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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 24, 1944)
Weather forecast Sunday: Partly cloudy, light ihowen, UtUe change In temperature. Temp. Highest yesterday SI Loweit thig morning SB Precip. to 5 p. m- eiter day....T Oh Tha HAIL TRIBUNE Want Ad Way Quick Results ' At Small Cost Tribune United Press Full Lsuad Wlra United Press Full LtiHd Wlra Thirty-ninth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1944 NO. 233. J T WITHIN 24 M. OF HISTORIHEDAN Yank Counter -Attacks on South Flank Gain Air Power Exerted , Paris, Sunday, Dec. 24 U.R) The German wehrmacht, in newly announced gains up to IS miles, has swept within 24 miles of the historic Sedan gap and Imperilled the allies' Namur Luxembourg supply road but counter-attacking American forces have advanced several miles in a drive against, the en emy's south flank, it was an nounced last night, - Simultaneously, allied air power fell in strong force on the German legions Saturday and preliminary ' reports indicated that the planes, flying in perfect weather, may have struck a blow comparable with the havoc spread through the retreating enemy armies in Normandy, Allied headquarters issued two reports Saturday on de velopment of the eight-day-old German winter offensive, modi fying the 48-hour time lag on front news. The newest reports apparently included events over night Thursday and early Fri day; . The loss of the Belgian road control points of St. Vith and Stravelot near the center of the 50-mile break-through area was confirmed and German spear heads to the southwest were dis closed to have reached the Marche area in a 10-mile ad vance from La Roche and Libra mont in a 15-mile drive south west from Bastogne. Libramont is eight miles south of St. Hubert, reached by the enemy earlier; 17 miles from the French frontier and- 24 miles from - the Sedan gap, through which the Germans invaded France in 1870, 1914 and again in 1940. The new gains extended two more German penetrations in the American 1st army's orig inal line to i roughly 40 miles, the enemy having driven that far earlier in the St. Hubert area and beyond Stavelot. Libra mont is 17 miles inside Belgium along the line of21 miles Ger man sweep across the entire breadth of Luxembourg. - Marche lies . astride the big .Namur - Luxembourg highway, which is augmented, by a rail road running farther to the west. There were indications that the Germans had not yet reached Marche itself, however. Front dispatches Said the Germans had cut an offshoot road between Hotton and Soy, five and eight miles northeast of Marche, and were offering stiff resistance to American counter-attacks south of this road. U. S. ground forces have al ready scored their first major defensive victory against the eight-day-old enemy drive, pre venting the Germans from Join ing two spearheads 40 miles in side Belgium, when wave after wave of Flying Fortresses, Ma rauders and fighter planes roar ed in to blast enemy tank col umns, fuel dumps and road Junc tions. The luftwaffe also arose in great strength in an attempt to sustain Field Marshal Karl Gerd Von Rundstedt's offensive and tangled with allied fighters and gunners in swirling dogfights that cost the enemy at least 100 planes, by initial accounts. Pilots reported that the en emy's attack columns provided the best targets to come within their sights since the Germans streamed in ragged retreat through the Falaise gap in Nor mandy and lost the better part of an army to allied bombs and guns. On the less favorable side of the crucial western front pic ture came indications that the 1st army, after important time saving stands, had lost both St. Vith and Stavelot. Belgian road control points near the center of the front. As of Thursday noon, allied headquarters was maintaining a 48-hour time lag on reports of developments, German tanks r .,...1..,-. ....... or- : ,,v,.,.f v, f -- ... - ' . vr?""T"-H v """""s',i 'W CJLJTJ . ' v .v "r ALONG THE RHINE French officer, leading a patrol, Is under fire as he reconnoiters along the Rhine, pistol in hand. German fire is coming from farther up the river on same (French) side, and from across the river beyond the building on far right, which knarks the Swiss boundary. Haze obscures Nazi troops crossing river in distant background. This action took place near the French City of Huningue, but officer escaped being hit TO GREEK PEACE OFFERS DELAYED Athens, Dec. 23.