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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 31, 1944)
Yanks Trap Thousands in 12-Mile Advance Down Normandy Coast 6 NAZI DIVISIONS TORN 10 SHREDS Bf HEM BLOWS Violent Street Fight Under Way for Avranches; Big Port of Granviiie Taken. Weather EDF0RD T2tdj with 5S;SjJij hifhtt ffigkttt yfi? , ?S lt this SHslra;e -is iH&es past -i as. O United Pres. Full Less d Wire United Press FuU Luted Wire Thirty-ninth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY,' JULY SI, 1944, KG. 110. Russian Armies Storm Warsaw REDS ATTACK P M Supreme Headquarters, July 31. (U.R) The American first army stormed across the See river into the west Normandy anchor base of Avranches after a 12-mile advance today and en gaged the German garrison in violent street fight, and 14 miles to the northwest captured the big port of Granville. A Normandy broadcast for the British Radio said first army headquarters announced that American troops had captured Avranches. Supreme headquarters an nounced that the foremost spear head of the first army striking down the west coast had estab lished itself firmly in Avranches at the base of the Normandy peninsula, and a field dispatch revealed the capture of Gran ville, which already was under German artillery fire. Six Divisions Lost The' collapse of the German left wing became a debacle un der the triphammer blows of the first army break-through drive which headquarters said had decimated six nazi divisions and laid open the way to inter ior France. United Press War Correspon dent Henry T. Gorrell reported the capture of Granville, and with it Torigny-sur-Vire, trans port junction seven miles south west of St. Lo. At the same time the British second army's new offensive on the Caumont front overran St. Martin des Descaces, 4v4 miles southwest of Caumont. A headquarters spokesman said the 77th, 91st, 352nd, 243rd and 353rd German infantry di visions and the fifth paratroops division had been torn to shreds in less than a week of the show down battle in western Norman- dv, and most of them now were probably more than a number on the German army list., Air Fleet Help Allied air fleets, taking ad vantage of improving but still hazy weather, swarmed to the attack on the retreating Ger mans. They concentrated their fire on bridges and rail yards behind the enemy lines, and hammered heavily at the scat tered sectors where the nazis at tempted to mount rear guard counter-thrusts. Lt. Gen. Omar N. Bradley's first army and Lt. Gen. Miles C. Dempsey's second army were pumping heavy blows into the entire western half of the Nor mandy front, breaking the Ger man grip on strong points and battering the enemy back to new sectors. British Take Hill Almost as significant as the American landslide was the British advance in the Caumont sector, where a new attack had overrun hill 309, its 1,000 feet the greatest elevation thus far achieved by the allies in Nor mandy, and drove some miles farther Into Galet, six miles be low Caumont. The easternmost American troops and westernmost British forces swung toward each other from Torigny-sur-Vire and St. Martin lcs Bcscaes and were ncaring a junction which would carve out a pocket of Germans to be mopped up at will. The Avranches bridgehead across the river See was regard ed at headquarters as extremely Important. Its establishment in force was believed to have shat tered any chance the groggy German left wing had of seizing a foothold anywnere near the present coastal positions at the base of the Norman peninsula. Bradley, whose ready initia tive has sparkled throughout the break-through drive which wrecked the German positions in western Normandy, could be expected to exploit his new ad vantage quickly, moving up in fantry and artillery to strength en the spearhead while tanks fanned out south and southeast. SIDE GLANCES TRIBUNE REPORTERS Deputy Sheriff Bill Grenbcm er and wife taking to the hill country to play "pioneer" in hack complete with red check ed curtains and electric lights. Claude Hoover having fun helping the Medford fire laddies put out a blaze. City School Supe Eh Hcdrick cutting weeds across from the city hall with his little pocket-knife. tfim. pmsiA $ujwS yJfC Zr J LX U ait lit O 1 p.