President bars data’s release to FCC probers
Congress unit says Roosevelt also told officials not to testify
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Ruin heaped on Sicily’s five chief airfields
Allies in 2-way raids include Catania port in furious attacks
Allied HQ, North Africa (UP) –
Sicily rocked under its sixth day of non-stop aerial bombardment yesterday as ceaseless waves of Allied bombers pounded its airdromes and communications in a pre-invasion offensive against the outer defenses of Southern Europe, it was announced today.
Striking simultaneously from Northwest African and Middle Eastern bases, every type plane in the Allies’ southern arsenal heaped new destruction on the five chief Sicilian airdromes and their satellite landing grounds and on the east coast port of Catania.
Heavy and medium bombers from the Northwest African Air Forces wrecked parked planes, hangars, runways, supply dumps and other installations at the Gerbini, Comiso, Biscari, Catania and Sciacca network of airfields yesterday and the previous night.
Fighter-bombers concentrated on trains, power plants, switches and other vital communications and transportation links. Lightnings also strafed and sank a small schooner off Sicily.
Four-engined U.S. Liberators from the Middle East Command joined in the offensive with daylight raids on Catania Wednesday and yesterday, while RAF heavy bombers took up the slack with a raid on the same port Wednesday night.
Oakes’ death probed; send for U.S. sleuths
Murder hinted as mystery shrouds end of fabulously rich figure in Bahamas
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Wallace, Jones answer call as Cabinet meets
2 feudists brought face to face after peace move fails
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Anxiety perils public morale, doctors warn
Urge Roosevelt reassure people to forestall riots, curb crime
By Joan Younger
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Editorial: U.S. victory in Kula Gulf in Navy’s finest tradition
We have heard a lot about the efficiency of the Japanese Navy, about its fight-to-the-death tradition, about the unerring marksmanship of its gunners. Furthermore, we have heard of nothing in the Pacific fighting to warrant any belittling of the little brown seamen as used to be the fashion in many circles before Pearl Harbor.
What has happened off Midway, in the Coral Sea, off Guadalcanal and now in the Kula Gulf does not in the least belie the descriptions of our Oriental enemy. It merely demonstrates the conspicuous all-around excellence of the U.S. Navy.
In official sources, it has been stated that Kula Gulf was not a major battle in the sense that the biggest units of the fleet did not participate. But we doubt if the proportionate damage wreaked on the enemy – in spite of the fact our forces were outnumbered – has ever been equaled.
It is stated that every Jap warship sighted by our men was either destroyed or damaged – latest estimates being eight sunk and two in the latter category. Against this, we lost the new light cruiser Helena.
This is a remarkable showing. It proves that American marksmanship is still unexcelled. A glance at the map shows that our fleet had the benefit of daring leadership – as is to be expected when Adm. Halsey is in command. For this sea victory made possible the landing on New Georgia Island of troops that threaten from the rear the important Japanese base of Munda which was the immediate objective of the present offensive.
The events of the past few days are in the glorious tradition of Jones and Decatur, of Farragut and Dewey. Certainly, they furnish ample grounds for the complete confidence of the American people in the invincibility of our navy.
The Pittsburgh Press (July 9, 1943)
Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
Third of five articles on the WACs.
North Africa –
For some weird and unfathomable reason known only to the strange creatures themselves, women love to drill. But the WACs in North Africa don’t get to do much drilling. They’re too busy doing their regular jobs.
Those of the WACs who live at the edge of town in a convent are marched about a quarter of a mile every morning to board the trucks that take them downtown. That and a 15-minute drill period once a week is all the drilling they get.
The ones who live in an old office building downtown don’t even get that. In fact, they don’t even have reveille. Horn-tooting at sunrise would be impractical, for the girls work shifts clear around the clock, like factory workers, and at dawn many of them have barely got to sleep.
Their home life is very much like life at college. They sleep in double-decker beds, some of them French iron beds, some carpentered from boards. All the beds have springs. The girls sleep between Army blankets, with one rough sheet. They are issued seersucker pajamas, either light blue or peach-colored. Their rooms are crowded. There isn’t too much space to put things.
