The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, June 8, 1944, Page 1

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE VOL. XLIL, NO. 9673. “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” JUNEAU, ALASKA, THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 1944 BAYEUX IS CAPTURED; CAEN SET AB First Phase of In HUGE WAVES 'BATTLED BY SMALL CRAFT West Wall Breached by | Canadian Forces Who | Are Pressing Inland By ROSS MUNRO | (Canadian Press Correspondent, Distributed by Associated Press) WITH THE CANADIAN FORCES LANDING IN FRANCE, June 8.— MOKMERIS CAPTURED BY ALLIES MacArthur Now Has Strong Base for Bombing Philippines ADVANCED ALLIED HEAD- QUARTERS IN NEW GUINEA, June 8.—Mokmer airdrome on Biak| was stormed and captured, head-| quarters announced, on the thir-|cgnadian assault forces bounded teenth day of the invasion of thelthrough a stormy sea in their land- Schoutens, giving Gen. MacArthur|jng craft Tuesday in broad day- | | | | | Eisenhower Makes Trip ' ToBeachhead General Declares Faith in Ability of Allied Troops SUPREME HEADQUARTERS OF THE ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, June 8. — Commander Dwight W. Eisenhower made a journey across the English Chan- nel yesterday to the beachhead vi- cinity on a Royal Navy warship in command of Admiral Sir Bert- @ @ NAZIS FLEE ' NORTHFROM ' FIFTH ARMY Allies Take Rome’s Main Port - German Re- treat Disorganized | ROME, June 8—The Fifth Army | has captured Civitavecchia, Rome’s lprincipal port, 38 miles northwest | of the capital, and today is thrust- ling swiftly up the west coast to | maintain contact with the retreat- |ing enemy. Other Fifth Army units are speed- ling in a more northerly direction | | \ vasion MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN CENTS 4 NALZIS CLAIM RED ARMY IS ON MOVE Report Heavy Fighting in Progress North of lasi in Rumania LONDON, June 8—A DNB Ber-| lin broadcast announces the Rus slans have launched an offensive | on a broad front in the sector north of Iasi, Rumania. The com-} munique said “heavy fighting is in progress.” There has been no confirmation Now Acc Bloody Fight AtBeachhead Is Described Rough Seas Upset Sched- ule Until Battleship Comes to Restue By JOHN A. MOROSO, 3rd (Associated Press Correspondent | Representing the Combined American Press) ABOARD U. 8. ASSAULT TRANSPORT THOMAS JEFFER-| SON, June 6 (Delayed)—The land- ing of our spearhead troops on the | (4 o IND STAGE OF ATTACK UNDERWAY Tactical Reserves toBe De- feated Then Strategic Forces Crushed SUPREME HEADQUARTERS OF THE ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, June 8-—The Allied lib- erating troops, with the first phase of the invasion accomplished, struck southward from captured Bayeux end fierce fighting immediately be- gan on the second step in defeating AZE m;:_lishoeci PLANES SEAL BEACHHEADS FROMENEMY Marauders Carry Out Dawn Attack Clearing Out Widf_Areas SUPREME HEADQUARTERS OF THE ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, June 8.—A powerful force of 750 to 1,000 American heavy bombers swept a wide arc in south Normandy early today, smashing bridges, airdromes, railroad yards and junctions in a vigorous effort immediately from Moscow, but Lheibenches in one sector of northern | a base within bombing range of jight, stormed the French beaches new offensive on the Russian rrom:r‘rancc was almost turned into an- the Philippines. land battled their way inland. ram Ramsay, Allied Naval Com- , | mander-in-Chief, it was announced the German tactical reserves thrown and have captured the town of into the battle. weather | to clamp an air seal on the beach- Stalled and bloodily repulsed| There was some stiff opposition earlier in the frontal stab from'in certain sectioffs of this partic- the initial beachhead established ylar beach, but one and a half | on May. 27, MacArthur got behind|hours after landing, reports of suc-| the enemy and took the airfield|cess came in rapidly to this head- from the rear. |quarters ship. One Canadian regi- The airdrome is within 880 miles ment after another flashed back of the Philippines to the north- megsages that it was advancing west, and is within good fighter| through the coastal defense strip, range of Palau in the Wwestern g part of the German so-called Carolires, a Japanese naval blfle;Wesz Wwall. Hard fighting is ex- guarding the approaches 10 the pected inland, however. Philippines. The Japs were routed|. A number of enemy strongpoints on Wednesday, the communique g, the beach resisted and were merican losses in the fireq on by naval craft. said, and A " (Continuxd on Page s et . . ttack 15 that iL weni ou I o |the daylight. 