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United Press
Thirty-ninth Year
As
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Life
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I P v T """3 t
. (Acme Radto-Tetephoto
, LEADERS VISIT BEACIIIIEAD Top-ranking military leaders of Great Britain visit Gen. Sir Bernard
1 1. Montgomery's headquarters In France to get first-hand view of Invasion operations. Left to right: Sir
(Alan Brooke, chief of British general staff; Prime Minister Winston Churchill, General Sir Bernard L.
Montgomery, Premier Jan C. Smuts of South Afiica.
Medford Tank
7 Flaming Battle
Graphic descriptions of two
flaming battles on Biak island
in the southwest Pacific in
which 25-year-old Capt. Rich
ard Thierolf, tank commander
from Medford, participated, has
been told in press dispatches
from United States Sixth Army
headquarters.
In one engagement, according
to the dispatches, American
Sherman tanks knocked out
eight Japanese medium tanks in
a head-on clash during a fierce
enemy counter-attack launched
the day after Yank infantrymen
landed on the island.
Advance Ordered
Capt. Thierolf, at the micro
phone in the control tank, gave
his command "Hiball!" and
the deadly steel monsters under
his command roared forward.
A large calibre enemy gun con
cealed in a cave in a cliff was
silenced as Capt. Thierolf turned
his squadron in line to smash
at the cliff face with a barrage
of high explosives.
After knocking out all the
Jap guns the American tanks
Battle Scene in
Window Of Bond
Sale Headquarters
Depicting a battle scene com
plete with soldiers, fox holes
and sand bags, a window ar
rangement now on display at
the War Bond headquarters, 21
N. Central Avenue, urges citi
zens to "back the attack with
war bonds In the 5th war loan
drive."
In one window Is a soldier
standing erect beside placard
stating, "Pledge our lives, our
fortunes, and our sacred honor"
Declaration of Independence.
- In the other lies a soldier
manikin fallen on the field of
battle, with his gun beside him
and the resolution, "That these
honored dead shall not have
died in vain" Abraham Lincoln.
Charles Clav Sr., business
manager of the 5th War Loan
drive in this area, stated today
that bond sales are mounting
steadily, but more are needed
to fill the quota. Bonds may be
purchased at any of several
business houses and Issuing
agencies, or at the headquarters
on N. Central Avenue.
Sales to date In the Fifth
War Loan Drive
$413,170.75
"E" Salei
Quota u..
..$77,09375
..$600,000
Total Quota
for Countf ,
.... S2.267.000
Full Leased Wire
jft5 ,. -v 7Vr
4
i
Mi
y me
11
r-i
Commander Has Role In
Against Japs On Biak
withdrew for a fresh supply of
ammunition, but a short time
later enemy tanks were sighted
coming down a road. The Amer
ican tanks, reloaded, let them
have it and the Japs turned
tail and fled without firing a
shot.
Another dispatch told of how
U. S. tanks, after decisively de
feating Jap tanks, had with
drawn to a rear position to rest
and make ready for the next
day's battling. Hot, dirty and
exhausted, the crews had Just
dropped off to sleep at night
when Japanese artillery located
the concentration.
Guns Outranged
Desperately the tankmen
jumped into their vehicles and
began returning the Jap fire
with their 75's, which were no
match for the heavier enemy
guns. For three hours the clus
ter of tanks fought through the
uneven battle, trying in vain to
locate the distant enemy guns.
Finally, after American in
fantrymen, fanning out to pro
tect the tanks, had suffered
heavy casualties, Capt. Thierolf
requested and was granted per
mission to withdraw his tanks,
and also the infantry.
The withdrawal began but it
didn't get far before it was
stopped by road blocks set up
by Japanese infiltration troops.
As the line of tanks stalled Jap
art.llery once more got their
range, setting one tank afire.
Jap Suicidists Busy
Soon after, fanatical Jap sui
cidists ran toward the American
tanks with sticks of dynamite
and tank mines in their hands.