After careful yoo-hooing and peeking ahead by the officer in command, I was allowed to snoop around into the sacred precincts of the girls’ dormitories and rooms. Everything was neat, since the girls are soldiers now. They make their own beds, and do their own washing. Practically every one of them brought an electric iron from home. Probably the most typical sight in a WAC barracks is a girl bending over an ironing board.
In the downtown barracks, the girls hang their washing on half of the roof, keeping the other half for sunbathing. Clotheslines are constantly filled with brown stockings, slips, shirts and panties.
The officer who took me around said:
You’re the first man who has ever seen this many pairs of WAC panties at one time.
And I said:
Madam, due to the rigors of old age and encroachment for war work upon my spare time, I have never seen even one pair of WAC panties before.
Each girl is issued three khaki skirts and nine shirts. They are not allowed to roll up their sleeves, and they must wear the cotton stockings that are issued to them. French girls who are the equivalent of our WACs wear anklets, which look infinitely better.
The girls are not allowed to wear jewelry, except signet or wedding rings and wrist watches. The first week they were here, it was a poor WAC indeed who didn’t have at least three Algerian bracelets showered upon her by startled and adoring G.I.s, but since they weren’t allowed to wear them, most of them sent the bracelets home.
The girls have to wear dog tags around their necks, the same as soldiers, but every one of them has her tag on a silver or gold chain instead of the Army’s piece of string.
The girls don’t have much time for dates. Those on daytime shifts work from 8 to 5, and many of them go back at night to work some more. Those who don’t have to work at night use that time to do their washing, pressing and letter-writing.
Lights go out at 10 o’clock, and the roll is taken every night to catch anybody who is staying out. Each girl gets an 11 o’clock pass once a week, and half a day off once a week.
Every one of the girls has already learned passable French, and some of them are expert at it.
There are frequent dances and beach parties, given by various Army units. When one of these is planned, the Army sends notice that so many WACs are wanted. The notice is put on a bulletin board, and any WACs who want to go put down their names.
When mail arrives, a list of those who have letters is put on the bulletin board. The day I was there, the typewritten list was headed:
Come and get it, you sweet little things.
There is also a full-length mirror near the front door of the downtown barracks, and above the mirror a sign which says, “Check Your Appearance.”
I don’t believe the girls have as many pictures beside their beds as the average soldier living in permanent quarters. You see a few photographs of parents and nephews, but the boy pictures I noticed were 100% of men in uniform. Many of the WACs are engaged to boys back home who are now in the service.
A good many romances are blooming among those not already engaged, but so far, there have been no marriage requests. Some 18% of the WACs in Africa were already married when they enlisted.
Every box and windowsill at WAC quarters is filled with ointments, lotions, salves, pastes and creams. They brought a year’s supply with them when they came, and now the post exchange has plenty for sale. Consequently, your WACs are soared that unspeakable condition known as being non-cosmetic.
Stampa Sera (July 9, 1943)
L’Europa è munitissima –
Le difficoltà di uno sbarco prospettate da un ammiraglio inglese
Madrid, venerdì sera –
A cura dell’ammiraglio britannico Roger Keyes è stato pubblicato un opuscolo che tratta della guerra anfibia e delle operazioni cosidette combinate.
Keyes accennando all’impresa di Dieppe ne ammette il completo fallimento anche dal punto di vista teorico.
Scrive testualmente l’ammiraglio inglese:
Quello di Dieppe è stato un esperimento che è costato troppo agli Inglesi, che ha superato, cioè, le previsioni anche più pessimistiche.
Il tecnico navale britannico, dopo aver passato in rassegna tutti i momenti del tentalo sbarco contro la costa francese, sbarco che pure sembrava preparato e organizzato in tutti i più minuti particolari, basandosi sulle regole di una scrupolosa previsione tattica, afferma che in queste imprese il fattore imponderabile, decisivo, della sorpresa causale, non potrà mai e in nessun modo venire calcolato da nessun esperto militare o navale.
Conclude l’ammiraglio:
E’ appunto tale fattore che decide, oggi come domani, dell’esito di un’impresa anfibia contro le coste di un Continente munitissimo come è oggi l’Europa.
