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_■ ___ FORECAST BEMEMBEB PEABL HABBOB 1 AND BATAAN 4..] ^ _ VOL. 77.—NO. 128__ WILMINGTON, N. C., MONDAY, JUNE 19, 1944 FINAL EDITION_ESTABLISHED 1867 Yank Troops Isolate Cherbourg SEVEN-MILE-WIDE PATH CUT A CROSS NECK OF PENINSULA; 25,000 GERMANS ENCIRCLED _■ ___★ - NAZI DIVISION BADLY SLASHED Bloody Massacre Results When Enemy Attempts To Break Out SUPREME HEADQUAR rERS ALLIED EXPEDI riONARY FORCE, Monday, June 19. — (/P) — American troops, headed by the Ninth division blasted a seven-mile wide path across the neck of the Cherbourg peninsula Sun day, putting a stranglehold on 25,000 to 30,000 Germans in and around the prized port of Cherbourg, and then slash ed the Nazi 77th division to pieces in a bloody massacre when the enemy frantically tried to break out. The Allied midnight communi que, confirming earlier dispatches direct from the field, said the peninsula was cut off from the rest of Normandy when the Amer icans reached the west coast near Barneville-sur-Mer. That was the exact point where the cut-off had been planned by officers who worked out the prob lem on sand-tables long before the invasion of France began June 6. The battle on which the success of the bold American stroke hing ed began seven hours after the first troops had reached the sea. It raged for two hours, with the ninth division laying down the heaviest concentration of mortar fire since D-Day and climaxing it with an artillery “serenade”— a thundering chorus of every available gun hurling shells into the point of greatest danger. The German 77th division, at tacking in waves, virtually com mitted suicide in this inferno. Its remnants finally fled north under relentless assault from Al lied fighter planes and dive bombers that littered the roads to Bricquebec with new Nazi dead. American Thunderbolts alone were credited by the Ninth air force with killing or wounding at least 800 of the fleeing foe. Following up the Nazi retreat, the Americans steadily widened their salient and rushed up re inforcements and guns in antici pation of new counterattacks from either north or south. Reports from 21st Army group headquarters said, however, that any real rescue attempt by the Germans was unlikely and that the vital port of Cherbourg would not remain long in enemy hands. The Allied communique contain ed word of new developments elsewhere on the front but con firmed that in the center of the beachhead area a steady advance had brought the Allies within six miles of St. Lo, a key road junc tion. On the eastern flank, the British and Canadians still were tightly engaging German armor. Despite low clouds over Europe, 1,300 Flying Fortresses and Liber ators—the biggest single force yet hurled against a tactical target in daylight—pounded Germany, while lighter planes ranged the Normandy battlefront in a variety of attacks. -v-, Postwar Group To Name Scientific High Command WASHINGTON, June 18—I*—A twelve-man committee of Army, Navy and scientific experts will get to work this week on one of the least known but possibly one of the most important proposals for postwar security—the creation of a scientific high command ranking with the command staffs of the Army and Navy. Some of the persons backing the project, who include Navy secre tary Forrestal and War Secretary Stimson, are said to feel that this shares top place with their plans to prevent the scrapping of th® nation’s naval, land and air power af'er the war. One of the main objectives fs io set up the organization in such a way that it will be responsive to new and daring ideas in war fare and will not be open to the charge of “Brass hat” conserva tism or interference. ✓ . Rommel And The Robots , I German caption on this picture just received from Stockholm says Field Marshal Rommel, second from right, is inspecting catapult battery similar to ones which fired radio-controlled robots at shores of England. With him are Nasi army chiefs and generals. (NEA radiophoto).