One big Jap, a large mine tied
to his back, ran to within 15
feet of one tank before Amcr-j
lean machine-gunners blew up
Knockout for Germany by Jan. 1
Is Hope of U. S. Military Leaders
Washington, June 1 5. (U.R)
Artine shortly after announce
ment that American super-bomb
ers had raided Japan, tne nouse
today passed and sent to the
senate a $49 109,922,795 bill to
finance the army's world-wide
operations during the fiscal year
startinj July 1
Washington, June 15. U.R)
The nation's military leadership
now holds the "hope" that Ger
many will be knocked out of the
war by Jan. 1, Rep. J. Bucll
Snyder, D., Pa., revealed today.
He spoke to the house In his
capacity as chairman of an army
appropriations subcommittee to
'urge passage of a $49,109,002,
795 supply bill to meet war de
partment expenditures for the
(fiscal year starting July. 1.
MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 1944.
the mine and the Jap with a
bulls-eye hit.
The tanks, however, finally
fought their way clear and
withdrew to safety after the
night of horror.
Capt. Thierolf, unmarried, is
the sun of Mr. and Mrs. Henry
A. Thierolf of 907 South Oak
dale avenue. He was graduated
from Medford high in 1937 and
from the University of Oregon
in the spring of 1941, and im
mediately entered the army.
He received his basic training
at Ft. Ord, Calif., and from
there was sent to the cavalry
school at Ft. Riley, Kan. From
Ft. Riley he was sent to Ft.
Bliss, Tex., where he trans
ferred to the tank corps and
received special training. He
was sent overseas in the sum
mer of 1943 and has been in
the southwest Pacific since.
SECOND FINN LINE
BY
London, June 15 (U.R) A
Moscow communique reported
tonight that Gen. Leonid A. Gov
orov's Red army had broken
through a second strongly forti
fied Finnish defense zone In new
advances on the Karelian isth
mus. In six days of the offensive
aimed at knocking Finland out
of the war, the Russians were
reported tonight to have
smashed through two strong
FiiM-.!?h lines advancing 25 miles
and widening the break-through
area to 45 mi'es.
"This bill," he said, "provides
Gen. Eisenhower with his
knockout punch. The first round
started June 6. The day of the
last round we Just cannot pre
dict, but we can fervently hope
that it will come before snow
flies again."
"It Is the hope of our military
leadership," he added, "that
Germany will be out of the war
before another year begins."
Snyder referred to the mea
sure as the "Hitler doom bill"
and as one which "will soften
To jo for his doom that shortly
will follow."
Lt. Gen, Joseph T. McNamcy,
deputy army chief of staff,
warned the committee recently
that the scale of coming battles
would be "beyond anything
heretofore experienced."
Cherbourg Isolation Near
LASTJJFELINES
2'j Miles Gain in Few Hours
Puts Invaders Within 4'
Miles of Roads.
Allied Supreme Headquarters,
London, June 15 (U.R) Amer
ican troops partially isolated
Cherbourg today by driving to
within 414 miles of the last
German transport lines out of
the great French port and bring
ing them under artillery fire
and aerial bombardment.
The Americans last were re
ported seven miles from the
Cherbourg escape lines in their
drive across the waist of the
peninsula and the new positions
represented gains of 2V4 miles
within a few hours against
mounting resistance as the Nazis
struggled to protect their escape
alley out of Cherbourg.
' Yanks Fan Out
The United States assault
forces were fanning out through
Normandy In three directions,
rolling up steady gains above
Montebourg, below Carentan,
and westward across the waist
Of the peninsula, and threaten
ing to seal off completely the
Cherbourg port, the richest pri
mary prize of the Invasion cam
paign. Striking westward on a nine
mile front, the Americans were
4V4 to slightly more than seven
miles from the west coast rail
road and highways at a number
of points and already were
pounding those vital Nazi ar
teries with their artillery.
Near St. Sauveur
West and northwest of Pont
L'Abee the Americans were
within 4V4 to five miles of St.
Sauveur-Le Vicomte, through
which run the main west penin
sula highway and railroad fromi
Cherbourg, as well as the Dig
gest canal on the peninsula.
The front running northwest
from Carentan was a little over
even miles from La Haye-Du
Puits, through which the high
way and railroad also pass.
