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VQl^ie. — NO. 13_ WILMINGTON, N. C., SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 1944 FINAL EDITION PRICE FIVE CENTS
Trio Who Escaped To Tell Of Jap Atrocities In Prison
Three American officers who escaped from the J apanese and whose sworn statements were the basis
of the Army-Navy report on Jap atrocities against prisoners in the Philippines are seen here with
Gen. Douglas MacArthur at his headquarters in Australi aon Aug. 4, 1943, after their escape. (Left
to right) Lt. Col. William E. Dyess, Comdr. Melvyn H. McCoy, General MacArthur, and Lt. Col.
S. M. Mellnik. Dyess was recently killed in a California plane crash. McCoy and Mellnik are now
on duty. This picture has just been released by the War Department.) ((/P) Wirephoto from U. S
1 Cornel 6
- * -
4,000 Soldiers On Bataan Died
As Result Of Japs’ Brutalities
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Ray
mond P. Cronin, chief of the
Associated Press bureau in
Manila, was interned at Santo
Tomas camp for civilians in
Manila from January, 1942, un
til his repatriation last Septem
ber. He served on the camp’s
self - government committee
and thus was able to main
tain contact with what Xvent
tit outside the camp.)
By RAYMOND P. CRONIN
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 29.—UP)—
The complete story of atrocities
visited upon disarmed and defense
less American and Filipino sol
diers after they surrendered to
overwhelming Japanese forces on
bloody Bataan peninsula in the
Philippines may never be assem
bled.
The Army-Navy announcement
quoting escaped American officers
who survived the living death tells
only part of the bitter tale.
It is impossible for me, for ob
vious reasons, to state the source
of my information on the “March
of Death’’ from Bataan after that
fateful day of surrender in April,
1942. I have implicit faith in the
trustworthiness of my informants
and can say that some of them
watched this march.
My sources estimated that at
least 4,000 soldiers died on Bataan
as victims of Jap brutalities—men
who could have been saved if giv
en a little help and a bit of human
consideration.
Hundreds of others died on the
grueling march under a scorching
tropical sun as they were clubbed
on their way to San Fernando and
then to Camp O’Donnell.
Scores of our soldiers, having
witnessed Jap savagery at the
Mariveles airfield where many
were beheaded, decided to brave
shark-infested Manila Bay rather
than give themselves into the
hands of the enemy.
They plunged into the water in
a desperate attempt to reach Cor
regidor some two miles out in the
bay. Many gained safety, only to
fall into the hands of the Japs
when rock surrendered during
May. Others lost out to the sharks.
One band of American-Filipino
troops killed several Jap guards
and escaped to the mangrove
swamps where they formed a
guerrilla band. Just what hap
pened to them later we never
knew, but it is a good guess that
they are not alive today.
Many of us who were held by
the Japanese in the Manila Santo
Tomas camp for civilians knew
what was going on out Bataan
way.
The Japs inflicted unspeakable
atrocities on the wounded and the
sick who were in field hospitals
along the peninsula.
Disregarding the condition of sol
diers who had been disabled by
wounds or tropical diseases, such
as malaria and dysentery, the
Japs herded them from hospitals
like so many cattle and drove
them relentlessly through the
mountainous terrain until they
dropped.
Many of the wounded and the
sick, lacking food or water and
completely exhausted, fell and lay
helpless on the footpaths through
the jungles and along the dusty
road. Unable to rise when beaten
with clubs and the buckle ends of
field belts, they died under Jap
bayonets.
American and Filipino soldiers
who halted along the way to ease
the sufferings of the sick and
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 1)
AUTRY ARRESTED
I IN HIT AND RUN
Earl Autry, 39-year old white
mechanic who resides near Sea
gate was arrested at 11:45 a. m.
Saturday at Miller’s garage in
Cockman’s alley, and charged with
hit and run driving which resulted
in the death of James R. Mat
thews, 66 year old white man,
struck down as he attempted to
cross at 13th and astle streets
the night of January 15.
According to the warrant, Autry
Jailed to stop his automobile after
the pedestrian fell, and fled the
scene without offering assistance.
Matthews died of his injuries Jan
A coroner’s’jury which met Fri
day afternoon determined that
Matthew's "came to his death from
injuries caused by being hit by
automobile driven by an un
known party.”
Police have been working on the
Case consistently since the night
w the fatal accident. They have
reported that strong circumstan
tial evidence is behind the war
rant issued Saturday.
