Othman: End of ‘crisis’
By Frederick C. Othman
…
Nazis’ picture of ‘North American terrorists’ assures Oakland mother ‘missing’ son is alive
War Department sends photo showing U.S. airmen being led through streets of Salonika
…
Many soldiers face death unless 10,000 nurses enlist
Army officers confident women will respond to headquarters’ latest plea
…
Doughboys don’t agree –
7th Army says Nazis nearing gas famine
Prediction based on captured documents
By Clinton B. Conger, United Press staff writer
…
Gracie Allen Reporting
By Gracie Allen
I don’t want to seem suspicious, but the plan to close the racetracks on the heels of an announcement of a crucial meat shortage – well, I hope it’s just a coincidence.
Believe me, my butcher had better not offer me a roast with Santa Anita stamped on it. And even if that’s not to be the case, what are all those racehorses going to do? it will be pretty tough for a horse like Twilight Tear to go from making $50,000 in one afternoon to pulling a milk wagon for $2 a day. And Secretary Morgenthau will never believe the filly’s income tax return.
My George says thousands of bookmakers will be out of work. Well, that doesn’t make sense at all. There is enough demand for “Forever Amber” alone to keep all the bookmakers busy. Well, it’s a man’s world, I guess, and I’ll never understand it.
Millett: There’s no such thing as a ‘too pretty’ picture
First Lady forgets that she lives in era of ‘pinups for morale’
By Ruth Millett
…
Could raise $125 million –
$5 dues plan advocated for Democrats
But non-payers could stay in party
…
Völkischer Beobachter (December 29, 1944)
In bewusster Selbstaufopferung –
‚Sturm-Wikinge‘
Dönitz an die Kämpfer vor der Schelde-Mündung
…
Führer HQ (December 29, 1944)
Kommuniqué des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht
Im belgisch-luxemburgischen Raum kam es gestern in allen Abschnitten zu schweren Kämpfen, ohne dass sich die Lage im Großen veränderte. Von den im Westen eingesetzten 44 amerikanischen Divisionen sind nunmehr 26 in diesem Kampfraum festgestellt. In den Ardennen wurden zwischen Stavelot und Marche weitere Fortschritte erzielt, Gegenangriffe bei Rochefort zerschlagen. Erneute amerikanische Entlastungsangriffe südwestlich und südlich Bastogne und an der luxemburgischen Sauer drangen gegen unsere Abwehr nicht durch; nur in einzelnen Abschnitten gewann der Feind örtlich Boden. In den schweren Kämpfen wurden gestern 36 feindliche Panzer und Panzerspähwagen erbeutet oder vernichtet. Am 27. und 28. Dezember außerdem durch Verbände des Heeres 50 feindliche Flugzeuge und Lastensegler abgeschossen.
Von der gesamten übrigen Westfront werden nur Gefechte von örtlicher Bedeutung gemeldet. Das Fernfeuer auf London, Lüttich und Antwerpen wurde fortgesetzt.
„Sturm-Wikinge“ der Kriegsmarine haben mit ihren Kleinst-U-Booten und Kleinkampfmitteln vor der Schelde-Mündung den feindlichen Schiffsverkehr tagelang angegriffen und unter Selbstaufopferung schwer getroffen. Nach bisher vorliegenden Meldungen haben sie aus der Nachschubflotte des Gegners weit mehr als 40.000 BRT versenkt.
In ganz Mittelitalien war die Kampftätigkeit gestern gering. Vereinzelte britische Vorstöße nordöstlich Faenza scheiterten vor unseren Stellungen.
In Ungarn blieben die erneuten Durchbruchsversuche der Bolschewisten zwischen Plattensee und Donau im Abwehrfeuer unserer Divisionen liegen. Nördlich der Donau hat sich der Uferwechsel unserer Truppen über den Gran trotz starken Eisganges ohne wesentliche Einbußen vollzogen. Die Besatzung von Budapest behauptete den Stadtkern gegen die heftigen Angriffe der Bolschewisten. Südlich der slowakischen Grenze blieben die zwischen der Eipel und dem Quellgebiet des Sajó geführten feindlichen Angriffe ohne nennenswerten Erfolg.
In Kurland setzten die Bolschewisten ihre Großangriffe fort. Truppen des Heeres, der Waffen-SS und lettischer SS-Freiwilligen verbände wehrten die überall wiederum mit starker Artillerie- und Panzerunterstützung angreifenden sowjetischen Divisionen in harten, aber erfolgreichen Kämpfen ab und vernichteten erneut zahlreiche feindliche Panzer.
Bei den gestrigen Einflügen warfen anglo-amerikanische Terrorflieger Bomben vorwiegend auf Orte in West- und Süddeutschland. Vor allem in den Städten Koblenz und Kaiserslautern, die in den letzten Tagen schon mehrfach angegriffen wurden, entstanden erneut Schäden in Wohngebieten. In den frühen Abendstunden richteten sich Angriffe britischer Terrorbomber gegen das westliche Reichsgebiet.