-(U,R) Brit ish officials disclosed today that an answer to ELAS peace terms will be delayed until' at least Monday, although Lt. Gen. Ron ald M. Scobie and his staff of ficers have spent hours discuss ing the lengthy ELAS counter proposals received l?st night. At the same time two Greek government leaders suddenly turned cool toward a previously favored proposal for a regency to end Greece's three weeks of bloody civil war, asserting that the main hope for peace lay in the use of armed force neces sarily British. The British reply originally was scheduled to be drafted to day, but officials indicated that it had been referred to higher authorities and that it will not be prepared until Monday or later.' Greek Premier George Papan dreau, who has studied the un published note, told a press con ference today that "the only sit uation is military pot politi cal," and heatedly demanded dis armament of the leftist ELAS forces. The new ELAS offensive In northwestern Greece drew an urgent appeal from Gen. Napo leon Zervas, leader of the EDES, for. British help in his territory. Although this apparently was not forthcoming, Papandreau ap peared, to welcome the EDES into -the government camp by defending vigorously their fail ure to disarm In accordance with orders issued to all guerillas by the British command. BULLETIN Iowa City, la., Dec. 23 U.R) Showing an unexpected surge of power in the second half, the Iowa Hawkeyes took their mm straight victory tonight and nip ped Notre Dame's winning streak at five games, 63-46 be fore 8,500 fans. After a slow start in the first period the Hawks began to hit the basket with deadly accuracy and at half time had a 28-25 lead. had battered Into previously en circled Bastogne and swept on 15 miles westward to St. Hu bert, 23 miles from the French frontier and onlyt 29 miles north east of Sedan and the Meuse. Four flights of C-47 transports dropped supplies to troops in the Bastogne area Saturday, indicat ing that our forces were still holding out in or near the city. (Another ominous note was the return to the air on the Radio Luxembourg frequency on a broadcasting station which identified itself as the "German radio," giving Germans news re ports In the German language and adding a note in Luxem bourg dialect. The FCC said the station did not identify Itself as the Luxembourg radio, which had not been heard since Tues day night.'1 Battle Weary Nazis Captured Si ,Y T rw;. in IS: X 1 (Acm Telepholo) Battle weary German soialers, among the last to surrender during battle of Hurtgen Forest which ended after several weeks of war's bitterest fighting, find safety in American Ninth Division prison ut war cam; near Jungersdorf, Germany. Signal Corps radlo-teiephoto. OF STATE DAIRY, LI Salem, Ore., Dec. 23. U.F9 Reorganization of the existing "patchwork" laws pertaining to agriculture generally and to the dairy industry in particular will be recommended to the state legislature in January, E. L. Peterson,, director of the agri culture department said in his message to the legislature, re leased today. Evidence seems to be suffic ient, the message said, "to war rant that all dairy products be required to be pasteurized. In any event, our present legisla tion on pasteurization needs cor rection." The confusion concerning the fluid milk standards might be removed by legislative action, Peterson declared. Positive def inition of such standards and positive specification of author ity for enforcement were rec ommended. An overlap In the duties of the agriculture and state health departments was shown in the message, and Peterson said that his department had offered full cooperation to tnc health agen cies. . Mckenzie pass closed Salem, Ore., Dec. 23. (U.R) McKenzie Pass, between Eugene and Bend was closed today, due to heavy snow over the route, State Highway Engineer R. H Baldock announced. Iftw U !:i A. JAPANESE FORCE ON LEYTE DRIVEN TO FINAL STAND ' Allied Headquarters, Leyte, Sunday, Dec. 24. (U.R) On Ley te, It was announced that the last Japanese remnants pocket ed east of the Ormoc corridor had been wiped out and that the 77th division had driven west to within 11 miles of the enemy's last west coast port of Pamom-pon.-. It was disclosed that a seventh American division MaJ. Gen. Joseph M. Swing's 11th airborne division was in action on Leyte. It pushed west, forming part of the trap in which the Japanese 26th, division Was caught below Ormoc when the 77th made an amphibious landing on the west coast Dec. 7. The bulletin said the 11th airborne had entirely cleared its sector southeast of the Ormoc corridor. The bulletin reported that 3,788 enemy dead were counted on Leyte Thursday, along with nine prisoners, running to 16.661 the number of enemy dead counted on the island In the past eight days. Fighters supporting ground operations on Leyte destroyed a lugger and five barges off the west coast, presumably trying to slip in and rescue some of the fleeing Japanese. Filipino Guerrillas operating on Pansy Island west of Leyte were revealed to have captured the north coast town of. Caplz, z7 WEATHER FAVORS 1 00 JAP PLANES MICHIGAN FLYER LIFTS SCORE OF (By United Press) - At least 35 German planes were shot down by the 56th Thunderbolt fighter group com manded by Col. David Schilling of Traverse City, Mich. Schil ling's fighters were attacked at one time by five German fighter formations totalling 200 to 250 planes in all, but the enemy were able to make only one at tack against the U. S. bombers, It was unsuccessful. Schilling himself shot down five, giving him a total of 33i enemy planes destroyed in Europe, 23 in the air and 10V4 on the ground. It is the highest score for any U. S. fighter pilot still active in this theater. Near Trier, the 364th fighter group led by Col. Roy Osborne of San Antonio, Tex., knocked down 20 German planes in 20 minutes without loss to them selves. Dogfights raged from 25,. 