Seattle keeps eye on Alaska and Japanese
City only 5.5 hours from area where enemy may strike directly
By Fred S. Ferguson, President of NEA Service
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U.S. War Department (March 25, 1942)
Army Communiqué No. 159
Philippine theater.
General Wainwright reports a successful attack by our forces in Mindanao on a Japanese motor column near Zamboanga. Enemy losses were heavy while only one of our soldiers was killed.
Numerous floating mines have been encountered in the Philippine waters, indicating that the enemy is sowing mines with a view to disrupting inter-island shipping.
Australia.
Additional details of the previously reported air raid by Australian and American Army planes at Lae, New Guinea, on March 22, have been received by the War Department.
The raid was conducted by the composite force consisting of four Flying Fortresses and nine P-40 fighter planes of the American Army and two Hudson bombers of the Australian Air Force.
It has been determined that enemy planes destroyed in this raid include three heavy bombers, 10 Zero fighters and two unidentified aircraft.
In addition, four Zero fighters and two bombers were damaged. A direct hit was scored on an ammunition dump. Two American P-40 planes were lost.
There is nothing to report from other areas.
Army Communiqué No. 160
Philippine theater.
Japanese bombers resumed their attacks on the harbor defenses of Manila Bay and on our front lines and rear installations in Bataan. 27 enemy bombers and a few smaller planes participated in the attacks.
Continued enemy ground activity in Bataan indicates the arrival of Japanese reinforcements.
Reports have been received of local skirmishes in the vicinity of Digos, on the island of Mindanao, in which our troops were successful.
There is nothing to report from other areas.
U.S. Navy Department (March 25, 1942)
Navy Communiqué No. 62
Vice Admiral William F. Halsey, who commanded the naval forces which so successfully raided the Marshall Islands on January 31, has delivered additional blows at two enemy outposts.
First, on February 24, at Japanese-occupied Wake Island and second, on March 4, at Japanese-owned Marcus Island.
Although the islands had been the scene of much recent enemy activity, these surprise attacks were met with little opposition and the attacking, forces found few enemy planes and ships in the areas.
Considerable damage was done to shore installations, defense positions, aircraft runways and water tanks by combined bombardment from aircraft and surface vessels, following the pattern so effectively used by Admiral Halsey in his raid on the Marshall Islands.
At Wake Island, which U.S. Marines defended from December 7 until its capture on December 23, 1941, the enemy has worked feverishly to strengthen the defenses against attack. 219 bombs from aircraft and many shells from cruisers and destroyers were rained on the shore installations and landing field. Two enemy patrol boats were sunk, three large seaplanes at anchor were demolished, and the aircraft runways and a part of the defense batteries were damaged. Our loss in this engagement was one aircraft.
At Marcus Island, 760 miles west-northwest of Wake, and 990 miles southeast of Yokohama, Admiral Halsey’s forces executed a successful air attack just before dawn on the 4th dropping flares to illuminate objectives. No enemy aircraft or ships were present.
Heavy anti-aircraft fire was encountered while our planes dropped 96 bombs on the small island, resulting in considerable damage to hangars, fuel and ammunition storages, radio installations and aircraft runways.
Our loss in this engagement was one aircraft.
There is nothing to report from other areas.
The Pittsburgh Press (March 25, 1942)
U.S. Navy raids smash two Jap Island bases
Planes, ships blast foe on Wake and isle 990 miles from Tokyo
By Joe James Custer
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1 Like
‘Let ‘em have it, then scram’ –
Pilots go out to score ‘touchdowns’ on Jap isle
By Joe James Custer
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1 Like
CIO, AFL agree to eliminate double wages
Unions bow to Roosevelt, Nelson; industry asked to speed production
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Lives through 5 wars
Billings, Mont. –
Mrs. Sarah Vorus, 102, bases her conviction that “war is a terrible thing” on the fact that she has lived through five of them – from the Mexican War of 1846 to the present conflict. Her husband was a first lieutenant in the Civil War, in which she served as a nurse.
Japs occupy key isles on road to India
Andamans in Bay of Bengal fall; Allies retreat on Burma front
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Axis espionage ring is smashed by Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, March 25 (UP) –
Brazilian authorities claimed today to have broken up an Axis spy ring with headquarters at São Paulo.
21 days of terror at sea –
’Old man’ of 17 lives to tell how 32 died
One by one survivors go until boat holds only mess boy
By Nat A. Barrows
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Pay rises 22 to 1331% –
Huge salary hikes given arms firms’ executives
Figures for last 8 years show tremendous boost during 1940, first year of defense program
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Captain lost as U-boat sinks another U.S. ship
Norfolk, Va., March 25 (UP) –
The captain was the only casualty when a medium-sized American merchant vessel broke in two and sank after being torpedoed off the Atlantic Coast early last Saturday, survivors disclosed today.
Eight of the 37 surviving crew members were picked up by a rescue vessel after rowing nine hours in a lifeboat, and were landed here Sunday. The other survivors were taken to Southport, NC.
Survivors here said the skipper, Captain E. V. Peters of New York, jumped from his ship into the oil-coated sea. He was not seen again.
Marriage ban asked of AEF by Australians
MacArthur may act soon on touchy question
By Don Caswell, United Press staff writer
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Last Reading veteran dies
Reading, Pa., March 25 –
Morris H. Boyer, Reading’s last Civil War veteran, died yesterday. He was 93.
Athletes in service
Eugene, Ore. –
A University of Oregon “athletic honor roll” shows more than 100 former Webfoot athletes now at the armed service of their country.