__ SHOW FEATURES BOND CAMPAIGN As the Fifth War Loan drive enters its second week in Wil mington and New Hanover county, today a benefit show “And the Angles Sing” is expected to high light the week tomorrow night. Admission to the performance may be obtained only through a ticket received for the purchase of an extra war bond from an issuing agent. The musical comedy, to be pre sented at 8:30 o’clock at the Bailey theater, will feature Fred McMurray, Dorothy Lamour and Betty Hutton, with supporting cast composed of Diana Lynn, Mimi Chandler, Eddie Foy, Jr. and Raymond Walburn. This morning, the women’s di vision of the war bond drive will start a survey of Wilmington mer chants who are selling bonds in their stores. It is their goal to attain the cooperation of 100 per cent of the retailers in soliciting bonds, either by filling out ap plications or discussing bond sales with customers. Reaching more than one fifth of the city-county quota of $5,707, 000 during the first week of the campaign war bond sales had reached $1,249,637.50 up to last night. Sales of the E series of war bonds to date total $584,837.50. J. G. Thornton, chairman of the city campaign, said the pleasing aspect of the bond drive is that 40 per cent of the total sales are in E bonds. —-_V MANY KILLED LONDON, June 18—UP)—A Yu goslav communique reported to night that from May 25 to June 10 Marshal Tito’s forces had slain 8, 000 Germans and Quislings in western Bosnia, had killed 1,500 in eastern Bosnia in the past six days and another 900 in recent opera tions in Banija. Major General Uhl Visits Camp Davis On Inspection Tour mmm n*iriC Tnnn IS_TVfa.- 1 jor General Frederick E. Uhl, I commanding general, Fourth Service Command, left here this week-end return to Atlanta after an inspection tour of this installation, his first trip to Camp Davis since assuming command of serv ice units in this area. Accompanied by his chief of staff, Brigadier General Sydney Erickson, General Uhl was received at the air field by Colonel Adam E. Potts, camp commander, who escort ed the official party on a tour of the camp. During hist; visit, General Uhl met members of the camp staff and discussed with officers and enlisted men the work being done here. 1,100 ATTENDING LEGION MEETING ASHEVILLE, June 18.— (£>) — More than 1,100 delegates had reg istered tonight for the three - day state convention of the American Legion and its Auxiliary which was launched this morning. Those who had registered includ ed some 8fi0 members of the Le gion, mcjuding 300 members of the 40 and 8, Fun and Honor So ciety of the Legion, and about 250 members of the Legion Auxiliary. The Legion convention program will get underway tomorrow morn ing at 9 o’clock in the city audit orium, with Department Comman der Robert C. Stevens of Golds boror presiding. The visitors will be welcomed, on behalf of the Kif fin Rockwell and C. W. Francy posts, by Mayor L. Lyons Lee, of Asheville, and George K. Snow of MounJ Airy, department vice-com mander will respond. OIL PLANTS HIT IN HAMBURG AREA SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED EXPEDITIO NARY FORCE, June 'l8--UP)-An all-Amer ican armada of more than 1,300 heavy bomber dealt punishing blows to oil refineries and storage plants in the Hamburg area and other targets in northwest Ger many today while up to 250 other heavy bomers pounded the Pas De Calais sector of France in the sixth Allied assault on that Ger man “secret weapon” bases area. This continued assault on the Pas-DeCalais area came as the Germans continued their flying bomb attacks on southern Eng land throughout the day and on into the evening, causing addi tional damage and casualties. Just before dark, a long pro cession of RAF bombers headed across the Channel toward France. Several hours later their targets still had not been officially iden tified. Although American planes struck from Hamburg on down through western Germany, where three airfields were bombed, and on into the Paris area, where Mustangs attacked supply lines, the German air force put up no serious opposition. Not one enemy fighter arose to challenge the great fleet striking into Germany but the Germans threw up a flak barrage described as one of the heaviest ever en countered. Numerous oil refineries and depots were battered in the Ham burg area raid, the headquarters announcement said. \T _ Yugoslav Factions Reported In Accord BARI, ITALY, June 18— (/PI - Marshal Tito and the royal Yugo slav government announced today an accord had been reached to help th€ peoples of Yugoslav lib erate their country as speedily as possible. The accord was reached at con ferences in Yugoslavia attended by Dr. Ivan Subasic, chared by King Peter of Yugoslavia to form a new cabinet under the royal government in exile; Marshal Tito, guerrilla chieftain and head of the national liberation com mittee, and other parties. _\t_ Chinese Troops Gain Approach To Mogaung SOUTHEAST ASIA COMMAND HEADQUARTERS, Kandy, Ceylon, Ceylon, June 18.