Autry posted bond for $1,000 Sat
urday afternoon.
j According to the police, Autry’s
criver’s license was revoked sever
El. months ago after he was con
I Vi(-'ted of driving under the in
I ^llnm?Ce ^toxicants.
I r ille arresting officer was W. N.
I Leitch. Assisting in the investiga
[ jjon were officers E. B. Murray,
*'• J. Millis, ana G. C. Looney.
Heavy British, German
Guns Roar On Both
Sides English Channel
LONDON, Sunday, Jan. 30—
A1)—Heavy guns roared on
both sides of the Dover Strait
last night and the target of the
British artillery was believed
t° he an enemy convoy be
tween Calais and Boulogne.
The British guns poured sal
T°s in rapid fire and the Ger
man batteries answered in
longer spaced bursts, dropping
shells in the Dover area. A
brilliant white and orange glow
jit up the Channel area as the
heavy British guns fired.
Only 1 Day Left
To Buy Auto Tags
Only one day, Monday, Jan
uary 31, remains in which
Wilmington automobile owners
can buy 1944 state license
plates, Miss Minnie A. Payne,
manager of Carolina Motor
Club, said Saturday, pointing
out that the office is experienc
ing a last-minute rush by own
ers.
State Highway patrolmen have
indicated that starting at mid
night Monday arrests will be
made of motorists whose ve
hicles do not carry new plates.
The Carolina Motor club has
issued 16,000 state license plates
and nearly 4,500 city tags.
BROUGHTONURGES
MANEUVER RIGHTS
Tssuine a proclamation to citi
zens of New Hanover, Pender, On
slow, Bladen, Duplin, Jones, and
Carteret counties, Governor J. M.
Broughton Saturday requested per
sons to respond promptly and
favorably to the request of the Ar
my for maneuver rights in these
counties. .
The Army desires to acquire for
a five-year period maneuver -rights
with respect to certain lands lo
cated in North Carolina for the
purpose of essential training.
The proclamation read in part
as follows:
“Whereas, such maneuver rights
are needed immediately by the Ar
my for such maneuver rights and
the military authorities according
ly desire to obtain immediately
from the owners permission to use
such lands for maneuver purposes;
and
“Whereas, the citizens and pro
perty owners of the state resid
ing in these counties have an op
portunity by their compliance to
perform a .patriotic service and to
aid in the essential training pro
gram of the Army in the same
manner that citizens in other areas
of the state have heretofore whole
heartedly and unanimously re
sponded; and
“Whereas, the citizens in the
above mentioned counties are as
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 4)
REPORT ON JAP
ACTIVITIES MADE
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.—(A1!—
“The Axis invasion of the United
States” began ten years before
Pearl Harbor, the Dies committe
said today in a -report recommend
ing legislation that “will once and
for all stop this foreign penetra
tion of our country by those gov
ernments and groups which seek
to destroy it.”
The report, by the house group
charged with investigation of un
American activities, dealt almost
exclusively with Japanese activi
ties and commented that “the
complete story of Japanese treach
ery and objectives may never be
known, since the Japanese operate
since the Japanese language is al
most impossible of comprehensive
interpretation and translation by
a non-Japanese.”
Long before the sneak attack on
Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1041,
the committee said, the invasion
by the enemy began “in the guise
of culture organizations, youth
movements, bunds, singing socie
ties, kens, tourist bureaus, forums,
associations, news bureau, treaty
merchants etc.”
These, the committee found,
“were established here as outlets
for pro-Nazi and pro-Japanese
propaganda, as fronts for espio
nage bureaus, and as a nucleus
around which could be regimented
those that would serve the fuehrer
or the emperor.
“Its effectiveness is difficult to
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 6)
-V
Police Ask Drivers
Td Cooperate When
Parking Their Autos
City police asked the cooper
ation of the public Saturday
in the parking of automobiles
in the meter zones.
According to regulations the
headlights of the car should
be opposite the meter. Park
ing parallel to the curbing
should be effected.
Drivers were also requested
to take care that they drop
a coin in the parking meter di
rectly in front of their own
vehicles.
