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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 26, 1944)
Tank-Riding Yanks Score Break-Through West of St. Lo; Reds Sweep to Vistula With Aid of American Air Force PARALYZING BLOW ENDS STALEMATE Greatest Tank Charge In American History' Sup ported by Artillery. Planes Supreme Headquarters, AEF July 26 (U.R) Tank-riding American troops spearheading a general offensive by the first army broke through the Ger man line in western Normandy today and surged inland for early gains of four miles to storm into Marigny, big highway town seven miles southwest of St. Lo. Front dispatches reporting that 1A. Gen. Omar N. Bradley's armor had knocked a four-mile wide breach in the German for tified line west of St. Lo, open ing the way to the heart of Nor mandy, described it as a para lyzing blow which broke the weeks-long stalemate in France. Greatest Tank Drive The greatest tank charge In the history of American warfare had the thunderous support of 155-millimeter Long Toms and swarms of Dive" Bombers which paralyzed the German defenses and wiped out entire Nazi units. Coincident with the pile-driver assault in the narrow sector west of St. Lo which carried down to the Coutances highway at Mar igny, other elements of the first army attacked across the Seves river in the Periers area and on the other wing pushed down to Montrabot, 9V4 miles east of St. Lo, to find it deserted. Front dispatches said the en tire American line moved for ward an average of two miles, meeting only sporadic resistance at many points. Most Significant Sherman tanks clustered with doughboys riding Russian fash ion, self-propelled Long Toms, and every kind of battle vehicle charged the German fortif ica- "una iv aw.o lite Mitan'iiiivujjiii It was hailed by front corresp6n- Hnnf. as tii.tione tlia mnet elanl. ficant single development on the French front since D-day. . "This was the second breach in the wall of fortress Europe since the invasion," United Press War Correspondent Henry T. Gorrell reported. "I saw the tanks go forward into the assault behind an ar tillery barrage and dive-bombing by Thunderbolts and Spitfires. At the same time, rocket-carrying planes patrolcd the battle area, searching for the German Panther and Tiger tanks report ed in the path of our armor." Spaced 50 yards apart, the tanks churned forward in a symmetrical phalanx. Dough boys astride them did their fighting from their bucking mounts, under orders to dis . mount only when necessary. Their heavier weapons were loaded on the vehicles swarm- ing in the wake of the tanks. Directly behind the advance guard came the self-propelled artillery, then more infantry mounted on half tracks, then more tanks and finally another layer of mobile infantry. Giant bulldozers accompanied the cavalcade, gouging out pas sageways in the Normandy hedgerows and toppling fortifi cations in the path of the massed armor. Public Debt Now Over $209 Billion Washington, July 26. (U.R) The U. S. public debt- moved past $209,000,000,000 today, settling at S209.002.5B2,064.31, an increase of S64,403,200,984.08 in the past year. It Total spending in the first 24 days of July, the initial month in the 1945 fiscal year, was ap proximately $5,960,000,000 com pared with about $5,366,000,000 in the corresponding 944 fiscal period. Total spending to date has been at the average daily rate of $248,333,000, while a year ago the daily rate was $223,583,000. SIDE GLANCES BT TRIBUNE REPORTERS Sid Rood applying for the po sition cf water boy on the "Ashland businessmen's Softball team." Thirteen year-old Mary Bragg spending 4'j hours in the Red Cross bandage room folding gauze dressings. Bill Chrysler and Clark Gable doing some heavy reminiscing after learning that both used to work on a Portland newspaper, though at different times. Medford United Press Thirty-ninth Year (Acme Radio-Tetcphoto) Adolf Hitler, flanked by Mussolini, Goerlng and Adm. Doenltz, poses for this picture shortly after attempted bomb assassination, according to caption on photo radioed from Stockholm. A small patch on Hitler's left hand is shown and his right hand and arm, reported more seriously burned, is carefully hidden. Record Air and Artillery Bombardment Leaves Germans Numbed in St. Lo Sector By James McGlincy United Press Correspondent With Allied Forces in Nor mandy, July 26. (U.R) German prisoners captured west of St. Lo by American infantrymen today were suffering from shell shock as a result of yesterday's aerial assult when some 3,000 planes .dropped. 