-Jrf , . . , (Acm TtUphato) Soviet tanks and cavalry have reached southeastern outskirts of Warsaw and were reported storming defenses of the Polish capital alter 25-miie dash up east bank of Vistula River American fighter pianes have joined Russians to harry retreating uennans to Poland in first such operation of war, which implements Teheran agreements for closer pursuit of war. 3,000 American Planes Hit Axis Europe Two-Way Blow London, July 31 (U.fi) An estimated 3000 American war planes struck a shattering two-way blow at Axis Europe today, smashing from the west at Munich and other enemy targets in France and central Germany and from the south at Romania's bomb-scarred oil refineries in Bucharest and Ploesti. GERMAN BIG SHOT KILLED AS PLANES DiVE ON TROOPS With TJ. S. 2nd Armored Di vision in France, July 31 (U.R) A German general command er of either the 17th SS Elite Guard Division or the 243rd in fantry, was reported today to have been killed by allied bombing planes while attempt ing to rally his troops for a stand against the onrushing Americans in western Nor mandy, News of the Nazi command er's death came from a dough boy of the second armored di vision who made his way back into the American lines today after having been captured near St. Dents Le Gast. The American said he was being held under guard beside a big column of German tanks, guns, and caterpillar tractors the wreckage of which a United Press correspondent saw along a side road near Roncey yesterday when the unidenti fied general was killed. The soldier said he saw general with red collar tabs on his uniform standing outside a farmhouse near the armored column outlining a plan of at tack to his officers. He was a big shot because- every man neu-Hiucrea mm and clicked their heels, includ ing the colonels, the doughboy said. "Then our planes dived down and there was a terrific series of explosions, I saw a piece of shrapnel hit the general in tne forehead. He staggered and then stumbled away alone." THUMLERS BUY RANCH ON C. P. J'VILLE ROAD Purchase of 50 acres of land, originally part of the Bursell place, on the Central Point-Jacksonville Road, off Ross Lane, has been announced by Mr. and Mrs. B. M. Thumler of Central Point. Mr. Thumler is a whole sale meat dialer, A residence on the property, purchased from Dr. A. Bursell of Redding, Calif., is now being extensively remodelled by the Thumlers and it will be several weeks before the family will take up residence there. MILES The U, S. 8th air force's Brit- ish-based raiders, 2200 or more strong, spearheaded the two-way assault, unloading some 3300 tons of high explosives and fire bombs on Munich, a bottleneck point on Germany's main north south railway network. Other diversionary forces slashed at enemy airfields In France and unidentified targets in central Germany. The N&zi DNB News Agency said Augs burg, 35 miles northwest of Mu nich, was attacked. Simultaneously, the U. S. 15th air force hurled some 500 Fly ing Fortresses and Liberators up from Italy under a strong fighter escort to blast and burn the sprawling oil refineries and stor age depots in southern Romania. One attacking wing touched off huge fires in the Phohova re finery and the Morgasala depot at Bucharest, while a second sprayed tons of high explosives and incendiaries across the Tar goviste tank storage area, the Creditul refinery and a third un identified target at Ploesti, lISSfLlND OIES SUDDENLY Washington, July 31 U.R Miss Marguerite Lehand, Presi dent Roosevelt's persona! secre tary for more than 20 years, died st Chelsea, Mass., this morning after suffering a cere bral emolism, the White House announced. Miss Lehand, known to the president as "Missy," suffered the sudden attack early this morning after having spent last evening visiting friends near her summer home at West Somerviile, Mass., the White House said, and died at 9:05 a.m. Sex Slayer Held 'Sane by Examiners Seattle, July 31, (U.SS A court-appointed commission to-i day confirmed the sanity of Ed ward Heberling, who confessed that he beat pretty 14-year-old Harriet Louise Lindstrom to death when she resisted his ad vances. In a report to Superior Judge Chester A. Balchetor, the com-1 mission said the 34-year-old ship ! yard worker "had the capacity to distinguish between right and; wrong st the time of the com-! mission of the act charged," and that he has the same capacity now i 15,000 ON STRIKE SLOW PRODUCTION OF WARJATEilAL Aircraft Engine Part Makers in 5th Day of Detrpit Walk out; Protest Speed-up, By United Press Some 15,000 workers were out on strike today, slowing down the production of war material. The country's biggest strike entered its fifth day at Detroit where 3,400 employes producing Pratt - Whitney aircraft engine parts at the five plants of the Chevrolet gear and axle divi sion of General Motors Corp., joined 3,600 who struck origin ally protesting a "speed-up" in production rate. More At Trenton At Trenton, N. J., some 400 additional workers joined a strike of 3,000 employes at