Belief grows that prelate is on mission
Archbishop Spellman tells troops that Allies are sure of victory
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Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
A forward Tunisian airdrome – (March 14)
There was one bunch that was die most traveled squadron of American Flying Fortress crews in existence. The guys were such confirmed sightseers they all wanted to go into die tourist business when the war is over.
This squadron actually took its present formation in India last spring, from crews that already had fought on several fronts. For nearly a year now it has been shifted hither and yon like the thistle. It is still subject to striking out for some weird new place before dawn tomorrow. Here is where these men have fought – the Philippines, Java, Australia, Burma, China, India, Palestine, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Tripoli, and Tunisia.
Some of them started out a year ago by flying across the Pacific, and if they can just fight their way across the Atlantic now, they’ll have been around the world. And that isn’t just a dream either, for some of them have so many missions under their belts they’ll undoubtedly get to go home soon.
In Burma the squadron was based only 60 miles from the Japs. In India they lived through the dreadful summer heat that killed one man and put 15 out of 150 of them in the hospital with heat prostration. But through it all they kept sightseeing.
They like Palestine first
They’re authorities on the Holy Land. They’ve seen the pyramids of Egypt and the Taj Mahal of India. They’ve been to such places as Cyprus, Syria, and Lebanon. They’ve lived in luxury in India, with half a dozen servants apiece, and they’ve lived on the ground under tents in the midst of suffocating sandstorms.
Of all the places they’ve been, they like Palestine best. When they start talking about Palestine you can’t get them stopped. They say it’s just like California – fresh and green and strictly up-to-date. They say the most modern hotels in the world are there.
They’ve been through so much heat that the chill of North Africa made them suffer badly. Their losses have been heavy, but they’ve wreaked such devastation they’ve lost track of the figures. The total of shipping they’ve sunk got beyond them in October, when they were operating over the Mediterranean out of Egypt.
They’ve bombed Greece, Crete, and the Dodecanese Islands. They have the credit for stopping Rommel’s supply lines just before the British 8th Army started its drive last fall. They say the German flak thrown up over Tobruk and Benghazi was the most deadly they’ve ever known, even surpassing the hail of metal that floats above Bizerte.
The leader of this squadron is Capt. J. B. Holst, of Savannah, Georgia. The boys say that practically the entire population of Savannah went into the Air Force is right here on this front now. Lt. Donald Wilder, one of the squadron’s bombardiers, rattled off at least a dozen Savannah boys he’d met here since arriving from Egypt.
Lt. Clarence E. Summers, of Lincoln, Nebraska, says that if all die Savannah boys are here, then apparently all the Phi Gam fraternity members are too. He was eating the other night with six fliers he hadn’t known before, and five of them turned out to be Phi Gams.
Some of the navigators on these well-traveled ships had navigated as much as 200,000 miles since they left home. They’ve already been on missions far beyond the total that might eventually be set up for “posting” our flying crews for a rest.
Monkey flies with them
Probably the oldest and most experienced pilot in the squadron is Capt. James Anderson, of Dahlonega, Georgia. He has 35 missions under his belt – not little short missions, but mostly 10-hour ones. Lt. Grady H. Jones, of Bremen, Georgia, his navigator, has been on 37 missions. That’s far more than the bomber boys who came from England have made.
This much-traveled outfit found the going not too tough here over Tunisia. They say:
This is the first time in our whole year’s action we’ve ever had fighter escorts. Fighters are a luxury to us.
For an international touch, they have a pet monkey. Sgt. Pittard of Athens, Georgia, got it in India, and it has flown all the way with them. It has 300 flying hours to its credit.
It just wanders around the plane during flight, making itself at home. When they get high where it gets cold, the monkey burrows itself between two parachute cushions to keep warm. If somebody comes along and lifts one cushion, the monkey frowns and squeals and motions for them to put the cushion back and go away.
The monkey is smart. She can tell Americans from Englishmen, Arabs, French or Indians. She doesn’t like anybody but Americans. I’m an American but she better not start to like me. I know all about monkeys, and I detest them. Even heroic monkeys.
‘Rick’s’ rescuer honored
Washington –
The Air Medal has been awarded to Lt. William F. Eadie, for the rescue of Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker and his party last Nov. 12, after they had been adrift in the Pacific nearly 21 days, the Navy announced today.
Appeal is won by 3 members of Murder, Inc.
Supreme Court reverses former denial of Lepke rehearing
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Supreme Court upholds rail merger plans
Justices unanimous in two decisions backing the ICC
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Movie of Rommel rout ‘impresses’ Roosevelt
Washington (UP) –
President Roosevelt was “very impressed” by a motion picture showing various phases of the British 8th Army’s rout of Marshal Rommel’s Nazi regions in the Libyan desert, White House Secretary Stephen T. Early said today.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered the film rushed to the White House by air, and it arrived in time to be shown last night for the President, British foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and other White House dinner guests.
U.S. Navy Department (March 16, 1943)
Communiqué No. 311
A conference of American, British and Canadian officers has recently been held in Washington under the chairmanship of Adm. Ernest J. King. Commander‑in‑Chief, U.S. Fleet, at which the anti‑U‑boat warfare was discussed.
This conference was one of a series of Allied conferences which have been and will continue to be held in order that all phases of the anti‑U‑boat campaign can be kept constantly under review, that information and views can be exchanged, and that anti‑U‑boat measures can be adjusted to best advantage.
Complete agreement was reached on the policy to be pursued in the protection of Allied shipping in the Atlantic and in the best methods of employing the Allied escort vessels, antisubmarine craft and aircraft in defeating the U‑boat menace.
In addition to the U.S. naval officers concerned, the following officers headed the various Allied missions who attended the conference:
| Vice Adm. Sir Henry R. Moore, KCB, CVO, DSO | Admiralty |
| Air Vice Marshal A. Durston, CB, AFC | Coastal Command, Royal Air Force |
| Rear Adm. V. G. Brodeur | Royal Canadian Navy |
| Air Vice Marshal N. R. Anderson | Royal Canadian Air Force |
There were also present:
| Maj. Gen. C. P. Gross | U.S. Army |
| Brig. Gen. W. T. Larson | U.S. Army Air Force |
| Mr. J. E. Cushing | War Shipping Administration |
Communiqué No. 312
South Pacific.
During the evening of March 15, Dauntless dive bombers (Douglas), with Wildcat escort (Grumman F4F), bombed Japanese positions at Vila and Munda in the central Solomons. Results were not reported. All U.S. planes returned.
Communiqué No. 313
Pacific and Far East.
U.S. submarines have reported the following results of operations against the enemy in the waters of these areas:
- One destroyer sunk.
- One large cargo vessel sunk.
- One large transport sunk.
- One medium‑sized cargo vessel sunk.
- One medium‑sized cargo vessel damaged.
- One medium‑sized tanker damaged.
- One small cargo vessel damaged.
These actions have not been announced in any previous Navy Department communiqué.
The Pittsburgh Press (March 16, 1943)
Allies join to crush subs; Berlin claims 67 sinkings
U.S., Canada and Britain draft fight; prelude to invasion seen
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Win or die like beasts! No other choice for Japs
Rearguards wiped off by officers when they are left behind without chance but to be killed or starve
By Frank H. Bartholomew, vice president of the United Press
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2 ships set afire –
Bombs blast 3 Jap vessels
Allied planes strafe decks jammed with troops
By Don Caswell, United Press staff writer
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Army rejects Mickey Rooney; status now 4-F
Young film actor has high blood pressure; test case lost
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