German resistance became
steadily more intense as the
Americans approached the trans
port lines. The Nazis poured In
reserves In an attempt to hold
the tip of the peninsula or keep
open an escape route for the
evacuation of the -Cherbourg
garrison. "
Supreme headquarters dis
closed that Lt. Gen. Omar N.
Bradley's expeditionary force
was expanding its gains above
Montebourg, 14 miles from Cher
bourg, west of Carentan where
a six-mile advance had been re
ported previously, and to the
southwest In the same sector.
Heary Fighting
While the Americans slugged
their way forward against vio
lent German resistance In some
sectors, heavy but Inconclusive
fighting raged all along the
remainder of the 105-mlle front.
Field dispatches from France
said Marshal Erwin Rommel was
throwing frh mraniry ana
panzer" divisions from all parts
of France into a counterattack
of mounting intensity which the
German high command sald(Was
"moving toward its climax.
Savage street fighting still
raged in Montebourg for the
third straight day as the Nazis
battled to block the American
drive toward Cherbourg, strik
ing on north and northeast and
stabbing towsrd Valognes, 10
miles southeast of the big port.
The Allies got another weath
er break, and combined fleets
of fighters, fighter-bombers and
medium bombers blasted and
raked the Germans along and
Immediately behind the battle
lines.
Tribune
United Press Full
How The French
Pronounce 'Em
By United Press
Here is how the French pro
nounce the names of the
towns the allies are fighting
for today:
Tilly Sur Seulles "Tee-lee
Suhr Sir-ye"
Caen "Kahn"
St. Lo "San Loh"
Carentan "Kahr-ohn-tahn"
Montebourg "Mohn-ti-boorg"
Valognes "Vahl-oyn-ia"
P.O.R. OUTLINES
L
PEACE COUNCIL
Washington. June 15 U.R)
President Roosevelt today for
the fil"st time outlined this gov
ernment's plans for an interna
tional post-war security organi
zation to be built around "A
council, annually elected by the
fully rcprusentativo body of all
nations."
In a statement Issued shortly
after he met with Secretary of
State Cordell Hull and post-war
planning experts of the state de
partment, the president said this
government oroposed that the
council cnncrn Itself "with
peaceful settltment of Interna
tional disputes and with the pre
vention of threats of the peace
or breaches of the peace.".
Court of Justice
"There would also be an In
ternational court of justice to
deal primarily with justifiable
disputes," the president said.
"We are not thinking of a super-state
with its own police
forces and other paraphernalia of
coercive power," the president
said In the first authoritative,
public outline to come from this
government.
"We are seeking effective
agreements and arrangements
through which the nations would
maintain, according to their ca
pacities, adequate forces to meet
the needs of preventing war and
of making Impossible deliberate
preparation fw war. and to have
such forces available for joint
action when necessary."
P
Southeas Asia Headquarters,
Kandy, Ceylon. June 15 U.R)
British Chindit forces broke In
to the outskirts of the Japanese
stronghold of Mogaung. in north
ern Burma, and captured an
ammunition dump containing
200 carloads of arms and muni
tions, It was announced today.
Striking suddenly out of the
jungles east of Mogaung, the
Chlndits overwhelmed the sur
prised enemy garrison and seized
the entire arms cache, believed
to be the principal supply depot
for the encircled remnants of the
Japanese IRth division at Mo
gaung and Kamalng.
Oklahoma Governor
Is Demo Keynoter
Chicago, June 15 flJ.R) Gov.
Robert S. Kerr, of Oklahoma,
a staunch administration sup
porter, was selected today to
deliver the keynote address at
ths Democratic national conven
tion which opens in Chicago
July 19.
Kerr, who was among the
first to advocate a fourth term
for President Roosevelt, was
picked as temporary convention
chairman and keynoter by a
unanimous vole of the conven
tion arrangement! committee.
Leased Wire
NO. 72.
10 VOTE AGAINST
SALESTAX PLAN
State Convention Hears Re
ports From Committees;
Favor Bank Stock Change
Grants Pass, June 15 Mem
bcrshlp of the Oregon State
Grange was urged by the State
Grange interim legislative com
mittee Wednesday to defeat the
sales tax proposal which will be
on the November ballot as con
vention committees made their
reports to the 71st annual state
session being held In Grants
Pass. The committee followed
a long-standing Grange policy
in urging that the sales tax be
defeated.