the aircraft division of John A. Roebling Sons company. The workers, members of the United Steel Workers of America CIO), struck Friday after nine men, charged with slowdown tactics, were dismissed. Approximately 2,400 striking employes of the Clayton Lam bert Manufacturing company shell plant will return to work tomorrow, officials of the Unit ed Steel Workers Union (CIO) announced today. Employes voted to return to work, pend ing settlement of their protest against the reported dismissal of an employe which led to the walkout Saturday. Claim Pay Shortage At Buffalo, 1,200 members of the night shift at Houdatlie Hershey Corp. remained on strike over a "pay shortage" protested filed by 100 workers. At Cleveland, 500 workers who struck at the John Harsch Bronze and foundry company Wednesday were still out. Meanwhile at Hammond, Ind., municipal employes, mem bers of the International Union of Stationary Engineers, AFL, informed city officials that un less a $20 a month salary raise was approved by midnight they would walk out throwing into idleness the sewage disposal plant, city water works, storm sewer pumping stations, city hall and civic center. A campaign to end promisc uous night rambling of local ju veniles of both sexes has been launched, following a confer ence today between Sheriff Syd I. Brown, District Attorney George W, Neilson, and County Juvenile Officer Robert Eider. The action was tajscn following receipt of complaints from s number of mothers their chil dren come home when they pleased. The plan calls for city police and deputy sheriffs to obtain the names and addresses of boys and girls out after the curfew hours, A letter will be sent to the parents by the authorities. If the juvenile is again discov ered violating the rules, the par ents will be hailed Into court for an explanation. For the past several weeks the young folks have been show ing laxity towards the curfew ordinance, officers declare. Complaints have also been re ceived from the rural districts that boy drivers, with auto loads of juveniles have been burning up the country roads. Officials have expressed some wonderment as to where the of fenders get the gasoline for country trips. They plan to take it up with federal agencies. TO BERUiT By United Pre The shortest distance to Berlin from the advanced allied lines today: Russia 345 miles. Italy S07 miles, France 623 mile. WILL KeD IMS ELITE ' 'WL YELLOW Professional Kilters Who Of ficiated at Extermination of Jews, Quit in France. By Henry T. Gorrell UP War Correspondent With V. S. Tanks North of Gavray, France, July 30. SU.FS Hitler's professional killers, the dread Elite SS who bullied the occupied countries and di rected the extermination of thou sands of Jews, cracked up today. They acted like they say ail killers do by turning yellow when the odds turned against them. I saw the one-time "tough boys' cringing and surrendering by the hundreds. In France they were supposed : to have kept the Poles and Geor gians fighting for the Nazis by! holding pistols at their backs. They may have been tough once but the American bombers and fighters and tanks took the fight out of them. Pathetic Picture There is no adequate term to describe the pathetic perform ance of the members of the Nazi murder clubs, "Whipped puppy dogs" is too mild. It was true that they had lost most of their tanks and artillery, much of which I saw as miles long masses of burning, twisted steel along the narrow dirt roads north of Gavray. But if they had any fight left in them, these Nazi strong-arm boys could have kept the Ameri can infantry busy for days stalk ing them in and out of the Nor man hedgerows. It was at Notre Dame le Canity that I first heard of the astounding turn of affairs the surrender In large numbers of remnants of Germany's most famous division, the second SS Division das Reich. The commanding general of a United States armored division, racing toward the front in a je.p, waved to me and shouted: Story Scented "Come on. There's a good story ahead. The tough boys of the SS are tossing in the sponge," We followed the general In a jeep, toward Roncey where Americans were reported to have wiped out more than 500 wheeled German vehicles. The road was clogged with American tanks, tank destroyers and half tracks rushing in every direction. There were bodies of men? Germans In the ditches, most of them killed within the last 18 hours. "U. S. Can't Roosevelt Pittsburgh, July SI, 0I.SS The United States cannot "face another period like the Roose velt depression with 10,000,000 men unemployed continually over a period of eight years,' Gov, Thomas E, Dewey, Repub lican, presidential