6,000 toris of bombs in the war's greatest air bombardment in support of ground troops. Two of the first prisoners cap tured following the two and one half hour bdmbardment said German officers in some sectors abandoned their troops, leaving orders to "shoot any man in the back who attempts to surren der." The all-out aerial bom bardment was the most hellish thing they had ever experi enced, the two prisoners said. 25 Planes Lost A fleet of 1,500 heavy bomb- PLANS WORK FOR OF PEACE T. H. Banficld of Portland, chairman of the Oregon State Highway Commission, predicted in Ashland today that more than $50,000,000 of jobs would be programmed by the end of this year for post-war construction projects, though as yet the com mission "has made no committ ments as to the extent of the after-war program." Banficld was one of a group of up-state officials who had lunch with the Jackson county court. Others in the party were R. H. Baldock, chief engineer of the commission; J. M. Dcvcrs, chief 'counsel; Herbert Glaisyer, secretary; Commissioners A. W. Schaupp and Merle R. Chess man; W. H. Lunch, district en gineer of the Public Roads Com mission, and his assistant, Tom Davis, and two Portland news papermen, Ralph Watson and Wayne Pettit. Also with the group was Harris Ellsworth of Roscburg, represen tative from the fourth Oregon district, who told the gathering that he would support whole heartedly a congressional bill under which the state of Oregon would receive approximately $12,000,000 annually for road construction operations during the three years following the war's end. The party left for Klamath Falls immediately .after the luncheon, which was presided over by Ralph Koozcr of Ash land, president of the Pacific Highway Association. TWO DIE INCr"aSH Steclville, Mo. July 26 flJ.B A navy ensign and an army lieutenant were killed yester day when navy scout bomber crashed in an electrical storm near Butts, Mo 70 miles south west of St. LouU. Full Leased Wire Assassination Attempt Singes Visa ' WX 31 (? ers paced some 3,000 planes in reducing to pulp everything and everybody throughout the wide attack strip where they were estimated to have dropped a bomb every 15 yards. Twenty five aircraft were lost, but it was officially announced that 30 German planes also were shot town.- It was the most concentrated aerial assault in history, and as in the attack the day before, some bombs fell on our own boys not many but enough to shake some of the troops. On lookers held their breath and prayed and hoped It would go well and as it came it seemed it would never end. There were many moments in deed when one thought "truly this must be the end of the world." Flight After Flight The Flying Fortresses came in flights of 12, four abreast, 48 at a time, and they came in flight after flight. Everytime one look ed back there was another half hundred planes thundering across the gray horizon. With puffs of black smoke bursting around them, they headed unswervingly for the targets, then wheeled away ma jestically to the west. There was never a let-up in the death symphony, for when the bombs were not falling our artillery was firing. After the first batch of bomb ers 'came over and the bombs fell directly on the targets, in GUILT ADMITTED Allen H. King, Ashland, charged with forgery, and Rob ert Dewyne Griffiths, charged with contributing to the delin quency of a minor girl, entered pleas of guilty before Circuit Judge H. K. Hanna yesterday on waiver of indictment and dis trict attorney informations. Pass ing of sentence in both cases was continued until further investi gation is made. Griffiths was arrested last Saturday night after a dance, while disporting on the city playground green with a 17-year-old Central Point girl. Both were in the nude. Nearby neighbors advised the city police. The girl is held awaiting action by the Juvenile court. Griffiths has a bad conduct discharge from the navy, and has been here several weeks, the district attorney reports. King is specifically charged with the passage of a $37.50 spurious check in Ashland. TO BERLIN By United Press The shortest distances to Berlin from .the advanced Al lied battle lines today: Russia 370 miles. Italy 608 miles. France 323 miles. m MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 1944 Hitler f 4 3 c ..V fantrymen began swearing for the fliers instead of swearing at them. They waved the bombers on, or talked and laughed, or, were silent, nodding their heads solemnly as the target area rock ed and the air was filled with a crazy cacphony of whistling bombs, tremendous explosions and roaring guns. Prisoners collected at a point within rifle fire of the advanc ing front told of the dptcriora tion of morale among the nazis under the bombardment, but some said the experience was too awful to talk about. The two young nazis who told of officers abandoning their troops were asked