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FORECAST * \ . Served By Leased ^ires yajr with moderate north and north- I ^ \W'\W rtTl"H/t i^V-44p4//4"4'-4/4' w-% associated press uuiuiiuiui ununn mar --— 1 1 State and National New# f VOL-3^0, 1 —---—__ N. C., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1945 ESTABLISHED 1867 60 German Pld>|fs- Strike At Rhine Bridge; Menace Superhighway; 100,000 Russians Across Oder, Nazis Claim - * —-— __" ■ Berlin Says Reds Are 33 Ii;es_Away Xnree Soviet Armies Ex pected To Make Final Drive On City LONDON, Wednesday, March 14 _(/Pi—Marshal Zhukov, achieving a breakthrough in a frontal assault toward Berlin, has pushed nearly 100.000 Russian troops across the Oder river between Frankfurt and newly-captured Kuestrin and has sent "spearheads within 33 miles of the Reich capital, the Germans said last night. The German DNB agency con tended the breakthrough was only temporary but said nine Russian divisions now were fighting on the west side of the river on the 16 mile - wide, Kuestrin - Frankfurt front. While the boradcast Soviet com munique made no mention of any crossings in that critical area, Mos cow dispatches told of preparatory artillery fire by heavy Russian guns wheeled into position in bat tered Kuestrin. Reports from the Russian capital indicated that three Russian armies were expect ed to make the massive assault on Eerlin. ALLUIUUlg IU UlC UW uiauo, ivug sian task forces are attempting to force open the forefield defenses of Berlin in these three areas: Westward from Kitz on the Oder’s west bank opposite Kues trin. In the bridgehead opposite Go eritz, six miles below Kuestrin. In the Lebus bridgehead, six miles north of Frankfurt. The Russians’ breakthrough was secured in the Lebus bridgehead area, a Nazi commentator said, ad ding that fighting on the high ground commanding the Frankfurt Berlin highway was heavy and fluc tuating. Sixty miles north of Kuestrin, Zhukov's armored and storm units steadily whittled down German po sitions east of the Oder in Stettin's eastern suburbs of Altdamm, Fin kenwalde and Podjuch. The Ger mans claimed that counterattacks had thrown the Russians back neat Greifenhagen, 11 miles south of Stettin. The Second While Russian Army an the Bay of Danzig tightened its siege ring around the ports of Danzig and Gdynia. Midnight So t’et supplementary communique declared "fierce fighting was rag ing on the rim of that fertified area. Northwest ot Gdynia, the Rus sians cleaned out a 14-mile coastal area from the road junction of Rheda, four miles east of Wejhero iNeustadt), northward to Ch lapau, Moscow announced in a broadcast communique. capture of Chlapau put the Rus- j p5ns at the ba'-e of the 'Zatoka ri’cka. a narrow neck of land jut out 21 miles into Danzig Bay north of both Gdynia and Danzig. Advances of up to five miles "ere scored by the Russians in this operation, but no new gains "ere reported in the frontal drive 0,1 Gdynia which already has car rted to within eight miles of that p°hsh Baltic port. Below Danzig in the canal-cut eelta area east of the Vistula riv toe Russians occupied seven °"'ns including Neukirch, 14 miles -outheast of the former free city ,0V el ur>its previously had driven 0 within nine miles northwest southwest of Danzig, tat-'016 ttlan prisoners were jn en by the Russians in the fignt :i the Gdynia-Danzig area, t • USEIans units which took Kues 3 OnnM°nday caPtured more than ;’ German officers and men, m , n§ Gol. Gen. Krueger, com ^odant of the Kuestrin fortress, lfle bulletin said. pr1 !J’et Moscow has not report ttidd/fna any crossinSs of the 0der in the Kuestrin Di sector east of * Berlin. tal tnia 6S fl0m Soviet capi ra !d of a Russian artillery bar Kyf ! ttrled across the river from bnn and said the Soviet corn eal lii, Was '-v°king out the tacti uuation for a Berlin offensive lt0ntlnued on Page Three; Col. 1) fr Double Bus Collision Injures 25 Persons ."iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'i'iiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiimiiiiiiiiiiii H i iiiiiimiii iimin .. n ■ The top photo shows the Tide Water Power Co. bus which struck a heavily-loaded converted bus carrying shipyard workers at the intersection of Fourth and Princess-streets. The lower pic ture indicates the light construction of the converted vehicle as both sides were pierced in the collision. i weniy-nve people were injured yesterday aiieinuun wueii a truck, converted for use as a bus to transport shipyard workers, traveling north on Fourth street, and a Tide Water Power Co. bus. going west on Princess street, collided at the intersection. James Tompkins, 33, of Rocky Point, driver of the converted bus, told police officers that he stopped before entering the intersec HOUSE APPROVES i PORTAUTHORITY; Junior