Inquietudini inglesi per la situazione militare
Stoccolma, venerdì sera –
Secondo il corrispondente londinese dello Stockholms Tidningen in molti ambienti britannici ci si domanda se la propaganda finora svolta da parte degli alleati nei riguardi dell’Italia, tendente a creare malumore in mezzo al popolo italiano, fra esso e l’alleato tedesco, e contrasti tra le Forze Armate e il Partito, e a inventare una quantità di assurde possibilità, dalle quali avrebbe dovuto sortire il collasso d’ogni resistenza italiana, non sia stata sbagliata fin dall’inizio.
Gli inglesi cominciano ad accorgersi di aver sbagliato strada con questo loro atteggiamento verso l’Italia proprio ora che la piega presa dalle operazioni tedesche sul Fronte Orientale ha naturalmente riportato una certa inquietudine nel campo alleato. Questa, alla quale essi hanno messo il nome di «offensiva germanica», che va acquistando il carattere di un grave pericolo per l’Unione Sovietica, mette l’Inghilterra e l’America in una assai difficile situazione, quella cioè di ridivenire bersaglio da parte russa di critiche e di proteste per la lentezza assunta dai per un’invasione dell’Europe.
Maisky ha dovuto ieri improvvisamente partire per Samara, cioè richiamato dal proprio Governo, segno che non soltanto la situazione è giudicata grave nelle sfere influenti sovietiche, ma anche che Stalin si apparecchia a sferrare nuove pressioni per ottenere in questo difficile momento un aiuto alleato.
Si prevede a Londra che incomincerà la fanfara per un «secondo fronte», e questa volta in una forma assai più clamorosa che per il passato. Gli Inglesi – si osserva – si troverebbero molto nell’imbarazzo se dovessero anticipare di settimane o di mesi quell’invasione di cui tutti parlano come di una cosa vicina, ma che esige, invece, un’accurata e lunga preparazione.
Gli americani accusano De Gaulle di volersi fare dittatore
Lisbona, venerdì sera – (Stefani)
Secondo rivelazioni della stampa americana, il governo degli Stati Uniti sarebbe venuto in possesso di documenti provanti che De Gaulle sta perseguendo interessi politici del tutto personali miranti a stabilire una sua dittatura in Francia senza tener conto della causa comune degli alleati. De Gaulle avrebbe fatto firmare agli aderenti al proprio movimento un documento che lo riconosce come nuovo capo dei francesi dopo la liberazione della Francia. Svelando gli scopi perseguiti dall’ex-generale, i giornali ufficiosi invitano i francesi a convincersi che i loro interessi nazionali erano stati affidati a pessime mani.
President Roosevelt’s announcement of the attack on Sicily at a state dinner in honor of Gen. Giraud
July 9, 1943
I have just had word of the first attack against the soft underbelly of Europe.
I am going to ask you not to say anything about it after you leave here, until midnight ends.
American and British forces, and some French observers, have attacked and landed in Sicily. The operations have just begun, and we won’t get definite news until later in the day, but the news will be coming in all the time from now on.
This is a good illustration of the fact of planning, not the desire for planning but the fact of planning, which we have had since the administration began over a year ago in Washington. With the commencing of the expedition in North Africa with complete cooperation between the British and ourselves, that was followed by complete cooperation with the French in North Africa. The result, after landing, was the Battle of Tunis; and we all know the number of prisoners we took. That was not all planning, that was cooperation. From that time on we have been working in complete harmony, which in effect was the invasion of Europe, which is under way tonight.
There are a great many objectives, and of course the major objective is the elimination of Germany – that goes without saying – the elimination of Germany out of the war. And as a result of this step which is in progress at this moment, we hope it is the beginning of the end. Last autumn, the Prime Minister of England called it “the end of the beginning.” I think you can almost say that this action tonight is the beginning of the end.
We are going to be ashore in a naval sense – air sense – military. Once there, we have the opportunity of going in different directions, and I want to tell Gen. Giraud that we haven’t forgotten France as one of the directions.
One of our prime aims, of course, is the restoration of the people of France, and the sovereignty of France. Even if a move is not directed at this moment to France itself, Gen. Giraud can rest assured that the ultimate objective – we will do it, and in the best way – is to liberate the people of France, not merely the southern part of France, just for a while, but the people of northern France – Paris.