Support of the proposed con
stitutional amendment to discon
tlnue the double liability re
quirements on stock of state
chartered banks was recommend
ed by the committee, as was the
Burke wine bill, which . was
oassed by the last session of the
legislature and which has been
referred to the people by refer
endum petition The bill would
reaulre that all fortified wines
and liquors be sold only through
state oneratcd liquor stores.
The State G'ange agricultural
committee recommended, among
other things, that the sale of un
economic size farm units be dis
couraged and that farmers liqui
date their debts In order to be
free of debt when post-war re
adjustment takes place.
Garden Need Stressed
The committee report also
stressed the need for continu
ance and expansion of the Vic
tory Garden program, both for
farmers and urban residents, In
order to forestall food shortages
which ml"h become acute at a
future date.
Among resolutions passed
were those recommending that
money used In post-war building
should finance public work proj
ects of lasting benefit, that the
state game commission set aside
annually a Dortion of license fees
to finance feeding of deer report
ed starving In eastern Oregon
and that a real dirt farmer serve
on the peace rnuncll.
Harvest Bright
J. Ralph Beck, state supervisor
of the Emergency Farm Labor
Board, told the session that the
outlook was very bright for the
successful harvesting of Oregon
crons. With the help of women,
children, business men and Mex
ican laborers crops will be har
vested on time, weather permit
ting, he said.
Two points were stressed by
Beck, namely, that farmers or
dering harvest help must trans
port them to the fields, and that
the labor he gets Is not a replace
ment, but only a substitute.
E. L. Peterson, state director
of agriculture, said the principle
of subsidies Is wrong and opined
the need does not exist. He list
ed the government agencies that
are vitally affecting the con
duet of agricultural activities as
the OPA, ODT War Foods Ad
ministration, War Production
Board and the Wnr Manpower
commission.
BASEBALL
National
Pittsburgh 1 4 1
Cincinnati 0 8 0
Butcher and CameUI; DcLa
cruz and Mueller.
American
Philadelphia .... 18 1
Boston . 5 8 0
Harris and Hayes; Hughson
and Conroy.
U. S. wine drinkers consumed
an estimated total of 93,560,000
gallons in 1943.
Attack Marks Opening
Of New-Type Offensive
Gen. Marshall Reveals
Washington, June 15. (U.R) Rep. Joe Starnes, D., Ala.,
told the house today that the super-Fortresses In their attack
on Japan today "successfully bombed Tokyo in a very heavy
raid."
Washington, June 15. (U.R)
bombers today attacked Japan
Marshall hailed as the opening step
the Japanese.
The raid on the enemy's homeland the first carried out by
American airmen since the famed Doolittle raid of 1942 was
announced bj the war department in a brief statement which gave
no details but said merely:
"B-29 Super-Fortresses of the United States army air forces
20th bomber command bombed Japan today."
Mariana Landing Also R;"'d
This first announced raid by the new B-29'; came at a time when
U S. forces were pushing back the enemy throughout the Pacific.
Only today ihe Japanese radio reported that American forces had '
landed in the Marianas Islandsonly 1,500 miles from Japan
and a doorstep to American re-entry into the Philippines.
The Super-Fortresses hit Japan from distant bases somewhere
in the China-Burma-India theater, the war department disclosed.
The China-Burma-India theater is a vast territory covering
millions of square miles. But Marshall pointed out that the B-29's
are capable of striking from "remote bases" and indicated that
they might have flown from almost any part of that theater.
The department's announcement disclosed for the first time the
existence of the 20th air force, a new organization which will have
jurisdiction over all Super-Fortress activities.
New Super-Fortress Huge
It was the first time the huge new "Super-Fortresses" were
revealed to have been in action, although their existence has been
known for some time.
Information made public coincidental with announcement of
their attack revealed that they could have dropped their bombs
from a height of more than 30,000 feet; that they could have
cruised toward their objective at more than 300 miles an hour,
and that they are half again as large as Flying Fortresses and
Liberators.