College And Box ing Rules Bills Also Before Assembly The Wilmington-sponsored North Carolina State Ports authority bill, embodying State Planning Board recommendations for State aid in the development of the ports of Wilmington, Southport and Morehead City, passed the House of Representatives yesterday on its third reading and went to the Senate. Rep J. ,Q- LeGrand, who has sh-pherede'd it-through the House intimated from Raleigh that the support of Sen. Roy Rowe, of Pen. der county, might perform a like service for the measure m the upper chamber. Yesterday, despXe his state ment that Monday’s introduction of the New Hanover junior cai it.j e bill would be his last ocal legislation effort, Mr. LeGrand submitted a county boxing regula tion bill, prepared by W. K. Rhodes, Jr., and James C. Smith and forwarded by H. Edmund Rodgers. The Junior College measure, prepared by Cyrus D. Hogue at the instance of the New Hanover Board of Education, will authorize the Hoard of Education to ask the County Commiss'oners to call an election to establish a junior col lege and levy a tax not to exceed seven cents per $100 to initiate its operation. Tuition fees are expect ed to keep it running. Dsigned in part to take advan tage of the Federal education sub sidies to be granted to local vet erans of World War II whose ed ucation was interrupted by induc tion into the armed services, the junior, college project will utilize existing county school facilities and possibly those of the present Lake Forest school, providing it (Continued on Page Two; Col. 1) ion, ana tnat wnen ne naa ariven io the center, the Tide Water bus was about 100 feet up Princess street. The shipyard bus was struck from the right rear wheel back to the rear end, police said. Its plyboard sides were ripped open, and a few passengers were reported to have been thrown out. The bus was turned over on its left side. James Harper, 27, of 527 South Front street, driver of the Tide Water bus, stated that he was go ing about. 10 miles an hour, and saw the other bus trying to stop. He said that the bus failed to stop ar.d that apparently the driver tried to pass the intersection before him. Harper was arresed for reckless operation of a passenger bus and injuries to persons and property. (Continued on Page Two; Col. 2) 1 -H Yanks Seize Batangas In South Luzon Resistance Stiffens On Mindanao But Four Villages Fall MANILA, Wednesday, March 14. — (U.R) —American troops driving through southwestern Luzon seiz ed the provincial capital of Ba tangas, 56 miles south of Manila, while 41st Division forces driving into Mindanao captured four vil lages against stiffening opposition, Gert. Douglas MacArthur announc ed today. Men of the 158th Regiment com bat team of Maj. Gen. Joseph M. Swing’s 11th Airborne Division captured Batangas after an ad vance of 15 miles from their last reported positions. They also cap tured the airdrome adjacent to Ba tangas, capital of the province of the same name. Seizure of Batnagas gave Mac Arthur’s forces another big har bor which fronts on the passage way leading through the central Philippines from the Pacific Ocean up to Manila Bay. It was at Batangas that one of the main Japanese forces landed in Decem ber, 1942, to fashion the southern arm of a pincers- drive against Manila. Other troops of the 11th Air borne, striking along the southern shores of Laguna de Bay north of Eatangas. scored sizeable gains as they reached Los Banos, site of a former internment camp, and Santo Tomas, on the main road and rail route to southern Luzon. It was from Los Banos that American and Filipino forces res cued ,146 Allied civilians in a daring rescue operation on Febru ary 23. The town is 31 miles south of Manila and the same distance north of Batangas. Santo Tomas is 25 miles north of Batangas on main communication routes lead ing to Batangas and south east to the Japanese-held Legaspi area. Shortly before the capture of Batangas,' a naval patrol boat sank two Japanese patrol boats in Batangas Bay. Maj. Gen. Jens A. Doe’s 41st Division veterans who stormed in to Mindanao last Saturday mean while were encountering stiffer resistance as they pushed the Jap anese into the hills north of Zam boanga city. Led by tanks, the Americans seized the villages of Santa Maria, a mile north of Zamboanga, Sin unug, a mile and a half to the west, and Pilogo and Canelar. Medium bombers and fighters, some operating from the two new ly-captured San Roque and Wolfe airfields around Zamboanga, sup ported ground operations. Medium (Continued on Page Three; Col. 3) Meat Export Situation May Need FDR’s Advice WASHINGTON, March 13 —(if)— A War Food^Adniinistration move to halt shipments of meats to Great Britain and liberated areas and to trim military demands has precipitated a bitter inter-agency