— (/P) — Chinese troops have captured the northern approach to the town of Mogaung, and a juncture with Chindits east of the town appeared imminent as Maj. Gen. W. D. A. Lentaigne’s forces penetrated to within 200 yards of the Mogaung valley bridge, it was announced tonight. I Seek Victims Of Nazi Pilotless Plane-Bomb i Rescue workers dig through the wreckage of a south England house for a family that was thought ! to be buried in the ruins after one of Germany’s new pilotless plane-bombs exploded against the struc- I ture. A fleet of these robot planes streamed into targets in England after being launched, it is be lieved, from somewhere in the Pas de Calais area of France. U. S. Signal Corps Radiophoto. (Int.) I 5 Jap Freighters Sunk 5(1 NIP PLANES HIT BY YANKS j ADVANCED ALLIED HEAD QUARTERS, New Guinea, Mon cay, June 19—(A3)—Mitchell medium combers sank five Japanese mer chantmen in a follow-up raid upon Sorong in Dutch New Guinea, head quarters announced today. On Friday, more than 50 Mitch ells with a Lightning escort hit Sorong drome and destroyed more than 50 enemy planes on the ground and in the air. In the second attack on Satur day the medium bombers sank two 3.000 ton ships and three small freighters and damaged two 1,500 ton vessels. Six small coastal ves sels also were wrecked. E On Biak island off Dutch New Guinea , Americans were closing in on the Japanese forces atop a ridge north of Mokmer airdrome. One hundred and twenty-two more Jap dead were counted Fri day. Liberators meanwhile dropped 89 tons of bombs at Truk and 56 tons at Rabaul airdrome. 13 JAP BARGES | SUNK OFF SAIPAN U. S. PACIFIC FLEET HEAD QUARTERS, Pearl Harbor, June 18.—1 up; —A Japanese attempt to counter-attack the Yanks fighting desperately on southwestern Saipan island, was repulsed with the des truction nf 13 Japanese troop-car rying barges, Adm. Chester M. Nimitz announced today. Armed American landing craft on Saturday smashed this move ment to land troops south of Gara ys n and cut off the Americans who have already captured approxi mately ten square miles cE the is land. ;! The capacity o? Japanese barges i ’■ aries from twenty to 100 men. So Nipponese casualties might 'have been anywhere from 260 to 1>300 troops. . ' ' j The brief communique did not i say whether any of the enemy soldiers landed. Nor did it .Hint at the number of Japanese craft in volved. Nimitz did not indicate what type o: landing craft repulsed the coun terattack nor . whether the enemy , used any larger supporting ves sels. ’ • . Lacking the latter .information, it was presumed that the Nipp°hese attempted to slip along the shore for g sneak strike in the darkness oE early morning. -V Japanese Capture Chinese Positions CHUNGKING, June 18. — * ’Three Chinese strongholds have fallen to swift, slashing Japanese advances in Hunan nrovince, <*o ,0 the north i Hoan provice. The enemy also has made serious Mins along the Peiping-Hankow -' h.vay, the Chinese high com -■and admitted tonight D. iving to the uth of by'pasfi*c C' lm. sha, the Japanese; have cap ''fed Chueow, 75 miles norvheas 'he vital railway junction c Hengyang srd 25 miles southcas Gur.gcha, while another col i.lTllU driving 25 miles southwest c S hc surrounded provincial capita. ! Sci»d Siangun on the west ban °f hie Sisng river, • communiqu toid. Mannerheim Line Smashed By Reds LONDON, June 19.—OP)—Russia’s Leningrad army under Marshal Leonid A. Govorov has smashed through Finland’s last main defense system the old Mannerheim line, whose collapse caused Finland’s capitulation in the 1939-40 winter war, and is within 17 miles of Finland’s sec ond city of Viipuri at the top of the Karelian isthmus, Mos cow announced early today. Finnish Premier Edwin Linko-’ mies, acknowledging that the Rus sians had scored a “considerable success’” in their effort to knock Finland out of the war, called on his people to fight on to the end. “We are fighting for our free dom,”, Linkomies said in a Helsin ki broadcast ‘We cannot imagine life here except as a free and in dependent people.” Koivisto, western anchor of th ? old Mannerheim line, was seised by the Russians who pushed or through Makslahti, 17 miles south of Viipuri, the Russian communi que