candidate, told a press conference here to day In opening his campaign, Dewey is here on the first stop of a three-state swing into Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Mis souri whose aggregate of SO electoral votes are believed by his managers to be necessary for Republican victory next No vember, He told a crowded press con ference here that he had come to Pittsburgh to discuss recon version and political matters. Administration Kit Dewey struck hard at the Roosevelt administration on charges of failure to prepare for post-war problems. He said "we don't need to surrender our lib erties to a totalitarian new deBl" In order to protect the future opportunities of American citi zens to work. The Republican nominee will spend today in political, labor, industrial and agricultural con ferences, proceeding to Spricg- B-29 Raid on U.S'S.R. MONGOLIA fcHINAU.f (Asm Itltphotei American B-2S Super-Fortresses smz&h by daylight ai great 5ap steel censer o Anshan, SS miles soashwest o Mukdea to Mascbsrat, siier. sesd&g diversionary tormiUoa to pKisai Chig&ra raay yRi. a ass lieseci on Peping-iis&kcs toe, jasaaak iss reiHS&t&s. Marines Use Secret Weapon In Annihilation of Nippons By United Press United States marines, aided by s secret weapon, isegaa battle of annihilation today against the Japanese, whs were squeezed into a pocket on the southern tip of Tlnlas, while the fighting on Guam temporarily dwindled to patrol activity. Marines used the devastating , new weapon for the first time ill taking Tinian town, where the island's 15,000 civilians were concentrated, and continued ca to hem the Japanese troops lo an area two to five mites square, Details Withhold Betails of the new weapon : were withheld, but a front Hne i dispatch said it was, "truly fear ful" and that it was doubtful if a human being within a 1 08-fooi radius of its target could sur vive. On Guam, U. S, planes began operations from the newly cap tured Orote peninsula airstrip, and supply ships steamed tela the completely cleared Aprs harbor naval anchorage, A communique from Admiral Chester W. KimiU said Libera tors strafed small Japanese craft la Truk lagoon and bombed Ponape, while other Biases bombed enemy Installations lis the Marshalls and Nauru, Asshcn Shambles American crewmen who took part Is tte Superfortress raids on the &tanehurian steel and production center of Arsshas Saturday told today of leaving the oriental "Pittsburgh" s bura feg and battered shambles. Nearly every B-28 on the nsis sion laid Its bombs on the target, pilots said, and there "wasn't much left tor the Japs to se," On British New Guinea, allied ground crews supported by J8S planes, slashed at the outer rirs of trapped Japanese forces, A Face Another Depression," field, III., tomorrow for similar routine. In St, Louis, Mo., he will meet with the other 25 Re publican governors including John W, Brieker, of Ohio, the Republican vice presidential candidate, for a two day confer ence on domestic problems. Re conversion has a high place ert the agenda. lie will confer with Missouri Republican leaders on Friday and entrain that day to return to New York, His press conference today was a slambang attack os the Roosevelt administration E?sd the argument that the coun try shouldn't change horses in mid-stream an Indication that the Dewey-Bricker campaign will be based largely on domes tic issues where the president Is believed to be weaker than in the field of foreign affairs. Argument Demolished "How about Democratic argu ment that we shouldn't change horses," Dewey was asked, "That argument was demol ished In Chicago at the Demo cratic national convention," he replied, "I they change half of the horse , The governor was interrupted there by laagh tr and wp unable to continue his answer, "We are making great pro gress to fighting iht war," Manchuria iTOKYs Rome, July SI Ui German troops reeled back frost their last isiil defense less than five miles souihwest of? Florence to day after losing heavily Sa ssea and armor In a series of desper ate counter-attacks thai failed to crack the British siege lines be low the city. The bloodiest fighting issed around the mountain tows of San Mlcheie, five miles south west of Florence, where veteran New Zealand troops stood fast ander day-and-night rain of German counter-blows, ana then surged back to drive the battered Kaiis into the hills to the ssrth. "Very heavy fighting" eentis tted in the San Miehele sector throughout Sunday, n Allied communique said, bat the New Zealanders were firmly in eoss trol of the town and their ad vanced element were strlktag into the new enemy positions