Frankfort Is Rocked By Massive
U. S. Air Assault; Berlin Blasted;
Beachhead Near Rome Expanded
a._______
18 MILES FROM ROME
Din Of Battle Sounding In
Ears Of Eternal City
Inhabitants i
__ ** I
By EDWARD KENNEDY }
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, Al- j
giers, Jan. 29— (£>> —The Allies <
have expanded the beachhead c
south of Rome in drives which c
have placed British troops within ^
18 miles of the Eternal City and
Americans within light artillery
range of the vital point of Cis
terna, 14 miles northwest of Anzio (
and 33 miles from Rome, Allied ^
headquarters declared in a special ^
announcement this afternoon.
It was probable that tonight the 1
din of battle was sounding in the
ears of the inhabitants of Nazi
held Rome.
The British advance went three
miles beyond Carroceto where a
railway bridge 18 miles south of
Rome was captured. “Light ar- •
tillery range” in connection with J
Cisterna, might mean anything
from small mortars with a range
of a few hundred yards to a 75
millimeter field gun, so it was not
known here just what this position
was. But it was considered cer
tain the Germans were unable to
use either the air field, the Ap
pian Way or the railroad in the
area.
Cisterna is on both the Appian
Way and the main rail line to the
Cassino front which intersect
there. Allied air forces have been
bombing German gun positions
there, indicating the enemy has
made it one of his strong points
in the fight to contain Allied am
phibious forces. Cisterna also has
an important airfield, * with .con
crete runways 1,100 yards long,
hangars and workshops.
The air war over Ttalv reached
a new peak of intensity in which
Allied planes of all types flew
1.500 sorties and blasted 37 enemy
planes out of the skies against a
loss of five Allied aircraft. It
brought the Allied two-day total
to 87 Nazi planes destroyed. The
heaviest air fights broke out over
the beachhead where Allied fight
ers in six hours knocked down 21
out of 100 German planes which
attacked invasion fleets landing
reinforcements and supplies.
The British advance 12 miles
within eight miles of Castel Gon
north of Anzio placed Allied troops
dolfo, summer home of Pope Pius
XII and brough up the possibil
ity of the fighting damaging papal
or church property.
Since the invasion of Italy all
Allied troops have had standing
orders not to use church property
as military cover and to avoid
damaging religious shrines wher
ever possible. However, the Ger
mans have used church steeples
as boservation towers and forti
fied other property. It is impos
sible to swing the battle around
such places and they must be
taken as any other objective unless
British and American soldiers are
to pay a heavy price in lives.
On the main Fifth Army front
the French recaptured two hills
north of Mount Belvedere against
(Continued on Page Two; Coi. 3)
SYSTEMCHANGED
BY DRAFT BOARDS
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.— ® —
Local draft boards grappled today
with the doubly-difficult task of
overhauling their Selective Service
machinery without slowing the
flow of about 600,000 men into the
armed services in January and
February.
Major changes effective Tuesday
provide that:
1. No registrant shall be induct
ed until he has passed a thorough
physical examination by Army-Na
vy doctors at least 21 days pre
viously. Under the old system the
examination was given at induc
tion. Pre-induction physicals were
ordered by Congress.
2. Registrants 18 through 21
years old no longer will be granted
occupational deferments unless en
gaged in farming, or unless a
State Selective Service director
certifies that a man is necessary
in industry.
Deferments in effect before
Tuesday will run their course but
will not be renewed. College stu
dents will find deferment more dif
ficult under the new regulations.
Biggest headache for draft
boards is the vast change-over to
pre-induction physical examina
tions. Throughout January the
boards had to furnish about 300,
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 2)
City Is ‘Definitely Interested’
In Purchase Of Tide Water Power
At a special meeting held in
hty Hall. Saturday morning, the
hty Council went on record, unan
mously, as being “definitely in
erested in the acquisition of the
iroperties of the Tide Water Pow
r company lying within New Han
ver county, provided such pur
hase could be made on the basis
f a fair value.”
No specific figure was named in
he statement issued by the city
fficials at the close of the session.
“After mature consideration, the
ouncil was of the opinion that
he plan of purchase, winch has
ieen tentatively outlined, would in
volve an overall purchase price <
greater than the local body would
be willing to pay, and would <
amount to a price in excess of 1
the real value of the utility,” said
City Manager A. C. Nichols. ]
The positive decision' reached 1
Saturday was the result of several
conferences in which there had ,
been discussed the possibility that
the Federal Government’s Rural ,
Electrification A d m i nistration
would finance the electrical
facilities of the firm lying out
side New Hanover county; other
parties would finance operation of
the gas facilities Outside the boun
laries; and the city would acquire
ill Tide Water facilities within the
:ounty, together with control of
he 110 KV lines that tie the sys
;em into the supply of the Carolina
Jght and Power company at Ab
lotsburg and Lagrange.