1 In two hours and 45 minutes of | fighting the Canadians won the |beachhead and shoved on inland. |A heavy sea was running off the |French coast, not what the authori- |ties wanted, but the attack went (Lt. Col.” Robert S. Allen now on active on anyway Small craft plunged service wi S ATeL) {headlong ~ through six-foot-high {waves to put the troops ashore. WASHINGTON — White HOUSEI Sea-Going Attack insiders say that the President gave! Between four and five thousand a great deal of thought to the ships and craft of many types par- timing of his permanent world [ticipated. For miles along the peace plans. |French coast this fleet was lying Here are the factors caused. him to launch his plan at and vehicles ashore. The Washington Merry - Go- Round By DREW PEARSON this particular moment: | Earlier a naval bombardment and| which | offshore, shoving men and supplies | last The Commander was accompanied by several staff of- ficers. Today Gen. Eisenhower declared |that his “complete confidence in |the ability of the Allied armies, |navies, and airforces to do all they | were asked to do has been com- pletely justified.” | In early landing operations which lare always naval, the two Allied night. |navies, together with elements of, | {navy units of the United Nations under Admiral Ramsay, “excelled in their high standard of planning land execution over any prior ven- engaged,” Eisenhower said, “during |the long brilliant campaign con- |ducted the past month by the com- Ibined air forces, including com- {mands of Air Chief Marshal Har- |ris, Gen. Spaatz and Air Chief | Mjarshal Leigh Mallory. This es- Isential preliminary undertaking proved its effectiveness by the fact |that the planned, and their good work is continuing with Gen. Montgomery in charge of all assault ground forces. Under him all troops are | performing magnificently.” —— . — 'POPE PIUS GIVES NEWS CONFERENCE ROME, June 8—Pope Pius XII |urged all correspondents “to write {of a peace that can meet with the approval of all well-meaning peo- ples” in his first press conference since becoming. pope. “You are most welcome and you have a mission of tremendous im- ‘ture in- which I have seen them. landing was made as| Bracciano, 20 miles north of Rome, on the west shore of a large lake of the same name. Still another column was last re- ported passing the lake on the east side, 15 miles north of Rome. The Germans still appeared with- drawing in a bad state of demoral- ization and without any indication yet available as to when they might turn and attempt a determined stand. An official spokesman declared, “The battered remnants of the Ger- man Fourteenth Army is in a con- siderable state of disorganization with upwards of 40 Wehrmacht formations represented in the col- lection '6f ‘prisoners taken. In the exodus from Rome, apparently even battalions are attaching themselves to whatever high echelon is avail- able.” Allied forces driving due north“road town of Lungling, the second fyom batteries hidden in the cliffs, |from Rome captured Kesselring's | most important Jap base in the (. Nazis fired heavily, pounding elaborate former headquarters about | southwestern province of Yunnan, ., the ag west of the Salween River, the Chin- | three miles southeast of Civita | Castetlana. "OVER OPTIMISM " WARNING GIVEN | BYW. CHURCHILL | . LONDON, June 8—British Prime {Minister Winston Churchill warn- ed Commons today against “over joptimism” in the battle of Europe !against the “idea these things are |going to be settled in a rush,” and |“great dangers lie behind the en- |ormous exertions that lie before us.” Churchill said he had: nothing new to report as the campaign is being covered by an “excellent, able {and upright corps of newsmen.” has been expected to put new pressure on Germany’s east front,| while the Americans and British are attacking France and Italy. Last night's Moscow communique said the German attacks north of Iasi “have diminished considerably” indi ing Germany may have been stopped in the push they had an- nounced earlier. CHINESE TROOPS OCCUPY PART OF " IMPORTANT BASE | CHUNGKING, June 8.—Chinese | troops occupied part of the Burma | ese Command said tonight. | The Chinese northwest of Teng- | chung, north of the Burma Road and the main Jap base in Yunnan, also took the offensive and made limited advances against that com- munications hub. ‘The communique said “Our troops in Lungling hold the west gate of the town and are continuing attacks to extend their positions. The en- emy has suffered more than 3,000 casualties since the original crossing of the Salween.” ki ELKS’ OFFICERS 0 TRIP TO SITKA FOR INSTALLATION WORK To install the officers of the new other bloody Salerno by conditions which made the proper softening by bombers and warships an impossibility. | The roughness of the water cap- | sized landing craft and amphibious vehicles, broke the