if they knew about the attack on Hitler. They said they knew, but that no one in the front lino cared a damn either way because they were too busy fighting for their lives to care much what hap pened in Berlin or elsewhere. HITS FIVE HOUSES Kansas City, Mo., July 26 (U.R) A four-motored bomber from the Lincoln, Neb., army base crashed and burned, devas tating a 400-foot area in a popu lated suburban area today and killing six fliers. Reports from the crash scene varied as to the number of men In the plane. Some said that sev eral remained unaccounted for, while others said that there were onlv six men In the plane. Witnesses said the big ship circled the district for several minutes before the crash at an extremely low altitude while members of the crpw waved. It was understood at the crash scpne where five homes were either destroyed or damaged that the father-in-law of the pilot was present when the body of the officer was removed from the burning wreckage. The father-ln-law'g home reportedly was one damaged somewhat by the nlane as It plowed to earth. Witnesses said the plane seemed to explode in air after one wing had hit a tree. At least five civilians were hurt as the wreckage of the big plane cut a one-half mile swath through the district. STRETCH WAR PLANT DAY TO CATCH UP ON ORDERS Washington, July 26 0J.R) The war department today or dered a one-hour increase in the dally working schedule of all war industries which have back logs of accumulated orders, and issued a similar edict for mili tary and civilian personnel In certain administrative and serv ice army offices. The working day increase in both cases Is effective immediately. NAZIS TO CROSS "ROAD TO HELL" SAYSMELS Hitler's Propaganda Head Warns Of Hard Times Pledges Herculean Effort London, July 26 U.R) Nazi Propaganda Minister Paul Jo seph Goebbels told the German people today that they must cross the "road of hell" to hold off the Allied armies closing in on them from the east, west and south, but promised a herculean effort by the "loyal" .German ar my to stabilize the situation on all fronts. Speaking to the war-weary and revolt-shaken German peo ple over the Berlin radio, Goeb bels dismissed the plot against Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime as the work of a "few criminals" within the Wehrmacht and de clared that the loyalty of the ar my is unshaken. To Roinforce Front "Fresh troops will be sent to the front," he said. "The front will be stabilized." Goebbels asserted that the leaders of the conspiracy against Hitler were court-martialed and executed within a matter of hours after the bomb explosion that wrecked Hitler's headquar ters last Thursday. He admitted, however, that some of the conspirators still were at large and declared that they, and any other. army men who attempt to challenge the Nazi leadership Will be "anni hilated." Goebbels took to the air to still the many rumors coursing through the Reich on the scope of the anti-Nazi revolt within the army. Details Evaded He carefully evaded detailing the measures envisaged by the desperate Nazis In their sweep ing conscription of all the en slaved continent's manpower and resources for total wir but he mado clear that the demands will be hard. "No effort can be great enough that results from the attempt to win victory." he said. "Our ene mies will not shrink back from any means of devilish action. We must cross this road of hell be fore we reach the end of the road. "We have to win all or else all of us are lost," he added in a grim warning that the Nazis in tend to drag the entire German nation down with them. Struggling to soften his pro nouncement, Goebbels spoke vaguely of "secret weapons" now being readied by German war industries for use against the allies, and assured them that the rcich's armament production actually has been increased in spite of the shattering allied aerial offensive. BY YANK PLANES London, July 26 (U.R) An estimated 500 Italian b a e d American Flying Fortresses and Liberators struck through low hanging clouds over Vienna to day to bomb and burn German military installations surround ing tho old Austrian capital, while a smaller force of heavies blasted Nazi oil installations in Albania. Strong formations of Light ning and Mustang fighters es corted the Vienna raiders and beat off repeated attacks by Ger man fighters. The U. S. heavies bombed through a thick overcast that prevented immediate appraisal of the bomb damage. A second task force of Liber ators struck across the Mediter ranean from their Iatlian bases at the Kucove oil refinery in Bcrat, Albinia. BASEBALL National Cincinnati 2 9 2 Boston 9 14 2 Walters, DeLacruz and Muel ler, Just; Barrett and Hofferth. United Pre Full