Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (UP) –
Thousands of new nickel-less nickels – renamed “five-cent coins” by the Treasury Department – made their appearance in Philadelphia today.
The first batch of wartime nickels, with silver replacing the war-vital nickel content, were issued at the Philadelphia mint yesterday.
Why does the name ring a bell? have we seen him on some battle?
We’ve seen him in action way back in April in the East Indies Theater of Operations – hence him being in Borneo.
Their chief buys beer when ‘Fighting Cocks’ bag more planes over desert and rake Axis columns
By Henry T. Gorrell, United Press staff writer
With American fighter squadrons, in Western Desert – (Oct.27, delayed)
Brig. Gen. Aubrey Strickland, U.S. fighter chief in the Middle East, is buying beer again today. This time it’s for the Fighting Cocks – crack American fighter squadron.
Gen. Strickland told me with a wink:
If this keeps up, I’ll go broke.
The general “buys” when his squadrons have a good day.
Got four Italian planes
The Fighting Cocks got four more Italian Macchi-202s yesterday and today they had another successful foray over the enemy lines – their fourth straight day of action.
Maj. Art Salisbury, of Sedalia, Missouri, leader of the squadron, led the Fighting Cocks off an hour before sunrise.
He said:
We were over our target when orange was breaking in the eastern horizon. Our 12 planes dumped bombs on Fuka Airdrome and the dispersal area.
He said the squadron located a group of Axis trucks and:
…ruddered through them, slinging lead.
Mascot given third wife
The squadron mascot, Uncle Bud, a red fighting cock brought from the United States, was given his third wife today in token of the squadron’s success. I saw him strutting proudly near the mess with all three hens.
The American planes are really giving the enemy a pasting. American bombers are flying in formation alongside South Africans in U.S.-made Bostons and British airmen in American Baltimores.
I could hardly hear myself think this morning as wave after wave of Allied light bombers and fighter-bombers thundered overhead.
Scorpion squadron helps
Yesterday’s Fighting Cock victory was scored by eight planes which came back with only one bullet hole.
The Black Scorpion Squadron joined the Fighting Cocks today in their pre-dawn strafing attacks on Axis airdromes.
They left several big fires raging, including one where five or six enemy planes were seen parked.
‘Tanks look like ants’
American-manned B-25 bombers had another field day, attacking a concentration of hundreds of Axis tanks repeatedly. Many tanks burned furiously.
Capt. Marshal Sneed, of Pigott, Arkansas, who participated in the bombing of the tanks, said:
We could see hundreds of flashes as the guns on both sides blazed away and we watched the tanks below us crawling about like ants.
From 20,000 to 50,000 persons engaged in livestock, dairy and poultry production will be affected; loopholes threaten success of plan
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Pine Camp, New York (UP) –
Lt. John E. Mitchell, son of the late Brig. Gen. William “Billy” Mitchell, pioneer exponent of airpower, died last night at the station hospital, it was announced today.
Cause of death was not revealed by the Army but it was reported that Lt. Mitchell, who was 22 years old and enlisted in the field artillery a year ago, had been suffering from leukemia, a blood disease in which white corpuscles multiply excessively.
His mother was with him for several days before his death, which occurred at 11:45 p.m. EWT, the announcement said.
WLB, Treasury assume control of virtually all pay: cuts, raises for those paid under $5,000 end; Roosevelt orders own income slashed
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Miami Beach, Florida (UP) –
Movie star Clark Gable, who gave up a fabulous Hollywood salary and his moustache to become a lowly private in the United States Army, was today commissioned a second lieutenant along with about 200 other soldiers who survived the rigid course of Officer Candidate School.
Mr. Gable wasn’t as poised as when he did heavy hero parts before movie cameras when he accepted his commission and made a speech on behalf of his fellow graduates. He was obviously a little uncomfortable as his audience of 2,000, including Lt. Gen. Henry H. Arnold, Air Force Chief, and a preponderance of women, surged toward him.
He recouped neatly with his famous smile and told the crowd that his superiors had “done fine by me,” adding:
Gentlemen, I’m not going to say to you, “Get on the beam.” You’re on it. The job is to stay on the beam until – in victory – we get the command:
Fall out.
Berlin, Germany (UP) – (broadcast recorded in U.S.)
A German Transocean News Agency dispatch from Tokyo said that Hong Kong was raided again by 11 planes today.
American planes raided Hong Kong twice within a few hours Sunday night and Monday.
The dispatch said a few bombs were dropped before the raiders were driven off by Jap fighter planes and anti-aircraft fire. One enemy plane was shot down.
New York (UP) –
Smoke-begrimed and flecked with blood, the first Jap battle flag captured on Guadalcanal Island was received today at United Press headquarters in New York from Robert C. Miller, UP war correspondent.
Mr. Miller, who landed with the first Marines to reach Guadalcanal and remained with the American forces of occupation for six weeks, requested that the flag be used in connection with a campaign to raise funds for the war effort.
In a letter, Mr. Miller explained that he personally took the fallen banner from a slain Jap officer during the Battle of Tenaru River Aug. 21. He obtained permission to send it to New York from Marine intelligence officers.
Mr. Miller said:
The Battle of Tenaru River was the first desperate land attempt to drive American forces from Guadalcanal. During that action, I saw more than 800 Jap soldiers annihilated. Other units defeated in the same action included Jap Marines.
An East Coast port –
Only eight of a crew of 23 were saved when a small Norwegian merchant vessel was torpedoed and sunk off the northern coast of South America in the latter part of September. The eight survivors have arrived at an East Coast port.
People not satisfied with diversion in Africa, informant says
By H. O. Thompson, United Press staff writer
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In 38 minutes, Canberra, Quincy, Vincennes sink under point-blank shelling; Astoria hit 2-0 times in 15 minutes, wounded reporter says
By Joe James Custer, United Press staff writer
Joe James Custer, United Press staff writer, was aboard the USS Astoria when it and three other United Nations cruisers were sunk off Savo Island while screening American transports early in the Battle of the Solomons. Custer was wounded in the eye by shrapnel and is now in a Honolulu hospital under treatment to save his sight. In the following delayed dispatch, just released by the Navy, he describes the Astoria*’s last hours.*
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