formations and ldrowm\d soldiers and sailors who | were seeking to reach the shore through the heavily mined area, which was also studded with |underwater obstacles. Germans Fight Fiercely The Germans fought fiercely and |capably, often driving the boats |back into the sea when they approached. Many téhks were shot up along with the landing craft, land the beaches were strewn with wrecked equipment. | From six-foot thick concrete | pillboxes disguised as rocks, and ault battalion. Beaches Cut Off | Much equipment was left in the landing boats by green troops, |rushing to dig into the sand. Using crossfire, the Nazis time and time again cut off the beaches and | 1solated the troops from naval gun- fire support. The beleagured troops were fi- nally saved by the battleship Texas |which moved close inshore and | silenced one 55 mm. battery in a cliff, while destroyers pounded the {pillboxes. - With this aid, the troops, (using flame throwers and grenades, choked off the defenders, and re- | inforcements are now streaming |across the Channel in shuttle ser- lvice expected to clear the beach- head. | % , Flaming Hell Returping soldiers said American 'flame throwers did excellent work 1(Iaims tha?aavel Road | portnce,” His Holiness said, greet-| ing newsmen as he entered the| o throne room of the Vatican, lhin{slmso and pale, but appearing surprising- | " TAI.KS ly strong. Elks Lodge in Sitka, which has against the fortified houses, in some recently been granted a charter, the cases turning the Nazi occupied following Juneau Elks left for that|areas into a flaming hell. |city today: A. B. Hayes, L. J.| The water became so rough at Holmquist, E. C. Reynolds, John one point that boats bringing the Walmer, Herman Porter, H. L. Mc- | wounded back were unable to get His Holiness urged the corres- 1. The Republican National Con- air force bombing blasted the vention will now have to endorse French coast until it shuddered. the general thesis of world co-|From the deck of this ship I watch- operation or else face the charge ed the incredible scene from start of heading the country toward nn-}t,o finish, and never have I wit- other war. If F.D.R. had waited nessed anything so tremendous in much longer, he might have been'any seagoing attack. accused of springing the plan too| —————— late for the Republicans to consider things propetly prior to the meet-| CONGRESS M AY . ing in Chicago, June 26. | 2. F.D.R. saw his old chief, INVESTIGATE Woodrow Wilson, wait until Eur- ope no longer needed U. S. sup-| port to win the war, no longer AI.ASKA H'GHWAY needed food and relief. In con- trast, the United States is at the peak of its war contribution, also at the peak of its bargaining power | for peace-for-future machinerv. | cOsi sloo 000 The President decided to use that e bargaining power when it had the| Per Mile Erontodt hveags, | WASHINGTON, June 8 — The 3. Churchill's recent speech ln‘lmuet that Congress should “some Parliament proposing world rule,day., investigate the Alaska Mili- by the big powers, also helped|i,ry Road project was expressed by precipitate announcement of the Rep. Albert J. Enel, Michigan Re- plan. The President some time ago pyblican, in hearings on the Mili- accepted the Sumner Welles thesis | tary Appropriation Bill for the fiscal that the little nations must play|year starting July 1. an important part in the post-war| In testimony made public today set-up and it was “considered 2 upon the introduction of the bill in good idea to remind Churchill of the House, Brig. Gen. D. L. Wor- this. |sham of the Army Engineers, tes- 4. U. S. prestige with® European tified that the project cost $140,- nations — Sweden, France, Jugo- 000,000 to date for 1,428 miles of slavia, Spain, Ireland—is at a low gravel road. He said the cost was ebb. So it was considered a good around $100,000 a mile. time to remind them that the U.| Worsham said that men working S.A. is still a friend. on the highway under cor;exzerzzzl:; o contractors were guaran C:ig:lg H‘glnen“:mesmrbe‘::g;,; hours of work a month and if they which led to their break-up was didn’t work that much they got pa)ild post-war peace plaming. Welles !o:'dlt. 