It is understood to be the belief
if the local officials that acquisi
;ion of the utility woull prove a
lecided asset to the community
:t has been the experience of other
nunicipalities, it was pointed out
jy Mr. Nichols, that city owner
ship of utilities has generally re
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 4)
m BOND SALES
ARE ENCOURAGING
^orth Carolinians Have
Purchased Over $18,
000,000 Thus Far
WINSTON-SALEM, Jan. 29.—Re
ports of sales to individuals in the
Fourth War Loan drive were de
scribed as "very encouraging” by
C. T. Leinbach, North Carolina
War Finance chairman, in a state
ment today. According to informa
tion received by Leinbach, sales
to individuals through January 28
totaled $13,900,000, including Series
E bond purchases of $13,000,000.
“North Carolina’s overall quota
is $126,000,000,” Leinbach said.
“This includes all types of bonds.
The larger type bonds, however,
are dated February 1, and for that
reason reports of these orders
have not yet been received.”
Included in this overall goal, he
said, North Carolina has a quota
for individuals of $70,000,000. As a
part of the seventy million quota
for individuals, this state has a
series E quota of $44,000,000.
"We have a job before us in
which complacency and overcon
fidence havn no part,” Leinbach
asserted. “It is not unwise to say,
however, that these reports are en
couraging. The drive is getting
added momentum every day, and
our campaign organizations are
getting into the swing. All workers
have the same goal—every indivi
dual a purchaser to the best of his
ability.”
Campaign workers are anticipat
ing a week of intensive work ahead.
_v__
PEOPLE ‘UNITED’
IN 4TH WAR LOAN
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.— UP) —
President Roosevelt said tonight
that the outpouring of American
dollars in the Fourth War Bond
Campaign Will serve notice that
“we Americans are irrevocably
united in determination to end this
war as quickly as possible in the
unconditional surrender of our ene
mies.”
In a midnight broadcast, the
chief executive coupled his War
Loan appeal with an expression of
gratitude to the thousands of citi
zens who are contributing their
dimes and dollars in the fight
against infantile paralysis.
As a participant in an hour’s
radio program. “America Salutes
the President’s Birthday,” the
President contrasted the care of
children in this country with that
of the handicapped in enemy coun
tries.
“In Germany and Japan,” he
said, “those who are handicapped
in body and soul or mind are re
garded as unnecessary burdens to
the state. An individual’s useful
ness is measured solely by the
direct contribution he can make to
the war machine—not by his serv
ice to a society at peace.”
WEATHER
FORECAST
NORTH CAROLINA: Partly cloudy
east, mostly cloudy west portions, with
occasional light rains in mountains Sun
day. Mild temperature. Cloudy, not quite
so cool Sunday night. Partly cloudy to
cloudy and slightly warmer Monday.
(Eastern Standard Time)
(By U. S. Weather Bureau)
Meteorological data for the 24 hours
ending 7:30 p. m., yesterday.
TEMPERATURE
1:30 am, 64, 7:30 am, 57, 1:30 pm, 69,
7:30 pm, 64.
Maximum 72, Minimum 56, Mean 54,
Normal 47.
HUMIDITY
1:30 am, 79, 7:30 am, 93, 1:30 pm, 28,
7:30 pm, 26.
PDFriPITATTOV
Total for the 24 hours ending 7:30 pm,
0.00 inches.
Total since the first of the month,
3.13 inches.
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 5)
Red Armies StrikeTo ward
Estonia In Surprise Move
LONDON, Jan. 29—(/P)—
?he Red army’s mammoth
offensives today thrust west
ward from Leningrad to the
own of Zagoritsi, 22 miles
rom the old Estonian border, cap
ured the important rail hub of
Jovosokolniki 230 miles south of
jeningrad in a surprise attack,
,nd struck the last Nazi shackles
rom the Moscow-Leningrad trunk
>y seizing Chudovo, junction 73
niles southeast of Leningrad
While these great northern bat
les for communications raced
ihead, with more than 80 towns
iberated during the day, the Ger
mans pressed bitter counter-at
:acks in the Ukraine. For the firsl
:ime in many weeks the Russian
communique acknowledged with
Irawals from some populated pla
ces east of Vinnitsa and north oi
tChristinovka.