000 feet altitude to Just above the snow-covered ground, return ing pilots said. Bomber pilots reported that they -crossed France beneath a solid cloud bank, but that over the battle lines the clouds were broken. Pilots of the U. S. 9th (tactical) air force reported to headquar ters that "this weather is Just what we are waiting and pray ing for," and at least 1000 sorties or more were expected to be flown by the 9th's medium and fighter bombers. , First results of the day In cluded 29 enemy planes downed, 12 tanks and armored vehicles and 30 motor vehicles knocked out. "We caught vehicles stretched at 75 to 100 yards intervals as though they were expecting something, and we divebombed them and finished them off by strafing," Capt. Carroll A. Peter son, Grand Rapids, Mich., report ed after flying over one area. TOKYOllDCAST SAYS SHIPS LOST (By United Press) Tokyo, heard by the United Press in San Francisco, claimed that its warplanes had sunk eight American ships and dam aged 12 others In a series of raids from Wednesday through Friday off Leyte, Mindoro island and in the Sulu sea. Off Mindoro Tokyo claimed to have sunk four transports and two cruisers or destroyers and damaged five transports, one cruiser, one cruiser or destroyer, and two unidentified warships. Off eastern Leyte the enemy claimed to have sunk a trans port and damaged a large air craft carrier and one identified warship. A transport was claim ed sunk and another damaged in the Sulu sea. ALLIES, 236 HUNS PLANESDAMAGED Record Number of Sorties ,Rake German Offensive; Rail Centers Hit London, Sunday, Dec. 24 (U.R) Allied warplanes flew 5000 sor ties yesterday blasting and shoot ing up traffic on the German counter-offensive front, and they shot down or damaged a record total of 236 nazl planes as per fect flying weather favored the allies for the first time in four days. A British-based striking force of 400 heavy bombers and 700 fighters assailed seven teeming German transport centers behind the front while 650 medium bombers of supporting tactical commands in France and Bel gium added their destruction against unidentified targets. Allied supreme headquarters announced that other fighters and fighter bombs of the 9th air- force flew 3000 sorties against the German front, while the tactical command added another 360 sorties. British-based heavy, medium and light bombers added to the total, raiding other transport tar gets during the day and night. The greatest total of enemy planes was shot down by the 9th alrforce, which destroyed 101 enemy aircraft, 94 in the alt- and seven, aground, Anothef 22 nazi planes were probably destroyed and 29 were damaged. The 1st tactical command destroyed seven. Early reports indicated that 14 American medium bombers and 14 fighter bombers were lost The heavy bombers hit rail way yards at Kaiserlautern, Eh rang and Homburg, all rail points feeding the German at tack, and other road and rail Junctions between Coblenz and the Belgian border. Fighter-es corted RAF Lancasters also Join ed the attack, bombing Trier and other German Rhineland trans port centers. STATE POLICEMEN CONFISCATE STILL Waren Adoulph Jones. 78 route 4, bov 114, on Spring street, was arrested Thursday on a charge of operating a still at his residence.1 He was brought before Judge William P. Tucker where he entered a plea of guilty and was given a 90-day suspend ed jail sentence. The court order ed his equipment confiscated and destroyed. A state police officer was In vestigating a game case in the area and stopped to talk to Jones on the case. The officer became curious over smoke coming from a padlocked building and ques tioned Jones about lt. He then admitted operation of the stili, the state police report said. A 10 gallon crock contained mash, apples and peaches and about 1V3 quarts of liquor had been run off, the report stated. Jones admitted he ran the still about twice a month prior to his arrest. Jack McCoy, 16, of route Ashland, rode his motorcycle into me side of a logging truck at the intersection of South Cen tral and Ninth street Saturday nigni, according to Deputy Cor oner Carlos Morris, who took him to a local hospital In the i.ongcr-morris ambulance. was reDorted in ho mrhrinn from a compound fracture of the rignt leg. Morris stated. Cause of the accident was not Immediately determined, but Mc Coy was thought to have been traveling Rt an excessive rate speed, Morris said. of Allied Supreme Headquar ters. Paris, Dec. 23 (U.R) German armor has reached Librimont. 