controversy. President Roosevelt may be call ed upon to settle the issue because of its possible impact upon inter national relations and upon home front psychology. . Fundamentally, the issue is whether civilian food supplies should be reduced further to meet international commitments and ob ligations. With food production now on the downgrade, total demands being made upon this country are considerably greater fhan the sup ply, particularly in the case of meats, fats and vegetable oils, sug ar, and some kinds of dairy prod ucts. The issue \iame to a head late last week in a WFA effort to al locate supplies for the April-June quarter among various claimant groups — the military, civilians, I?end-Lease, foreign relief, and oth er export demands. In the case of meats, War Food Administrator Marvin Jones pro \ posed to take Great Britain and list during the three month period liberated areas off the receiving ana to cut military supplies Pe low Army requests. This action was described as necessary if civilian shortages were not to be aggravat ed. Agencies representing foreign claimants—the Foriegn Economic Administration and the State De partment-protested. So did the Ar my. At a meeting with Jones, Ar my officials threatened to take the matter to the White House. Jones rushed t0 War Mobilizer James F. Brynes for support. The latter took no sides in the matter, but set up a special committee to pass on foreign shipments of food. The committee, headeei by Foreign Economic Administrator Leo T. Crowley, is, in effect, a super food allocations committee. Represented on this committee are the same agencies which have representatives cn a food alloca tions committe which has been functioning under Jones. At the WFA there was little hope that the new committee would meet with (Continued on Page Three; Col. 4) Allies Preparing To Cross Rhine In Force, British War Head Says Nation Cautioned Against Optimism As To Early End Of War; Many Britons Will Be Released From Army And New Men Called For Drive Agains t Japan, Commons Is Told LONDON, March 13.—(JP)—War Secretary Sir James Grigg told the House of Commons today that Allied armies were preparing to cross the Rhine in force, then cau tioned the cheering members against counting on a quick end of the war. “The position now is that the north bank of the Moselle is rap idly being cleared of the enemy and our forces are preparing for the task of crossing the Rhine in force,” he said. “In spite of this miraculous bet terment in our fortunes it would be unwise to act as if all were over, bar the shouting. In recent months we have had one false dawn and I am sufficient of a pagan not to want to provoke a nemesis.” The War Secretary also told the House that after the final victory over Germany, a substantial num ber of men in the British armed service with long periods of duty overseas would be released and men now in civilian 'reserved oc cupations” would be called up. Capt. Frederick Bellenger, a Laborite member, demanded that the government announce ‘‘the purpose, size and cost of the ar mies we should need for the war in the far east.” Otherwise he said “it would be impossible to satisfy a large number of men in the forces that they really are need ed. . .” Servicemen also want to know what contribution the Dutch and French are going to make toward recovery of their Far Eastern em pires, Belienger said. Sir James declared Britain’s participation in the Pacific war was ‘‘not only right but inescap able,” but said it would call for a ‘‘very complicated and difficult process of re - deployment” of troops. “We are fitting this war for the establishment and mainte nance of a principle,” the War Secretary said. ‘‘The elimination of the greater plague spot in Eur ope cannot assure even the estab lishment of that principle, let alone its maintenance for all time, so long as the present Japan ex ists.” Wing Cmdr. Archibald James, a Conservative member, expressed the hope the British army “will not be called upon to bear more than its fair share in relation to the United States in the Pacific war.” The conservative said he had sought from the Minister of La bor figures on the extent of the manpower mobilization in Britain as compared with that of the Unit ed Nations and had received an “impertinent and arrogant” reply (Continued on Page Two; Col. 7) Marines Land On Rocks West Of Iwo; Other Units Mopping Up Foe In Caves IWO AIRDROMES PAY D1VI DS Superforts Already Using Fields As Emergency Repair Stations WASHINGTON, March 13.