under Storms ' Set Six Fires in National Forest Temperatures in the nineties the past two days resulted in thunder storms in this region, with six small fires set in the Rogue River National forest, two in the Applegate section, one in the Butte Falls area and three in the Union Creek district. Last evening the entire area experienced light thunder storms with lightning and scat tered showers. No rain fell in the Medford district, but scattered rain was reported in the Ash land, Jacksonville and Applegate districts. At the forest service office here it was said that none of the fires exceeded an acre in extent. Some were set Monday after noon and evening and the re mainder yesterday afternoon, the thunder storms starting in mid afternoon. ' Medford weather bureau pre dicts additional thunder storms for tonight with little change in temperature. T HIGHEST PEAK ON OF Aboard Expeditionary F 1 a g ship off Tinian, July 26 (East longitude time) (U.R) (Via Na vy Radio) American marines captured the highest peak on Tinian island today, 60 hours af ter they came ashore. Seizure of 564-foot high Mount Lasso gave the Invaders a van tage point a third of the way down the island from the north ern tip where they first landed. Since the first waves swept over two narrow beaches on the morning of July 24, the marines had captured three and one-half miles of Tinian's 34-mile coast line and knifed inland through two miles of cancbrakes. By United Press American invaders, killing Japanese at a ratio of eight to one on Guam and nearly 100 to one on Tinian, appeared in posi tion today for decisive blows against the defenders while in dications grew that Gen. Doug last MaeArthur mlcht point his next obicctive at Hnlmahcra isl and, 250 miles southeast of the Philippines. A Japanese communique broadcast by Radio Tokyo ac knowledged today that a task force of Allied cruisers, aircraft carriers, destroyers and subma rines steamed in close to the northern tin of Sumatra, north ernmost of the Dutch East Indies, yesterday and bombarded Sa hang. The communique claimed Japanese forces sank two de stroyers and a submarine in re pulsing the attack. Palau Isles Hit Another Tokyo broadcast re corded by FCC said an Allied task force including several nlr crnft carriers, appeared off the Palau Islands In tho western Carolines, 600 miles east of the Philippines, yesterday, and sent more than 30 planes against the Jnpanesc base. Two planes were shot down and "Japanese dam age was very slight,", tho broad cast said. Bricker Sees Change When Votes Counted in November Albany, N. Y., July 26 U.R) Gov. John W. Bricker, Repub lican vice-presidential nominee, said today that the "American people are ready for a change anrl will mnlcA ft chancre in No- vomber." Bricker made the prediction at a press conference prior to meeting with Governor Thomas E. Dewey, the party's candidate for president. Bricker and Dewey met news paper reporters on the front porch of the stato executive mansion. Dewey declined to an swer questions, emphasizing that "this is Governor Brlcker's press conference." Aikeri whether he thousht the Republican ticket would win If' Leued Wire NO. 106. FRESH PEAR PRICE CUT 20 PER CENT BY CEILING ORDER Jackson County Product To Go At $3.60 Per Standard Box, F.O.B., This Year San Francisco, July 26 (U.R) Ceiling prices have been placed for the first time on fresh pears sold for table use in all markets except sales made by retail stores, the office of rice administration announced today The new maximum prices will effect about a 20 per cent reduc tion from last year's retail prices, the OPA said. Retail mark-ups will be established shortly. $3.60 Per Box Pears produced in California and in the counties of Josephine and Jackson in Oregon are set at $3.60 per standard pear box, f.o.b., for the period from begin ning of the season to September 10; $1.50 per Washington pear lug, and 7V4 cents per pound for pears graded and packed in nil other containers. The maximum prices became effective yesterday on sales f.o. b. country shipping point, but the effective dates at other lev els in California, Oregon and Washington Is July 29. The ceiling prices listed above are the results ,of discussions and studies mado by the Fresh Pear Advisory 'Committee, the Office of Price Administration and the War Food Administra tion, a Medford member of the committee stated. He said the committee would have a further explanation of the prices upon receipt of the official ceiling price order from the OPA. COTTON ED SMITH Columbia, S. C, July 26. (U.R) South Carolina Democrats . : I . I. A. .41 T . I .. irvuiu (lie niiw-iit-w WCBICt. t-1 1 ; n t t'.i cmifu CiHIBUII iJ. UllUil i.li J D 1 1 1 , 1 1 from the United States senate after 36 years today, replacing him with Gov. Olln D. Johnston who presented himself to the voters In yesterday's primary as "pro-Roosevelt but disagreeing on certain domestic policies." 