13 miles southweat of Bastogne, and Mohrat, six miles southwest of Bastogne. it was announced tonight. RUSSIANS CLAMP See-Saw Battles Rage to Gain Budapest Berlin Claims Victory. London, Sunday, Dec. 24. (U.R) Russian troops, clamping a huge pincers on Budapest with renewed offensives northwest and southwest of the city, yes terday encircled almost three- quarters of the besieged Hun garian capital and hammered to within 109 miles of Vienna. Hundreds of Russian and Ger man tanks and planes were lock ed in see-saw battles around the city as the Red army strove to close the Nazi garrison's escape gap which was narrowed from 35 to 30 miles. . While the Soviet high com mand, according to Berlin, hurl ed 18 infantry divisions in battle southwest of the city alone, far to the north the Germans claim ed a decisive defense victory against Russia's winter offensive lh Latvia where fighting today raged into its fourth day. Marshal Rodion Y. Malinov- sky's 2nd Ukranian army brought about a three-fourths en circlement of the capital by smashing the vital enemy defense line in the 3,000-foot, 18-mlle long Borzsony mountains north west of the city between the Danube river and the Czechoslo vak town of Sahy (Ipolysag) on the Hungarian border. Advancing 13 miles across the mountains from their last report ed positions, the Russians reach ed the Ipoly river which runs into the Danube at a point ii miles northwest of Budapest. The advance carried Malln ovsky's troops Into the Batislava plain leading west to Vienna and Berlin said that the Soviets al ready had advanced five miles westward to force the Uaran (Hron) river and establish two bridgeheads on its west bank, 104 miles from Vienna. BUS DIVES INTO RAVINE, 42 HURT Salinas. Cal.. Dec. 23 (U.R) A Greyhound bus plunged Into a KS-fnot ravine near Fort Ord last night, killing one soldier and Injuring 42 other perons, five possibly fatally, the Cali fornia highway patrol reported today. Excepting two civilians and the driver, all of the injured were soldiers highway patrol headquarters said. IN B-24 TRAGEDY Muroc Field. Dec. 23 U.R) The army today announced the names nf 10 men missing when their B-24 plane crashed on the side of rugged Mt. Sterling near Eagle Rock, Friday night, while on a routine training mission. Because of the desolate coun try, sheriff's office and army searchers have been unable to es tablish that there were no sur vivors, but all men are presumed dead. CHICO TAVERNS FINED Sacrai.iento, Dec. 23. (U.R) Gilbert McNeil, Sacramento dis trict office of price administra tion director, today disclosed that nine Chico tavern owners have delivered checks payable to the U. S. treasury to cover over charges on beer and whiskey drinks. ON MANILA FIELD Land Based Attack Crush ingEnemy Resistance On Leyte Disorganized Allied Headauarters. Ijtvtn Philippines, Sunday, Dee. 24.. (U.R) U. S. warplanes blasted. Clark field pear Manila Thurs day in apparently the heaviest assault On that nrpt, hv nlanM the Far Eastern air forces, it was announced today. A majority of 100 Japanese) planes caught on the ground were destroyed or damaged. aigni oi nine Japanese planes which rose to challenge tha Americans were shot down. The Manila area has been at tacked steadily by American carrier-borne planes since Sep tember, but Thursday's attack appeared to be the heaviest staged by land-based planes. Tha last carrier strikes were Dec. 13, 14 and 13 during which 102 Jap anese ships were destroyed of damaged and 269 planes destroy ed and 192 damaged on Manila and otner parts of Luzon. Clark field Is 46 miles north west of Manila. The nearest' known American air bases ara on Mindoro Island, 188 miles south of Clark field, and at Leyte, 354 miles southeast of Clark field. The dally allied war bulletin sum mat mere was no ground activity on Mindoro, but that 20 Japanese planes were destroyed and two probably destroyed over that island on Wednesday, On Leyte, the communique said that Japanese remnants in the Ormoc corridor and east of it had been completely destroy ed and that 3,788 Japanese dead were counted on Thursday. Nina prisoners wera taken. The American 77th division, advancing west from the corri dor, was reported within 11 miles of the enemy's only escapa port of Palompon, which wag under steady fire from long range artillery. Enemy resistance was disor ganized and only a fraction ot the army which once numbered approximately 50,000 men could hope to escape Leyte In small boats. MaJ. Gen. Andrew D. Brace's conquerors of Guam and Ormoo were slashing westward along the secondary highway linking the west coast of Leyte with tha shattered Yamashita line to tha DEATHliTSMAN IN LOCAL CAFE W. McVey, 76, died Saturday evening while eating in Bar ney's Cafe, 27 South Riverside, according to Carlos Morris, de puty coroner. McVey Is said to have been a resident of Eagle Point, where he was employed as a school bus driver, Morris said. Cause of death was thought to have been a stroke, the de puty coroner said. McVey is known to have ona son, C. L. McVey, living in Big Creek, Calif. Noted Dead New York, Dec. 23. (U.R) Charles Gibson, 77, artist and creator of the famed Gibson girl, died today after a heart attack. At his bedside was his wife, Mrs. Irene Langhorne Gibson, a sister of Lady Astor. Mrs. Gib son's beautiful hair and slender waist were said to have been Gibson's inspiration for the pin up girl of the gay 90's. Gibson was stricl-en In mid September at his home In Bar Harbor, Me., and was flown to his New York home by army transport. Jackson County salts ta data In the Sixth War Loan art "E" Bonds ... "E" Quota . 1613.912.50 $800,000.00