—(U.R)— The first of the captured Japanese airfields on Iwo Jima is paying big dividends. An official naval spokesman re vealed tonight “quite a number” of B-29 Superfortresses, damaged in raids cn Japan or otherwise crippled, have made emergency landings on the field. The planes might otherwise have been lost. He revealed that work on the central airfield, also taken from the Japs, is progressing rapidly and “probably will be very use ful soon.” As for the fighting on Iwo Jima, the spokesman said the operations were reaching a point where Ad miral Chester W. Nimitz will an nounce victory within a day or two. A Superfortress, cripped in an attack on the enemy homeland, made an emergency landing on the number one Iwo Jima airstrip a few days after the American in vasion started. Since then many others have landed there, both go ing to and coming back from Jap anese raids. The “cripples” have been able to take off after emer gency-repairs and refueling. “The knowledge that there is a friendly spot about half way along the route to Japan has caused a big lift in morale among the B-29 crews,” 1he spokesman said. There is no doubt that there will be a considerable number of Japa nese left on the island after it has been declared secure. But, he add (Continued on Page Three; Col. 5) Tiny Islets Uninhabited But Needed To Con solidate Position GUAM, Wednesday, March 14.— (A1)—Marines landed unopposed on the Kama and Kangkoku rocks west of Iwo as three Marine di visions continued the tedious task of liquidating the remnants of a garrison of 20,000 men on the main island, a Pacific Fleet communi que announced today. The islets, uninhabited but nec essary to consolidate the Marine hold on Iwo, lie just off the bulge of the west coast. Kangoku is about 500 yards long and is 1 1-5 miles off the coast. Tiny Kama, only 135 yards long, is a little less than a mile south of Kangoku and a little less than 3-4 miles off shore. The Fifth Marines, closing in slowly on the main enemy force at the north tip of Iwo, made little progress yesterday but had slow ed up on orders to reduce casual ties. Japanese troops continued fierce resistance with small arms, ma chine guns and mortars. In the area of the Third and Fourth Marine Divisions to the right, the job was now one of mop ping up. There was one small ene my pocket in their area- but it was being steadily reduced. The communique, illustrating the difficult job of eliminating iso lated enemy groups, said 115 caves were sealed in mopping up yesterday in the Third-Fourth Ma rine area. Army fighter bomber planes continued attacks on Chichi island in the Bonin Islands north of Iwo, hitting airfield and harbor instal lations, and Army Liberator hea vy bombers attacked airdrome in stallations. OSAKA ROCKED BY SUPERFORTS 2,000 Tons of Incendiaries Strike Japan’s Sec ond City 21ST BOMBER COMMAND HEADQUARTERS, Guam, Wed nesday, March 14.——Two thou sand tons of incendiary bombs were showered on Osaka, Japan’s second largest city, early today by American Superforts in the third mass bombing of Nippon’s densely populated industrial centers in five days. ' The B-29 task force was describ ed in a 20th Air Force announce ment in Washington as “very large,” indicating that there were as many planes in the attack as the 300 or more which hit Tokyo early Saturday and Nagoya early Monday. As in the other saturation at tacks which left block after block in flames, Osaka’s congested in dustrial area was the target of to day’s assault. In the 10 square mile area brought under the Superforts’ bombsights were factories turning out iron, steel and aluminum por ducts, airplane propellers, ma chine tools and bearings plants. The area also included countless thousands of ramshackle homes, some of which likewise were small-piece workshops in Japan’s war industry setup. It was esti mated that the population in the target area averaged 61,000 per sons per square mile. The 2,000-ton bomb storm'direct ed~ at Osaka also indicated the number of planes in the raid was (Continued on Page Two; Col. 6) Allied Leaders See Defeat Of Germany In Summer After General Destruction BY WES GALLAGHER WITH THE U. S. NINTH ARMY IN GERMANY, March 13 —tiP— Many Allied military men now be lieve the European war will end early next summer, rather than next fall, after a gradual destruc tion of the enemy’s remaining for ces. This opinion appears to be shar ed by German civilians interview ed behind the Allied lines. The idea of a sudden wholesale col lapse, as a result of recent Nazi disasters, is generally discounted. However, military men do not ex pect a repetition of the violent war fare and stubborn defenses that characterized West Front fighting in November, December and Jan uary. There has been a definie change in the mental attitude of German troops, consistently demonstrated by the character ol their resistance during the Allied drive to — and across—the Rhine. German morale has deteriorated, but seemingly not to the point where Nazi soldiers are ready to give up the fight en tirely. Rather, as one American who was in the thick