And in this whole operation, I should say rightly that in the enormous planning we have had the complete cooperation of the French military and naval forces in North Africa. Gradually the opposition cooled, and the older regime is breaking down. We have seen what has happened, or is happening at the present moment in Martinique and Guadeloupe, and becoming worse. Well, that is a very major part toward the big objective. It is going to be worth working for. The Navy, the Army, the merchant ships of Martinique, I hope, will be working with us day in and day out toward the unity of all of our forces.
We haven’t won the war yet, but one of the happy things is that with the help of Gen. Giraud, in command of the French forces in North Africa, we have got a unified military situation. Well, that goes a long way; and that is why ever since my friend and I met at Casablanca last January, I became perfectly sure that under Gen. Giraud’s leadership the French military and naval forces in North Africa would more and more work with us, as we have done – not all we want – to help rearm those French forces, and to build up the French strength so that when the time comes, from a military point of view, when we get into France itself and throw the Germans out, there will be a French Army and French ships working with the British and ourselves. That is why it is a very great symbol that Gen. Giraud is here tonight – to come over here to talk to us about his military problems, toward the same objective that all the United Nations have gone – the freedom of France, and with it the unity of France.
So, I think everybody here is very happy to drink with me to the success, health, and happiness of Gen. Giraud.
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Völkischer Beobachter (July 10, 1943)
Gefährliche Pläne in schönen Worten –
Der erpresserische Druck auf Schweden
Von unserer Stockholmer Schriftleitung
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Der vertrauliche Brief Roosevelts –
Todesflugzeug Sikorskis geborgen
dnb. Madrid, 9. Juli –
Nach viertägigen Bemühungen ist es gelungen, das Flugzeug, mit dem Sikorski bei Gibraltar abstürzte, zu bergen und an Land zu bringen. Eine starke Militärwache sorgt dafür, daß sich niemand dem Flugzeug nähert, damit das Geheimnis, das über dem Tode Sikorskis liegt, nicht gelüftet werden kann.
Der vertrauliche Brief des Präsidenten Roosevelt an Sikorski, dessen Inhalt auch den englischen Militärstellen nicht bekannt sein soll, ist nun gefunden worden. Er wurde mit anderen Staatspapieren Sikorskis aus den Trümmern des in Gibraltar abgestürzten Bombenflugzeuges geborgen.
U.S. War Department (July 10, 1943)
Anglo-American-Canadian forces, under command of Gen. Eisenhower, began landing troops in Sicily early this morning (July 10, North African Time). Landings were preceded by an air attack. Naval forces escorted the assault forces and bombarded the coast defenses during the assault.
Allied HQ, Australia (July 10, 1943)
Northwestern Sector:
Dutch New Guinea – TIMIKA: Our medium units bombed the enemy-held village of Keawkwa.
Timor – DILI: Our medium bombers attacked the airdrome, starting a large fire in the dispersal area.
CAPE CHATER (LAUTÉM): Our medium units bombed the runway at night. Results were not observed owing to bad weather.
Northeastern Sector:
New Guinea – SALAMAUA: Our medium bombers, in direct support of ground troops, bombed and strafed enemy positions along Bobdubi Ridge, starting fires. The enemy held villages of Mololo and Busana were also strafed.
NASSAU BAY: Three enemy dive bombers ineffectively attacked the area shortly after dawn.
Solomons Area:
Bougainville.
BUIN FAISI: Our heavy units operating at night, under adverse weather conditions with poor visibility, bombed Kahili Airdrome and enemy bases at Buin and Peporang.
New Georgia.
MUNDA: Our torpedo and dive bombers attacked shortly after dawn, concentrating 70 tons of bombs, ranging to 2,000 pounds each, on enemy bivouacs, supply dumps and anti-aircraft positions between Munda Point and Lambed. Our artillery also engaged enemy anti-aircraft positions. Simultaneously dive bombers attacked enemy bases at Enogai Inlet and Bairoko. A screen of fighters covered these operations. Before dawn, our naval surface units bombarded the Munda base.
Rendova.
Our fighters intercepted and dispersed a force of 45 enemy Zeros, shooting down four, with one of our planes missing.