America at war! (1941–) – Part 3

Premier Tōjō out as chief of Jap Army

Tokyo crisis brewing in wake of defeats
By the United Press

Allies threaten two Italian ports

Close to Livorno and Ancona to the east
By Clinton B. Conger, United Press staff writer

U.S. battleships hammer Guam

Former U.S. Navy base blasted 13th day

Trapped Japs kill civilians, selves in cave of horrors

Marines waiting outside hear screams of doomed babies, women and old men

‘Darn sight longer’ war predicted by air official

Stimson’s assistant says fighting in Europe is ‘awfully tough for Allies

Washington (UP) –
An “awfully tough” war in Europe that will last “a darn sight longer than anyone back home thinks except the military” is predicted by Robert A. Lovett, Assistant Secretary of War for Air.

Mr. Lovett, just back from a three-week visit to Britain and a tour of the Normandy beachhead, hit sharply at what he called “the unreasoning optimism that is prevailing back here.”

Although the German Air Force had been temporarily knocked out as a serious threat to Allied air supremacy, he said, a comeback “may eventually be expected.” And, he added:

I see the German Air Force revamping itself to play a new role, with such things as pilotless aircraft.

Mr. Lovett said difficult weather over France was hampering Allied aerial activities almost constantly, while the terrain on Normandy, cut up by hedges and walls into innumerable small fields about the size of six tennis courts each, was difficult for the ground forces.

He told how a six-day period of good weather last February, unprecedented for 30 years, had given the Allied Air Force an opportunity to smash German plane production in preparations for the June 6 invasion.

“That was the end of the Luftwaffe as a first-class striking force,” he said.

Warning of the danger of a comeback, however, he said the Germans could replace major factories in five or six months. He said since D-Day, German aircraft production had enjoyed a comparative respite from attack and it would be necessary to return and destroy the rebuilt plants again in the next four months.

Wallace given farewell pat by Roosevelt

Vice President going to Chicago to face foes
By Lyle C. Wilson, United Press staff writer

Caucus votes 41–21 –
State Democrats split on Wallace

Even Cabinet members on opposite sides
By Kermit McFarland

War materials hit by strike in Bradford

Army, Navy officers seek to end walkout

Dewey charges plot against soldier vote

Demands ‘campaign of deceit be exposed’

Stokes: New Deal’s control of party at stake in Wallace dispute

Gleeful conservatives see chance to move in and regain rule
By Thomas L. Stokes, Scripps-Howard staff writer

Arizona, Montana vote in primaries

Taylor: Democrats really afraid of trend in critical states

By Henry J. Taylor, Scripps-Howard staff writer

Perkins: Democrats to heed labor demands ahead of white-collar plea

It’s safe bet the organized 15 million will get more than the unorganized 20 million
By Fred W. Perkins, Pittsburgh Press staff writer


Wallace denounced by Smith followers

Allen: Running mate for Roosevelt means VP – not Eleanor

And as long as No. 2 spot is wide open race, how about George Burns for the job?
By Gracie Allen

At Democratic conclave –
Liberal benefits to veterans urged

NAM pleads for private employment

Fate of Wallace delivered in a pale green envelope

Anonymous messenger hands letter, dated July 14, to Senator Jackson


Texas delegation battle shifted

2,000 planes rip Germany in U.S. pincer assault

Fliers from Britain hit robot experimental plant; Italy-based raiders attack in south
By Walter Cronkite, United Press staff writer

London, England –
Two U.S. air fleets, totaling about 2,000 planes, struck from Britain and Italy today at Peenemünde, birthplace of Germany’s flying bombs, another Baltic experimental station, the great aircraft center of Friedrichshafen, and the Memmingen Air Base 60 miles southwest of Munich.

The U.S. 8th and 15th Air Forces teamed in the pincer attack on northern and southern Germany. The raid mounted from Britain may have interrupted work on rocket projectiles which Stockholm newspapers speculated might be aimed at the United States.

Crewmen of the nearly 750 Flying Fortresses and Liberators reported that they planted their bombs squarely on the Peenemünde and Zinnowitz targets, touching off great columns of smoke over the mysterious plants.

Three land in Sweden

Stockholm dispatches said three Fortresses landed near Malmö.

