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
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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, ,