of the recent of fensive put it, they appear to be quite willing to fight as long as there,is not too much ganger of getting killed. “They aren’t ready to give up without a fight, but once we by pass or reach their positions they are perfectly willing to give up,’’ he said. “They are quite happy to surrender with ‘honor’. They shoot like hell until you reach them, then they appear content to be taken prisoner.” He contrasted this to the fierce November fighing along the Roer and the bulge battles, where many Germans fought to the last or else tried desperately to get away to fight again. Almost every American officer believes 1hat the Allied armies will have to fight all the way across Germany before ending major Ger man resistance. As long as there is a free area with Nazis or SS men in control, the soldiers in it prob ably will fight, they say. Allied military men expect a (Continued on Page Two; Col. 6) Third Lashes Out In Drive At Saarhurg Ninth Air Force Battles To Keep Vital Span liitact PARIS, Wednesday, March 14 UP)—The Germans attacked the American Remagen-Erpel bridge head with at least 60 planes yes terday and fought stubbornly in the hjUs east of the Rhine river, but U. S. First Army troops pushed relentlessly deeper and reached within two miles of the great six lane superhighway linking Frank furt-on-Main add the industrial Ruhr. Gains made by American infan try were measured in yards, but it was pointed out that the advances gave the Doughboys control of im portant heights controlling the bridgehead, which now was bei--g speedily built up with the help of a newly-erected pontoon bridge. Throughout the day the skies were filled with dogfights as the enemy made frequent raids and fighters of the Ninth Air Force labored to keep them away from the bridgehead area. Half a dozen or more lightning fast jet-propelled planes were among the enemy attackers in the Germans’ strongest air effort since the Rhine crossing March 7. American planes shot down ten, claimed five probables and dam aged six while losing four of their own. Anti-aircraft gunners destroy ed others, but no tabulation of their score was yet available. Monday, when the German raids were light er, ack-ack batteries shot down 19 enemy planes. While fighting flared over and around the bridgehead, the U. S. Third Army lashed out in a new attack on a nine-mile front in the Saarburg area and advanced up to 2 1-2 miles. Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's new thrust spearheaded by the 94th Di vision, was made on the Third Ar my’s right flank against the only sizeable salient still held by the Germans west of the Rhine. This drive extended from a point eight miles northeast of Saarburg to about six southeast. Resistance was said to be light to moderate. On Patton’s left flank Third Ar my troops north of the Mosell* river cleared eight more towns as they compressed the enemy there to a pocket four miles square. The Third Army processed a rec ord number of 6,446 Germans cap tured during the day, exceeding its previous high of 4,992 set August 1C, 1944, Together the First and Third Armies have taken approxi mately 40,000 prisoners in eight days. From the headquarters of Field Marshal Montgomery came an an nouncement that the final prisoner count for the Rhine operations of the U. S. Ninth and Canadian First Armies was 50,477 and that Amer ican forces in the 21st Army Group have taken 46,303 prisoners since the Germans’ Ardennes break through. Weather improved during the day and tactical air forces flew 2,750 sorties, downing 22 German -plane* at a loss of four medium bombers and 13 fighters, More than 150 Marauders and Havocs of the Ninth Air Force bombed an airfield near Frankfurt from which German planes were believed to be operating againet the Remagen bridgehead. A field dispatch tonight from Don Whitehead of the Associated Press disclosed for the first time that Lt. Gen. Hodges’ First Army Engineers had succeeded in throw ing a temporary bridge across the mide, swift river to share the burden with the shell-scarred rail structure captured in dramatic fashion last Wednesday. Today’s bridgehead advance*, while not great in yardage, drove the-Nazis from high ground ea*t of the Rhine from which their ar tillery observers had direct o|> servation ,of both' traffic-laden spans. The Germans made nu merous small counterattacks, all of which were repelled. Berlin broadcasts declared that 70,000 American troops had "been jammed into the bridgehead and were waging a “ferocious” battle with tremendous air support in an effort to break out of the (Continued on Page Two; Col. 1J]
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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March 14, 1945, edition 1
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