So- eemmunique from Gen, Usaglaa MacArthur said 1,385 had Isees killed Irt the week ending Satur day bringing the Japanese death toll in the sector to 2,858 sise July n. Period Like Warns Dewey Dewpy told newsmen and wom en. "But governmental!? we are msktog no progress In preparing for what will follow, "is this election we are elect ing president for 1845-1843, most of whose term will he In peace time. The United States cannot face another period like the Roosevelt depression which lasted eight years from 1833 to 1840 with 10,000,838 mes eott- tuiusily unemployed. Totalitarianism Unseeded "It may not be long before the most vital thing facing every American is the opportunity to work. I am entirely satisfied that with competent govern ment the opportunities is this country are still unlimited, But we don't need to surrender ear liberties to totalitarian sew deal and we cannot afford to do so," Asked whether a depression could be avoided with proper planning, Dewey replied: "Proper government policies can contribute enormously and successfully toward preveattag tii spectre ef unemployment which many persons sow think Is unavoidable tinder as admln- isiraison which for eight sears spent enormous auma without results. Fail of Kaunas Opens Dsor to East Prussia; Ability to Cheek Assault Doubted, London, July 31 - 8U Premier Josef Stalls In a third order of the day a ssuseed tonight that Sea. Ivan Chersi&khoTsky Third army of White Bsssia had forced th Klemes river asd advanced 31 ssiies is thr davs, breakisg iisRmsb on 143-mile frost and cspiuriss more than 1,180 localities. Among the captured places fr Shetasfcev and Mary amps!, 25 mile front ftse cast Frasssaa border. London, July St. SIJS The Berlin radio said the red army hurled a powerful attack at Praga, Warsaw suburb sa the east bank of the Vistula, and the German high command admitted the loss of Kaunas, prewar capi tal of Lithuania and last key stone base before East Prussia. Lt, Col. Alfred von Olberg, Naii military commentator, said massed Soviet forces attacked at Praga in an attempt to break through to Warsaw proper, di rectly across the Vistula, but a German counter-blow fersks up the onslaught, Violent rigfetisg "In the whole area of the Vis ; tula bend, fighting corsUnue ' with the same violence, von Ol berg said, indicating that the red army had wheeled sp its malm forces for the final assault oa the Polish capital. Nazi broadcasts said the Bus. elans were closing in en WarsfrW from the south, east, assl sortfe. east, that the hard pressed Ger man army had abandoned Ssed ice, big rail Junction 5-3 miles east of Warsaw, and that a bat tle was raging Isslde Jelgsva, Latvian stronghold 22 miles be low the gulf of Rigs, Gen, Ivan Chersiakhsvsky red army was bearing down os East Prussia from two directtgn, and the outpouring of bad sews for the Nazis from Berlin indi cated that the battle for the first strip of fatherland soil threat ened by the allies was shaping tip swiftly. Cress Sswalkt Already Cfeemlakhovsky's troops were storming across She Suwalkl triangle, a segment of Poland grabbed by the Kazis in 1838 and annexed to East Prus sia. sth Kaunas fallen, there was no sign that the battered Germans would be able to check the curving Soviet assault are closing against the entire south eastern frontier of East Prussia, The German high eomsnasii acknowledged ths loss si Kau nas, erroneously reported abroad to have fallen last week- For the second time wiihis a -week Berlin reported the evacuation of Sledlce, indicating thai th looping Nasi salient due east of Warsaw had collapsed, and ad mitting that the Russians were closing against the Polish espiiai from that direction, as welt as on a broad arc from the south and northeast. Kauaas SS.S33 Kaunas, 42 miles east ef East Prussia, was the Lithuanian capl. tsi until the Soviets shifted it to Wiirso. This eiSy J 80,803 and Grodno to the south were the watchdog bastions ef the di rect approaches to East Prussia, sow laid open fcr ths drive reaching within artillery sound of the frontier. Far to the northeast all ths Germans in upper Latvia and Estonia were threatened with hs minent entrapment fey the Soviet drive within striking distance of She Baltic. Use trap aireajy was sprung for all practical purposes, with the last raii ling sat of tha pocket cut, and the Haii-report ed storming of Jclgav below Bigs apparently put the scat ef success on the drive, P-38 PILOT KILLES Santa Maria, Cat., July 31 .16 Second Lt, John W. Beat on, 21, Philadelphia, wa killed Saturday night when ft r as plana crashed near Santa Maria army air f ieis, se array ssr rata ssmmander announced today, ,