Italian headquarters announced the double-barreled raid on Friedrichshafen and Memmingen. Bern reported heavy explosions were audible from the direction of Friedrichshafen, but no German planes were seen in action against the Allied bombers. One U.S. bomber landed at the Dübendorf Airdrome in Switzerland.

The Flying Fortresses and their escort of 500 fighters sent a great weight of blockbusters and incendiary bombs crashing down on laboratories and other buildings at Peenemünde, 60 miles northwest of Stettin, and Zinnowitz, both on the Baltic Sea coast.

Weather good

Other unidentified targets in Northwest Germany were also hit by the 8th Air Force armada, which flew out from Britain in the first good weather in many days.

The fighter escort in the raid on North Germany shot down 21 enemy planes and lost two.

Crewmen said they saw their bombs crash on three buildings, comprising the target, where the Germans were understood to manufacture chemicals for use in connection with their flying bombs.

The raid on Peenemünde was the first since RAF bombers hit the town on the night of Aug. 17, 1943, killing several of Germany’s top scientists in a surprise attack that was believed to have set back experimental work on robot bombs by a number of months.

Making new robots

It was possible that the experimental stations at Peenemünde and Zinnowitz were now engaged in manufacturing and testing rocket projectiles which Swedish reports said carry 10 tons of explosives and are 25 times more destructive than the present jet-propelled missiles.

The air correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph said yesterday that reports the Germans have robot projectiles powerful enough to be sent to New York “cannot be completely disregarded.”

British four-engined Stirlings and Halifaxes last evening attacked robot bomb installations on coast of northern France while Mosquitoes raided Berlin. All bombers returned safely. A fighter which helped escort the bombers to northern France was lost, but the pilot was rescued.

Despite the heavy attacks on launching platforms in northern France, the Germans continued to hurl their robot bombs against London and southern England and additional damage and casualties were reported both last night and today.

College damaged

Censorship restrictions were lifted to permit disclosure that robot bombs recently had damaged the 325-year-old Dulwich College in London, though no casualties resulted.

For three hours after midnight, the southeast coast rocked under the vibration of a heavy bombardment across the strait and some reports said the salvoes of big guns could be heard among the crash of bombs.

With clearing weather, the Allies opened their large-scale air activity this morning over the Normandy battlefront, with strong forces of U.S. Marauders and Havocs ranging over the British front shortly after dawn to smash at tank and vehicle concentrations.

During the night, 2nd Tactical Air Force Mosquitoes bombed bridges over the Seine, including the important one at Vernon, and attacked river barges with cannon. Intruders destroyed at least one German plane during the night.

Fly 3,000 sorties

Supreme Headquarters announced that in yesterday’s 3,000 sorties, of which nearly 1,000 were in direct support of troops, 24 German planes were destroyed at a loss of 10 Allied aircraft.

Approximately 250 German fighters were reported over the battlefront yesterday, although they confined most of their activities to hit and run strafing of troops rather than aerial combat.

MacArthur fliers blast five ships

Troop-laden transport among those hit

Four powers to open talks on peace plan

Post-war parleys to begin next month

Victory in 1944 ‘quite likely,’ Monty asserts

Things are going well, general declares

London, England (UP) –
Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery said in a broadcast from France last night that it is “quite likely” the Allies will knock Germany out of the war this year.

Recalling that when he spoke to his officers on the eve of D-Day, he told them “if we do our stuff properly this year in this business, we shall have Germany out of the war this year.” Gen. Montgomery added: “I still hold to that.”

The commander of the Allied invasion armies in France said:

Things are going very well, generally speaking. The great victories on the Russian front, with immense numbers of Germans being written off, are very excellent.

Everything is going well, yet you know as well as I do that the German who is fighting us is a very great fighter defensively.

Gen. Montgomery said that he visited a hospital recently where a badly wounded German prisoner was told that only a blood transfusion could save him.

“He saw the bottle of blood and asked: ‘Is that British blood?’” Gen. Montgomery said.

Told that it was and that he would die if he did not submit to the transfusion, the Nazi said, “All right I will die.” Gen. Montgomery said:

And he did. That will show you the sort of man we are fighting – fanatical Nazis who feel like that.