Berlin admitted that Nazi forces
aad pulled out of Smela, advance
rail point in the invaders’ narrow
ing corridor to the middle Dniepei
River, and told of a vigorous new
Russian onset driving a wedge in
German lines In lower White Rus
sia between the Berezina Rivei
and the Pripet Marshes.
On the Leningrad front, the So
viet communique, broadcast from
Moscow and recorded by the So
viet monitor in London, said a
column driving southward along
rhe railway towards Luga and
Pskov, captured 60 big guns ir
routing a German artillery force
and freed more than 30 towns.
Another Red army columr
thrusting westward towards Narva
ivas within 22 miles of old Estonia
that group seized 40 towns.
Premier Marshal Stalin announc
’d the capture of Novosokolniki ir
an order of the day to the Red ar
my commander of the Second Bal
tic front, Gen. M. M. Popov. The
city is the junction of the Lenin
jrad-Vitebsk and Moscow - Riga
•nilwavs and was a German strons
joint. The Rusians now are withir
70. miles of the old Latvian border
A previous Soviet feint in thai
sector early this month threw the
Germans off balance and preparec
the way for the great Leningrac
offensive. Novosokolniki is just lc
miles west of Velikie Lukie, whict
the Russians captured Jan. 1, 1943
md where they then were stymiec
of the German defenses more thar
a year.
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 3)
GOVERNORSSEEK
SEATS IN SENATE
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29. — (TP) -
A half dozen or more governors ir
widely scattered sections may stei
out as candidates for the Unitec
States Senate this year, a survey o:
the 33 Senatorial contests indicatec
today.
Twenty-two Democrats and 1:
Republican seats will be at stak<
in the November voting, with 2!
incumbents — including 18 Demo
crats and all 11 Republicans—like
iy to stand for reelection. Thre<
Democrats, Senators Gillette o
Iowa, Reynolds of North Carolin:
and Walsh of New Jersey have sai<
they would not be candidates ant
a vacancy exists in the seat of thi
late Senator Van Nuys, Indian!
Democrat, which Samuel D. Jack
son of Fort Wayne is to fill unti
November.
Jackson was appointed Frida;
by Gov. Henry F. Schricker, thi
only major state officer elected b;
the Democrats there in 1942, am
the governor himself may ente
the race for the Democratic nomi
nation.
Out in Missouri, where Senato
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 5
TOKYO CONCEDES
RABAUL ‘DOOMED’;
- f
More Than 400 Enemy I
Planes Shot Down There !
So Far This Year !
i
By LEONARD MILLIMAN
Associated Press War Editor
Rabaul is doomed, Tokyo radio
conceded today as General Douglas
MacArthur reported more than 400
enemy planes have been destroyed
at that New Britain fortress this
month.
“We cannot hold even the slight
est optimism” for Rabaul, Tokyo
admitted in a broadcast for home
consumption.
Between 23 and 29 out of 40 de
fending fightt i < were shot down
by American bo.. vers and fighters
raiding Lakunai airdrome Friday.
This brought the month’s total to
approximately 420 knocked out.
Six American planes were lost
in that attack but heavy bombers
making a later sweep on a nearby
supply dump encountered no inter
ception. Two direct hits sank an
enemy cargo vessel at nearby Ka
vieng, New Ireland.
Tokyo radio brushed aside the in
creasing American bombardments
of the mid-Pacific Marshall is
lands, on the eastern wing of Ra
baul, as a diversionary action.
Whatever encouragement Tok
yo’s broadcast may have had for
Americans was offset by a sober
ing House Military subcommittee
report declaring “long and even
longer casualty lists will be a rude
awakening to the realization that
victory is yet to be bought and
at a heavy price.”
The Japanese “are tough, their
defenses are deep and strong,”
added Lieut. Gen. Alexander A.
Vandegrift, commandant of the
Marine Corps. !
Chinese troops were pushing
back Japanese patrols in nothern
Burma and spreading out into jun
gles. Allied planes raided Burmese
targets from Rangoon in the south
to the Hukwang valley in the north
where the Chinese were opening
a pathway for a new road to China.
In nearby Thailand Japanese
were reported forcing prisoners of
war to build a military railroad
to southern Burma. Maltreated
prisoners — whites and orientals
alike — a Chungking report saM,
died by the hundreds and were
“buried where they fell like dogs.”
Tokyo radio dismissed disclos
ures of Japanese brutality toward
war prisoners as “a mere recur
rence of the enemy’s vicious propa
ganda.”
