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