'Another veteran Democratic senator and tho senate's only woman was retired in yester day's primary in Arkansas where Mrs. Hnttle Caraway, a member since 1931, was defeat ed for rcnomlnatlon.) Crash Near Klamath Kills Solon's Son Seattle, July 26 (U.R) Ens. Ballentlne J. Gncrhlng, son of B. J. Goerlng, Congress, N. Y., was killed instantly near Klam ath Falls, Ore., when tho small naval plane he was piloting on a training flight crashed near Goose Lake, 13th naval district headquarters announced today. the election was held today, Bricker replied: "I think we'd win today and I think we will win In Novem ber. The American people are ready for a change and will mnko a change." The Ohio governor said he would welcome support from all sources, explaining "that's the way you win elections." "Does that Include Gerald L. K. Smith?" a reporter asked. "If he votes the Republican ticket his vote will be counted," the vice-presidential candidate replied. He said he believed Sidney Hlllman's "extreme activities on the other side will force many labor votes over to the Republi can ticket." FAR BEHIND LINES 26 Stukas Downed in Flames In Lwow Arpa; 12 Others Destroyed in Sorties London, July 28 (U.R) Pre miere Josef Stalin announced tonight that the Red army had captured Narva, Eitonian stronghold guarding the cor ridor between the Gulf of Fin land and Lake Peipus. London, July 26 (U.R) Amer. lean fighter planes roared across the plains of central Poland to day, blasting Nazi planes and ground defenses in the path of a Red army advance that Berlin acknowledged had reached tho Wisla (Vistula) river barrier, 150 miles from the eastern borders) of Germany. Entering the battle of the east for the first time, American Mustang and Lightning fighters of the U. S. Eastern Air Com mand swept out on their Initial assault yesterday to hit the) staggering German armies with bombs ,and gunfire and raka their communications as far as 100 miles back of the battle line. Down 26 Stukas The Americans pounced on big formation of German Dive Bombers returning from an at tack on Russian troops in tho Lwow area and sent 26 of the) Stukas spinning down in flames. Twelve other German planes were destroyed in the far-ranging sweep without the loss of a single American plane. German gun emplacements, motor traffic, and railway tar gets came under the American fire. Part of the big attack for mation swooped down to tree top level to bomb and strafe an enemy airfield at Miclcc on tha Wisloka river, 100 miles north west of Lwow. Nine of the Ger man planes bagged yesterday were destroyed on tha ground at that field. From Italy The raiders were units of tha U. S. 15th Air Force flown from Italy to Russia to join in tha great westward drive of tha Soviet armies. They returned to their new Russian bases after yesterday's mission. The Red army Juggernaut, with the Polish Bug and San river barriers far behind it, was sweeping the German armies westward across Poland at a pace rivaling that of pcacetima maneuvers. Massive Russian armored forces advanced on the Wisla river along a 50-mile front, driv ing forward 22 miles in a singla day and reaching the water bar rier at tho medieval fortress city of Demblin, 56 miles south-southeast of Warsaw. Moscow said the preliminary battles for the river crossings al ready had begun, and it was in dicated the Soviets were aiming at a wide flanking sweep on Warsaw. BUZZ-BOMB HITS London, July 28. (U.R) A 2,000-pound German robot bomb fired blindly from somcwhera on the French coast, crashed into a London hospital at dawn today, killing at least two pa tients and trapping a number of others under tons of flaming wreckage. Hundreds of other patients escaped death or Injury almost miraculously, largely becauso tho projectile exploded in an anesthetics dispensary which was empty at the time. Other flying bombs continued to fall on the southern districts through the early daylight hours ono of them damaging an apart ment house and trapping a num ber of tenants in the ruins. The hospital disaster followed a night of almost incessant bom bardment during which swarms of lethal German missiles fell at random across the London area and southern England. The attacks began shortly after nightfall, ending an 18 hour lull in the robot bombing. Air raid wardens reported that the nazis appeared to have armed their pilottcss bombers with a new weapon of terror, asserting that many of the mis siles which fell on the country districts last night carried soma form of incendiary bombs. t