WHITE/ftTNOTED
EDITOR, SUCCUMBS
EMPORIA, Kas., Jan. 29.—(A1)—
William Allen White, who grew in
to a journalistic giant in his home
town, died today. He would have
been 76 years old February 10.
The world-famous editor of the
Emporia Gazette had been in de
clining health for more than a
year. He underwent an operation
at Rochester, Minn., last October,
but failed to imnrove.
At his bedside were his almost
equally famous wife, Sally Lind
say White, and his son William L.
White, himself a writer of note.
White died on the 83rd birthday
of his native State while Republi
can notables were gathering at To
peka, the capital, for the annual
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 5)
OVER 800 FORTRESSES
Greatest Armada Of Amer
ican Bombers Ever Sent
Into Action
LONDON, Sunday, Jan. 30. —(£>)
— More than 1,800 tins of bombs
were hurled on Frankfurt, Ger
many, in daylight yesterday by
more than 800 U. S. Flying Fort
resses and Liberators—the greatest
armada of heavy American bom
bers ever sent into action.
They and their fighter escort,
totalling more than 1,500 planes,
shot down 102 German fighters, it
was announced in a joint commu
nique early today from U. S. head
quarters and the British Air Min
istry.
Thirty-one U. S. bombers and 13
fighters failed to return.
The bombers airmen themselves
shot down 60 enemy planes and the
escort pilots 42.
The big German manufacturing
ana transport center, was ueiugeu
with high-explosives, incendiaries
and propaganda leaflets.
The bomb tonnage was the great
est ever reported for an American
raid.
The Americans flew an 800-mile
round-trip by daylight to deliver
their blows less than 12 hours af
ter the RAF’s night fleet, attack
ing in unusually great strength,
handed Berlin its thirteenth hea
vy bombing, the second in two
nights and according to Swedish
reports one of the most damaging
of the war.
The leaflets the Americans drop
ped on Frankfurt were copies of
1he Atlantic Charter printed in the
German language. The attack re
verberated through Frankfurt for
hours afterward because the bomb
loads included delayed-action high
explosives.
With the two attacks on Berlin
and the one on Frankfurt, the Al
lies in a little more than 38 hours
staggered the German homeland
with three crippling main blows
and in addition engaged in a num
ber of secondary mine-laying and
oombing operations whih were ex
ceptionally widespread, the entire
effort involving probably well over
2,000 planes.
The RAF, flying “in very great
strength,” probably 800 planes—
kept their bombing “well concen
trated and large areas of fire were
observed,” the Air Ministry an
nounced. Forty-seven of the big
bombers v/ere lost.
Swedish dispatches reported
great fires raging in the Ger
man capital after the two nights
of assault, and one report said
the great Templehof airport ap
parently was knocked out.
The authoritative British Press
Association speculated, however,
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 1)
*7
CARRIER FORCES
BLAST MARSHALLS
PEARL HARBOR, Jan. 29— W
—Admiral Chester W. Nimitz an
nounced that Pacific fleet carrier
forces made attacks today on the
Marshall island bases including
Maloelap, Watje and Kwajein
atolls.
No further details were an
nounced in a brief communique
concerning those invasion - men
aced bases in the mid-Pacific.
It is presumed United States
forces have launched a major
heavy attack against these air and
shipping atolls.
The Marshalls have been hit for
more than 20 consecutive days by
Seventh AAF and Navy planes but
this believed the heaviest and
most concentrated assault yet de
livered.
The Marshalls have been pound
ed almost daily since shortly be
fore the invasion of the Gilberts
Nov. 20 when regular raids were
i begun in order to neutralize the
Marshalls.
These islands were hit twice be
fore by carrier forces, which in
, eluded a heavy concentration of
torpedo planes, divebombers and
; fighters.
! The first was Jan. 30, 1942 from
| Adm. William Halsey’s task forc
es in a daring raid. It was the
1 first United States offensive in the
" Pacific since Pearl Harbor.
* The Marshalls were hit heavily
last Dec. 4 by task forces.
' Admiral Nimitz communique was
■ incomplete. A full report from at
' tacking ships and details probably
1 will be forthcoing tomorrow.
: The text of the communique:
“Pacific fleet carrier task forc
es have made attacks on Marshall
r island atolls today, including
Taroa, (Maloelap), Wotje, and
1 Kwajalein.”
• v,