'l;kllemlow:s’:w;fige’&:ld v’vng: long had argued that - the time to| {1l iio\sing but men poid $2.00 develop the peace machinery of the |, day subsistance. world was now—before the War| mpe officer said that the highest was over. | Mr. Hull, up until he went 0| hour and agreed with Engel that Russia last fall, had informed Sen- | the man guaranteed 240 hours draws ators that future peace machinery $420 per month. should be put off until after t.hel Worsham said that the original war and left entirely to the State road was constructed by Army En- Department to decide. gineers and the Public Roads Ad- i ministration constructed the present GERMANY’S SMART CHOICES ‘rond with civilian contractors but U.S. experts who studied the|under the supervision of the Army Nazi military set-up to resist in- | Engineers. Much testimony was not € /included in that which was made (Continued on Page Four) public. rate paid to laborers was $1.75 per | pondents to let the ultimate gen- eral purpose of their writing oe for peace. “The war should be only the means to peace. Write for peace so that you can meet with the approval of all well meaning peo- ples. That can assure all those conditions necessary so that they may line up in a manner be- (flmng the dignity of the human being. Goodbye and bless you all.” e WEATHER PROPHETS WERE FLOPS, SAYS WRITER AT FRONT Associated Press war correspondent, ‘reporting from an invasion port, says that although the “assaulf ‘s widely hailed as the largest in his- tory, it actually was no larger in its initial phase than the Allied |attack on Sicily.” Moroso witpessed landings Sicily and in North Africa. Moroso added the ‘“weather prophets were the worst flops, as there was a heavy wind, the cha nel was choppy and a disaster was almost caused.” e —————— TORPEA IS IN TOWN at n- Hotel. | LONDON, June 8—John Moroso, tea ABOUT INVASIO WASHINGTON, June 8. — The | full weight of the German counter- attack in Normandy is still to come, Secretary of War Stimson said, but | the invading Allled troops have es- | tablished beachheads at various points and many of the beachheads are united. y (LIMIT SET FOR - COURTMARTIAL IS DECEMBER 7 WASHINGTON, June 8—A Sen- ate and House conference comit- | has compromised on the six ‘munms' extension until next De- |cember '/ the time in which court 'martial proceedings might be in- istituted against Kimmel and Short (as a result of the Pearl Harbor 'MARINES PLAY BIG ROLE IN INVASIO ed a unique role in the invasion. ‘The leathernecks were picked sharp- | | | shooters and rode the high masts | James Tropea is in from Skag-|of the big ships of the bombardment | fdllows: way and a guest at the Gastineauforce and picked off floating mines ' 38.85; utilities, 22.80. with their rifles, |Donald, M. L. Sides, V. Powers, land T. Cashen. Wives of several |of the Elks accompanied them. iAmerican Bombers ~ Are Repulsed by Nip Units, Is Claim NEW YORK, June 8—A Tokyo radio, picked up here, said six Am- erican B-24s, heavy bombers “at- tempted a raid” on Sorong, on the western tip of Dutch New Guinea, some 340 air-line miles west of |the recent Allied landings on Scho- ten Islands on Tuesday afternoon. The broadcast sald a Jap air unit intercepted the raiders, damaging one plane and repulsing the re- mainder. | e o STOCK QUOTATIONS NEW YORK, June 8. — Closing quotation of Alaska Juneau mine stock today is 6, American Can 90%, Anaconda 25, Beech Aircraft | 7%, Bethlehem Steel 57%, Curtiss- | Wright 4%, International Harvester | 74%, Kennecott 297, North Amer- ‘11(:1? Athupn 7%, New York Central | 16%, Northern Pacific 15" | Statoa’Bten) 83% 15%, United Dow, Jones average today are as Industrials, 141.95; rails, Mines are reported to have sunk some landing craft. It was a grim picture near the \beaches as rising tides hid under- | water obstacles not removed pre- viously. CANOL PROJECT IS DISCUSSED ! WASHINGTON, June 8—Lt. Col. B. F. Hake told the House Appro; priations Subcommittee today, that | the Canol project cost $129,400,000. | Major General Reybold, Chief of the | Army Engineers, said that if the trend that the war has taken. had seen known in advance the project might not have been undertaken. Reybold also said that the Army intended to drill an exploratory well as Wide Bay, Alaska. FARLEY RESIGNS POLITICAL JOB NEW YORK, June 8.—James A. Farley has resigned as Chairman of the New York State Democratic Caommittee, a post he has held: for 14 years. Farley said business duties and obligations will not permit him to give the necessary time to commit- |them aboard. | A steady stream of Allied rein- forcements is arriving in France, going by sea and air and strength- ening the massive spearhead. Berlin reported the pincers threat to seize the tip of the jutting Cher- bourg Peninsula and its great port has “apparently been successful by the enemy gaining a foothold and defeating the local German re- serves.” Second Stage The Supreme Headquarters said the Allies are now beginning the second stage of defeating the Nazi “tatical reserves” but still ahead lies the third. task of . “crushi strategic reserves” and perhaps the massing of already strong counter- blows in specific directions. Progress of today's fighting is not disclosed but headquarters said medium bombers struck heavily on the town of Caen, 16 miles inland, which has been set abalze. Rallway installations at Rennes, Laval, Tours, Lemans