said. Koivisto, also known as Pjorko, is on the Gulf of Finland, and its capture represented a 53 mile coastal gain in nine days since the offensive began June 10 at Beloostrov. Viipuri, with a peactime pobula tion of 70,000, is being evacuated, German broadcasts said. The Russians were declared to have gained all along a 72-mile front from Koivisto and Mak slahti in the west to Valkjarvi and Rautu in the east. Valkjarvi is 25 miles from Lake Ladoga, and Rau tu is 11 miles inland. _:_v Rocket Planes Again Hit Southern England LONDON, June 18— (/PI —Adolf Hitler’s stubby winged comet bombs scattered destruction across southern England today, as the trumpeting Berlin radio ap plied the new tag of “Hell Hounds” to the wierd weapons and conjured up fantastic pictures of “horror and devastation ’ in their wake. But this weapon no longer was a secret to British ground gunners and fighter pilost who rapidly were getting their sights trained on the ghostly rockets. A number were believed to have been de stroyed in flight. RAF fighters patrolling over the Channel and on the watch for the pilotless planes were believed to have bagged at least one during the morning, and during the night ,he path of the bombs which zoomed inland was. marked by solid bursts of anti-aircraft fire. Congressmen Seek Early Adjournment WASHINGTON, June 18 Wt A month-long recess starting next Saturday its goal, Congress w,ll step up its legislative machinery 4iis week to dispose of a for midable array of major measures. ■Eleven appropriation bills top E a docket crowded with legislation dealing with termination of war ’ contracts, regulation of insurance. " price control and the Women’s [Airforce Service Pilots. MERCURY SOARS TO NEAR RECORD Wilmington suffered its hottest day of the year yesterday as the temperature soared to an even 100 degrees, within one degree of the all-time record for June, Paul Hess, local weatherman, said last night. The all-time high temperature for the city is 103 degrees which occurred in July a number of years The heat wave is general throughout the south. In some cities the heat was, aggravated yesterday by a shortage of ice. No relief is likely for the next two days ac cording to a general weather fore Albany and Bainbridge, Ga., sweltered in 102 - degree temper atures. Those were the hottest points reported by the weather man in mid-afternoon, but the mercury rocketed to 101 in Columbia, S. C., and Augusta, Ga. That also was the official reading at the Naval air station near Atlanta. Other temperatures: Columbus, Miss., Tuscaloose, Ala., and But ler and Adairsville, Ga., 100; Macon, Ga., Montgomery, Ala., and Tallahassee, Fla., 99. _\T SHIPPING SIGHTED LONDON, June 18.—(/P) A Ger man war correspondent broad casting from Normandy _ via the Berlin radio reported tonight that large formations of Allied shipping were cruising off the French coast and the German high command be lieved the Allies were about to start the “second phase’’ of the invasion. _... _ French Repel Nazi Troops On Elba Isle EIGHTH ARMY GAINS Colonials Rout Gerntans From Fortifications On Barren Island ROME, June 18. — (ff) — French Colonials cleared the Germans from their central and southern strongholds on Elba today in a drive to se cure the seaward flank of a mainland push rolling up the Italian peninsula all along the line. The Eighth army fought yester day into the outskirts of Perugia, big road hub 85 miles north of Rome, and about 72 mile ssouth east of Florence, near where the enemy may make a stand for what may be a final reckoning in Italy. The Fifth army wan meeting lit tle resistance in its drive north. Dispatches from the barren isle where Napoleon spent his first ex ile revealed the operation was a combined effort of the Allies with the French storming ashore after British and United States naval un its, with an assist from British commandos and Allied air forces, had cleared the way. Associated Press Correspondent Joseph Dynan in a field dispatch said ships were bringing wounded to Bastia, in Corsica, across the narrow strait from Elpa, and that a number of prisoners had been taken. (Tfi'E uerman communique as clared forces landing in the north and southeast of the island were thrown back into the sea, but ac knowledged a bridgehead had been established at Marina di Campo, on the south coast and said a coast al battery had damaged a British cruiser of the London