Gen. Marshall said since the
power of the new bombers is so
great, the 20th air force would
not be confined to a single the
ater. The new organization will
remain under a central control
of the joint chiefs of staff, with
Gen. Henry H. Arnold, chief of
the army air forces, directing
B-29 operations throughout the
world.
Major Talk Fore
"The planes will be treated as
a major task force in the same
manner as the naval task forces
are directed against specific ob
jectives," Marshall said.
Arnold said the use of the
ships in combat "brings actual
ity to an air force's plan made
years In advance for truly glob
al aerial warfare." He hailed
the B-29 as "a highly complicat
ed and most deadly airplane,
capable of delivering the heavi
est blows yet known through
air power."
"I assume the heavy responsi
bility for its employment under
the Joint chiefs of staff with full
confidence in its potential use,"
he said.
Doolittle First
The first raid on the Pacific
enemy's homeland was on April
18, 1942, when 18 B 25 Mitchell
medium bombers commanded
by then Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle
now a lieutenant-general-took
off from the deck of the
U. S. aircraft carrier Hornet and
bombed Tokyo and four other
cities.
That raid resulted In consider
able destruction, but was costly
to the United States In that all
but one of the 18 planes crash
landed In China. The one excep
tion landed In Russia, where its
crew was Interned.
B-29 SUPER PLANE
Washington, June 15 (U.R)
Here are the known features
of the new Boeing B 29
bombers which bombed Japan
today:
Construction All- metal
monoplane.
Size 08 feet long, 27 feet,
high, with 141.2-foot wing
span, half again as large as
the Fortress or Liberator.
Power Four 2,000 horse
power Wright cyclone en
gines, nearly twice the power
of the Fortress.
Bomb capacity Carries a
greater bombload farther, fast
er, and higher than any other
airplane In existence.
Speed 300 miles per hour,
plus.
Celling Well over 30,000
feet.
Armament Multiple-gun
power turrets, .50 caliber
machine guns and 20 mm.
cannon.
Weight and range -"Very
heavy and very long."
Before wartime restrictions,
Americans were eating twice as
much ice cream as they did 20
years ago
American "Super-Fortress" B-29
proper in what Gen. George C.
In a new-type offensive against
Mniur
IS CLOSEST YET
TO
Pearl Harbor, June 15. U.R
United States assault troops
have landed on Salpan Island,
Japanese base in the Marianas,
and are fighting against strong
opposition In an invasion that
moved our ground forces to
within 1449 statute miles ot
Tokyo, Admiral Chester W.
Nimitz announced today.
The landings were carried out
by strong American forces after
a U. S. Pacific fleet laid down
an -Intensive preparatory bom
bardment on Salpan, nearby
Tinian, Pagan, Guam and Rota
Islands In the Marianas chain.
Sea Force Aids
Carrier planes and a "portion
of the battleships, cruisers and
destroyers of the Pacific fleet,"
laid down the protective bar
rage for the American foot
troops going in at the beaches, .
Admiral Nimitz said.
Initial reports from the Inva
sion front indicated our casual
ties were moderate.
The communique did not
mention landings at Tinian,
which previously had been men
tioned by Toklo radio.
1000-Mile Step
(Tokyo radio, beginning early
this morning, issued a series of
Domel News agency bulletins
describing two "attempted"
landings during a heavy fog
Thursday morning.)
The invasion of Salpan repre
sented a 1,000-mile amphibious
leap for American forces driv
ing toward Tokyo. It pounded a
big wedge through Japan's
island empire.
The landing was a bold bid
for a strategic air and naval
base which would put our war
planes within five hours' flying
time cither of Japan proper or
the Philippines.
SIDE GLANCES
Br
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
City Cop Walter Relnklng call.
Ing Grants Pass long distance
and getting Klamath Falls.
Navy Rec-uiter Herb Crain
pleased no end at what the Japs
are currently receiving from the
Yanks.
Charley Clay reminding citi
zens that war bond headquarters
Is not so rushed but that addi
tional .business can be cared for.