbrucken in Saar Basin
By-Passed Belfort Captured Allies Making Slow
Gains in Aachen Sectors in Rain and Mud
London, Nov. 21 UP French armor thrusting northward down
the Rhine stormed Mulhouse today, and U. S. troops captured
Sarrebourg, 32 miles from the Rhine, in an eastward drive col
lapsing the whole German stand In the Vosges mountains
The swift-paced French perhaps had already entered Mulhouse,
an industrial city of 97,000, in exploitation of their Belfort
breakthrough. This push was undermining German positions
for 100 miles to the north.
Both the American 7th and 3rd armies were beating eastward
toward Strasbourg and Saarbrucken, meeting weakening rear
guard resistance from Germans apparently retreating to the
Rhine.
The 44th division of the 7th army captured Sarrebourg (pop.,
6500) 70 miles northwest of Mulhouse and mechanized patrols
were stabbing onward toward Strasbourg .10 miles beyond.
Third army forces fought within 18 miles of Saarbrucken in
the industrially-rich Saar basin. Still farther north, tanks of the
3rd army had driven three miles into Germany.
French Mopping Up Belfort
French troops charged into the fortress city of Belfort by
passed in the plunge to the Rhine and were fighting to clean- it ''
up, a front dispatch declared tonight. Heavy reinforcements
were moving into it, and into the power drive along the Rhine.
The sweep into Belfort was surprising, even tp the assault
French, for it and Metz taken by 3rd army doughboys had been
considered the two strongest fortresses in eastern France. Belfort
is ringed by more than a score of satellite forts.
It appeared the Germans were giving up theif last positions
on French soil. 1
But resistance continued strong in the north, especially against
the Americans and British making slow gains in the Aachen sec
tors of Germany in rain and mud.
General Eisenhower called for ever-increasing pressure until
victory is won.
Six Allied Armies Increase Pressure
Six allied armies were heaping on this pressure at quickening
pace. The U. S. 7th and 3rd armies, swarming eastward in the
other blade of a French-American scissors, hit into broken nazi
resistance described officially as sporadic and disorganized.
An unconfirmed Swiss report said the French were attempting
to bridge the Rhine southeast of Mulhouse. An assault was
reported under way on Mulhouse itself.
At the north end of the front, beyond Aachen, American and
British armies had cut through fierce German opposition to within
some three miles of the Roer river, the last natural defense barrier
short of the Rhine near Cologne.
British troops in southeastern Holland were eliminating the
nazis from the west banks of the Maas before Venlo, a gate to the
Ruhr.
Allied Armies Push Slowly on Cologne
In the battle area east and northeast of Aachen, the American
1st and flth armies and the British 2nd army pushed their lines
slowly toward Cologne approximately 26 miles beyond the
American vanguards and the Rhine against increasingly furious
German resistance marked by tank-led counter-attacks which
slowed but failed to stop the allied drive to crack the reich's
strongest defenses.
The Germans threw 20 to 30 tanks against American 9th army
units at Schleiden, seven miles southeast of captured Geilen
kirchen, but Lt. Gen. William H. Simpson's men repulsed this
blow and advanced a mile and a half northeast capturing Alden
hoven on the road to Julich, three miles away. Julich is a bastion
on the Roer river, a strong natural defense barrier before the
Rhine. Earlier the 9th army breached a formidable 10-mile-long
anti-tank ditch.
Five fortress groups at Metz continued firing after the German
commander within the enemy-held northern portion of the"
French fortress city ignored an ultimatum to surrender.
Enter Maginot Line Defenses
A two-mile advance on the American 3rd army wing east of
Metz carried Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.'s men to points eight
to 12 miles below the Saar frontier. Third army troops entered
the old Maginot line defenses north of Faulquemont, 20 miles
southwest of Saarbrucken, and took Lolling, 9'i miles from the
Saar border.
Dieuze, 30 miles southeast of Metz, was captured. The 3rd
Patton's 10th armored division which drove into the Saar a
major German iron and coal region has deepened its penetration
of the reich to three miles in the Merzig area. This division
encountered heavy enemy fire from east of the Saar river.
Twelve miles to the northwest mechanized cavalry units of the
3rd army have prowled five miles into Germany up the Moselle
river valley, ancient gateway to the Rhincland.
The Germans fell back toward the border in the entire sector
east of Metz.
1st and 9th Armies Push Forward
In addition to taking Altlenhoven, the American flth army also
captured Friealdcnhoven, Gereonsweiler, Neclermerz and Ungers
haugen. In the 9th army's right, American 1st army troops hacked new
gains out of stubbornly defended enemy positions and captured
the village of Wenau, approximately 10 miles east of Aachen and
six miles west of Duren on the Roer. Heavy fighting was re
ported in the outskirts of the German stronghold of Eschweiler,
seven miles northeast of Aachen.
Above the 9th army, British troops beat off two counter-attacks
and punched deeper into the Siegfried defenses, reaching the out
skirls of Wurm, 3 miles northeast of captured Gcilenkirchen.
Farther north, other units of the British 2nd army were rapidly
completing the job ot clearing the enemy out of the Maas bulge
in southeastern Holland, meeting almost no opposition as they
neared Venlo.
Stv e Promoted
To be Gov. General
Washington, Nov. 21 (U.RI
President Roosevelt today nom
inated one army officer to be a
temporary lieutenant general, 23
to be major generals, and 73
lo bebrigadicr generals.
Maj. Gen. Wilhnlm Delp
St.ver, chief of staff of the army
service forces, ot Niagara Falls,
N. Y was recommended for
promotion lo lieutenant gener -
al.
Bridagier generals to be ma-
jor generals, and their home
towns include: Frank E. Stoncr,
Vancouver, Wash.
Monkey Tackles
Fox-Holed Soldier
Leyte Nov. 21 UP' Rifle in
one hand, telephone in the oth
er, Cpl. Mills H. Stephens, from
Raleigh, N.C., called his com-
(
t mand post from a water-filled
j foxhole south of Ormoc:
' There's something outside my
I hole . . ."
j The sound of a scuffle came
lover the phone.
j "Something hit me on the
, shoulder. I grappled with lt,
! then it jumped off," Stephens
! resumed,
! "I knew it was too fast for a
j .lap, and I took another look.
Jit was a monkey."
v