Miami Beach, Florida (UP) –
Officer Candidate Clark Gable was an upper-classman today. Officials said the former screen star has made excellent progress in the Army Air Force Officer Candidate School.
Gable said he was enjoying Army life. He said he had lost 10 pounds and was feeling fine.
1,600 sector directors to lead volunteers in 30-day city drive
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London, England (UP) –
London leave for American soldiers was made contingent on bed reservations today as the United States Army and Red Cross worked on a “foolproof” system of housing holidaying doughboys in the British capital.
Army sources said that following the overflow of soldiers in London during last week’s Jewish religious holidays, orders had been given to grant no more London leaves unless the soldiers asking for them had a bed reserved in town.
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Mrs. Nancy H. Love, head of the Women’s Air Ferry Service, adjusts her helmet as she takes her place in an Army plane at Wilmington, Del. The WAFS will ferry planes from factory to Army airfields where they are needed.
It did not need President Roosevelt’s warning, in his Lend-Lease report to Congress, to inform thoughtful Americans that we cannot achieve maximum war production till our civilian economy has been stripped to the bone.
But President Roosevelt has been saying that, or something like it, for something like nine months. To date, however, the country, which shows every evidence of wanting leadership, has not been shown what specifically is necessary. Salvage drives have petered out in a welter of disorganization. Bond sales are not what should be largely because no one knows what next year’s tax demands will be. A little ginger in a few spots in Washington would do more good than speeches threatening action from time to time, and repeated every now and then.
U.S. Navy Department (September 19, 1942)
South Pacific.
Since the unsuccessful attempt of the Japanese to recapture the airfield at Guadalcanal during the night of September 13-14, there has been a lull in the land-fighting on the island. These hostilities have been confined to minor patrol activity, sniping, and occasional skirmishes between small enemy units and U.S. Marines. Supplies and reinforcements have reached our forces.
On September 14, Army “Flying Fortresses” attacked a force of enemy ships to the northeastward of Tulagi. This force included battleships and cruisers. Heavy anti-aircraft fire was encountered but possible hits on two battleships were reported. When last seen, this force was retiring to the north.
On September 15, 16, and 17, Army long-range bombers strafed and bombed Rekata Bay and on September 16 and 17 bombed ships and shore installations at Gizo Island. Results of these attacks were undetermined although fires were observed after the attack on Rekata Bay on the 15th.
Brooklyn Eagle (September 19, 1942)
Flying Fortresses set fires at Rabaul and Lae – fighters rip Buna
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Performance delayed for appearance – 2-minute demonstration unprecedented
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London, England (UP) –
The marriage of Francoise Cabirol, assistant section officer in the British Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, to 1st Lt. Roy Ahalt, USAAF, of Downers Grove, Illinois, was announced today.
Ahalt won the Distinguished Flying Cross last year as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Recently he was transferred to the American Army Air Force.
Agriculture committee urges drastic revision of manpower policy
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Military experts say that whoever controls the Solomon and Aleutian Islands controls the Pacific. Our Marines have done a good job in chasing Japs out of most of the Solomons, and we are told the enemy can be ejected from their remaining strongholds when we feel like doing the job.
Every now and then, we read that the United States Navy has suddenly seen the light, has become air-minded, and has given air officers a rank commensurate with the importance of aviation in modern war. But when the words are cleared away from the thought in the latest announcement, well, we begin to wonder.
In the latest instance, RAdm. John H. Towers, Chief of the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, has been made a vice admiral, and assigned to command the Pacific Fleet Air Force. Adm. Towers is the first combat pilot to achieve so high a rank. So far so good, but who is appointed to replace him as Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics? An airman? Not at all.
It is RAdm. John S. McCain, who whatever his qualifications as a seaman, did not learn to fly till he was 51 years old, far too old to qualify as a combat pilot. A man 58 years old, who only learned to fly seven years ago, whose whole life has been devoted to ships before that, becomes the naval air service’s representative in the Navy High Command.
Völkischer Beobachter (September 20, 1942)
Von unserer Stockholmer Schriftleitung
StockhoIm, 19. September –
Der „Papuakrieg“, wie man in England die schweren Dschungelkämpfe auf Neuguinea bezeichnet, nähert sich rasch der Entscheidung‚ wie die eninschen Berichterstatter in Australien nach London berichten. Die englische Presse knüpft recht besorgte Betrachtungen darüber an, daß die australischen Truppen dem „Kampf mit dem unsichtbaren Gegner“ in keiner Weise gewachsen sind. Viele Soldaten seien aus kürzester Entfernung getroffen worden, ohne daß sie die ausgezeichnet getarnten Japaner auch nur gesehen hätten, und die amerikanischen Sachverständigen seien jetzt gezwungen gewesen, die:
…japanische Geschicklichkeit in der Taktik des Dschungelkrieges vorbehaltlos anzuerkennen.
Die japanische Bedrohung des nur noch 50 Kilometer entfernten Port Moresby hält nach wie vor an, und das Gefährlichste ist in den Augen der australischen Militärkreise die Erkenntnis, daß nicht nur hier eine schwerwiegende Entscheidung bevorsteht, sondern auch an den verschiedensten anderen Punkten im Operationsgebiet des Stillen Ozeans. Die Salomoninseln scheinen nach Auffassung englischer und amerikanischer Berichterstatter das nächste Hauptangriffsziel der Japaner zu sein. Außerdem aber erwartet man‚ wie ein „bisher immer sehr gut unterrichteter“ Korrespondent aus Sydney nach London meldet, Angriffe an anderen Stellen des südwestlichen Stillen Ozeans, doch solle man diesen Angriffen in London nicht allzu pessimistisch entgegensehen,
…denn so schlecht, wie ein großer Teil der amerikanischen und britischen Kommentatoren in der letzten Zeit immer behauptet haben, sei die Lage der Alliierten denn doch nicht.
Brooklyn Eagle (September 20, 1942)
Flying Fortresses block violent attempt to recoup losses
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