class.) A brief naval announcement said British and U. S. units carrying the French to Elba were preceded by minesweepers while gunboats poured their fire on shore defenses. Dynan reported British naval com mandos slipped past the German garrison, entered Golfo di Campo harbor and knocked out a gunboat lying at a jetty in Marina di Cam po with a sudden volley of 35 gre nades. The assault craft tossed grappling irons onto the gunboat in the old naval tradition, threw in the gre nades, wiped out the crew with he volvers, bayonets and blackjacks, then withdrew as German batteries opened up on their own gunboat and blew it up with a shot into the ammunition locker. Once ashore, famed French Co lonials and a commando-type bat talion made up chiefly of refugees from metropolitan France, assign ed to a special mission of clearing out enemy strong points in south ern, central and southeastern Elba achieved every objective ahead of schedule, headquarters announced. -V Los Angeles Feels Strong Earthquake LOS ANGELES, June 178.—(^)— Thousands of Sunday theater-goers in downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach and Inglewood felt the jolt of a strong earthquake at 5:03 o’clock this afternoon. It lasted for a few seconds but caused no prop erty damage of consequence. Windows in thousands of homes were rattled. Some glass was broken, and stock was knocked from store shelves._ Ill vao-i-vAi. •___— —r —-— Germans Beaten In Bloody Massacre By DON WHITEHEAD WITH AMERICAN TROOPS ON CHERBOURG PENINSU LA, June 18— W -American troops have cut through the Cherbourg neclc in a “last mile” drive and have beaten off the first fanatical German attempt to break out of the peninsula^- trap. The American Ninth division solidly sealed the last enemy escape corridor today, capping a dramatic and historic three i and-a-half - day drive west t ward to the sea. I The doughboys cut the pen ' insula’s west coastline high way last night and officially reached the sea at H P-™* > June 17 to climax the swift i thrust. Now the stopper is in the bottle and the big question is i how long it will take to clean out stubborn resistance and smash through to the port of Cherbourg. I visited the closed corridor today with other correspon dents and got an idea of the confusion which enveloped the Germans when the American advance swept forward so that the last of the enemy units were literally running in cir cles trying to find a way out of the trap. But there was no way out except to overrun the Yan kees’ strangling line to the sea—and the Germans already had tried that and failed. The Americans cut the west ern coastline road in two places—at Barneville and at St. To D’Ourville— and im mediately got set to repulse the Germans’ counterattack ing which came today. It literally was a massacre— the massacre of St. Jacque de • Nehou. That is where the Americans battered the Ger mans in one of the bloodiest encounters of the invasion. St. Jacques de Nehou lies directly north of the St. Lo D’Ourville crossroads, where the doughboys first sliced across the peninsula. road to cut off the enemy escape route. There, near St. Jacques the Germans made their bid to escape, under orders rumored to have been from their high commander. But before giv ing an account of this bitter engagement, there is some background which should be given. When the Ninth division hurst through stilbborn-Ge** man defenses on Friday and swept forward toward the sea, unit;l of the division drove to the high ground east of Barneville, while another unit pushed on to a ridge north east of St. Lo-D’Ourville. Then units of the northern force pushed on into Barne ville, while soraJfiern troops moved into St. Lo-D’Ourville, thus cutting the coast road in two places. In the meantime the enemy’s 77th division troops attempted to withdraw south to La Haye du Puits, but the routes of withdrawal already had been cut by doughboys moving much faster than the enemy had an ticipated. The German 77th division made a desperate effort at 6 a. m. today to break through the doughboys’ wedge of steel. Their infantry supported by ar mor, moved southward. In the early morning haze, a battle of small arms fixe broke (Continued on Page Two; Col. 3)
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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June 19, 1944, edition 1
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