and "Nantes have been blasted by Allied heavy bombers, all in support of the beach- head forces. Railway Snipped The capture of Bayeux snipped the railway between Paris and Cher- bourg and opened the way for a thrust deeper inland, but farther west the Germans pictured the Al- lied forces as within 20 miles of a junction which will choke off Cher- bourg itself. Berlin declared that house-to- house fighting raged at Ste. Mere Eglise, 20 miles southeast of Cher- bourg, and said that parachutists landed on the west coast only a scores of miles southwest of St. Mere | Eglise. There has been no Allied| confirmation of the west coast land~ ings or of the fighting at 8t, Mere Eglise. Heavy Battle On one of the two main roads to Cherbourg a heavy battle be- tween tanks and reserves sped up by both sides flared over the peninsula, | and Allied beachhead troops are linking up with the airborne forces dropped deeper inland. Headquarters said improvement in the adverse weather aided in the reinforcement by glider sky trains. ‘Towns Captured Field reports declared that Brit- ish and Canadian troops captured a number of French towns and vil- | lages, and are advancing on the open roads at points some miles from the coast. Infantrymen rode up to battle on bicycles and tanks to speed the advance. A Berlin broadcast said British troops pushed through Bayeux early today, advancing southwest toward the peninsula. The Canadian and British troops captured several hun- dred prisoners and shot up num- erous Nazi 88 mm. guns, field re- | Through Col. ports said. Big Battles Loom Canadian Press Correspondent Ross Munro said the Germans are reported falling back in one area under the persistent attacks, and the “strength is being built up rap- idly in the Allied bridgeheads for the big battles which should come | any day or even any hour.” Berlin said that the Americans who gained a foothold north of Carentan, some 27 miles southeast of Cherbourg, suffered heavy cas- ualties. e e CALIFORNIAN HERE Dr. M. L. Green, registered from Los Angeles, is in town and Is tee affairs demanded during the forthcoming national campaign. registered at the Gastineau. head battlefield. While Fortresses and Liberators in the biggest aerial operation on the third day of the invasion, hit hard at installations 100 to 150 miles behind the front, Marauders began the day of battle with a dawn attack on Caen. The twin- engined mediums left the city on the main railway between Cher- bourg and Paris, burning from at least 20 fires. The air attack was from 4,500 feet. These blows followed Royal Air Force strikes last night in which a series of rail targets near Paris German transport 12 miles behind the invasion coast were riddled by heavy cargoes of bombs. ‘The transport target was a con-- centration in the Cerisy forest, where the road runs from Bayeu to St. Le. 22,000 Sorties A\ued planes of all descriptions have flown 22,000 sorties in the past 48 hours, and air operations are mounting as the weather im- proved. Thunderbolt and Light- ning fighters since 6 a. m. yester- day flew so continuously, they stopped only to refuel and rearm between flights, setting out on new missions without waiting to repair bullet holes in their wings. Among the fighter-bomber tar- gets hit were 15 bridges at Cha- teau, used by the Germans as headquarters, More than 2,000 of 9,000 sorties flown by the Allles in the 24 hours ending at midnight, were made by these fighter-bomb- ers, who downed six enemy aircraft and lost 21 of their own. A total of . 144 German planes have been knocked down during the past 48 hours, and 20 others were destray- ,led on the ground. The last tabila- tion showed the Allies have lost 119 aircraft. Miller Wants ToSpeak Out OnDemolion | CORAL GABLES, Fla., June 8.— A patient in an army hospital, Lt. Col. Henry J. F, Miller reported that he is seeking an opportunity to speak publicly about his demo- tion from the rank of Major General |the Vire River, which cuts across s punishment for what the War | Department said was a cocktail party remark hinting at the date {of the European invasion. Dan Ogle, Com- | manding Officer of the Army Air Forces Regional Hospital, Miller de- clared, “I am an officer of the Army of the United States; therefore, I | can make no statement of any kind |at this time or until such time as ;the War Department authorizes me ito issue a statement concerning my case.” b Ogle said Mijler is being treated ‘.ror serious physical ailments which | necessitates hospitalization. They |are not connected with his service overseas.” ————— JACKIE RHODE SOUTH Jackie Rhode, eight-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Rhode, Jeft this afternoon on a plane en- route to Seattle where he will re- ceive medical attention.