In der Abwehrschlacht in Kurland haben sich die mitteldeutsche 31. Volksgrenadierdivision unter Führung des Generalmajors von Stolzmann und die württembergisch-badische 215. Infanteriedivision unter Führung von Generalleutnant Frankewitz in Abwehr und Angriff hervorragend bewährt. Die 215. Infanteriedivision schlug allein in der Zeit vom 21. bis 27. Dezember 111 feindliche Angriffe, die meisten davon in Bataillons- bis Regimentsstärke, ab.
Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (December 29, 1944)
FROM
(A) SHAEF MAIN
ORIGINATOR
PRD, Communique Section
DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN
291100A December
TO FOR ACTION
(1) AGWAR
(2) NAVY DEPARTMENT
TO (W) FOR INFORMATION (INFO)
(3) TAC HQ 12 ARMY GP
(4) MAIN 12 ARMY GP
(5) SHAEF AIR STAFF
(6) ANCXF
(7) EXFOR MAIN
(8) EXFOR REAR
(9) DEFENSOR, OTTAWA
(10) CANADIAN C/S, OTTAWA
(11) WAR OFFICE
(12) ADMIRALTY
(13) AIR MINISTRY
(14) UNITED KINGDOM BASE
(15) SACSEA
(16) CMHQ (Pass to RCAF & RCN)
(17) COM ZONE
(18) SHAEF REAR
(19) NEWS DIV. MINIFORM, LONDON
(REF NO.)
NONE
(CLASSIFICATION)
IN THE CLEAR
Communiqué No. 265
Enemy patrols are still active across the river Maas in Holland. Along the northern flank of the German salient in the Ardennes, enemy pressure between Stavelot and Hotton has decreased, and Manhay, Grandmenil, and Humain have been retaken after hard fighting. An enemy attack between Hotton and Marche was repulsed with heavy losses to the Germans. Farther west, an enemy force which had been surrounded was mopped up. More than 1,000 prisoners and much equipment, including tanks and vehicles, were taken.
Isolated enemy units are offering stubborn resistance in the area of Saint-Hubert. Allied forces which made contact with our units in Bastogne have entered the town. To the southwest we have reached the outskirts of Sibret and to the south we have cleared Hompré and Salvacourt. Heavy fighting is in progress in the woods north of Assenois. Our units continuing the advance along the southern flanks of the salient have taken Sainlez, Livarchamps, Surre, Boulaide, Baschleiden, Bavigne and Kaundorf. We have crossed the Sure River near Esch.
Between Diekirch and Echternach, we continued to make gains south of the Sauer River. East of Echternach, our patrols have reached the Sauer River at three points, including Rosport.
Unfavorable weather yesterday caused a stepping down of our air attack. Operations were directed mainly against rail targets.
A small number of fighter-bombers attacked road and rail transport in northern Holland and north of the Ruhr.
Heavy bombers, in great strength, with strong fighter escort, struck at railway targets between Köln and Saarbrücken including railway yards and bridges in the vicinity of Köln, Bonn, Koblenz, Neunkirchen and Kaiserslautern.
Fighter-bombers attacked rail and road transport and communications in the areas of Kaiserslautern, Karlsruhe and Stuttgart.
Last night, heavy bombers attacked railway targets at Bonn and Mönchengladbach. Light bombers attacked communications in the La Roche area.
Activity in the Wissembourg area was generally limited to patrolling.
In the high ground west of Colmar, we improved our positions by occupying Le Gras, southeast of Lapoutroie.
COORDINATED WITH: G-2, G-3 to C/S
THIS MESSAGE MAY BE SENT IN CLEAR BY ANY MEANS
/s/
Precedence
“OP” - AGWAR
“P” - Others
ORIGINATING DIVISION
PRD, Communique Section
NAME AND RANK TYPED. TEL. NO.
D. R. JORDAN, Lt Col FA2409
AUTHENTICATING SIGNATURE
/s/U.S. Navy Department (December 29, 1944)
CINCPAC Communiqué No. 217
Liberators of the Strategic Air Force, Pacific Ocean Areas, bombed airstrip installations in Iwo Jima in the Volcanos on December 27 (West Longitude Date). Our planes encountered intense anti-aircraft fire but all returned safely.
Corsairs of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing strafed docking facilities on Babelthuap in the Palaus on the same date.
Fighters of the 4th MARAIRWING bombed and strafed enemy-held bases in the Marshalls on December 28 as neutralizing attacks continued in that area.
CINCPAC Press Release No. 706
For Immediate Release
December 29, 1944
Following is the text of a recording by FAdm. C. W. Nimitz, CINCPAC-POA, broadcast December 26, 1944 over an Office of War Information program originating in Saipan, and beamed to the Japanese homeland:
As Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet, it is my privilege to reveal to you certain facts from the records of the war in the western Pacific.
In the past year the United States has advanced over 2,000 miles westward from the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, and 1,500 miles northwestward from New Guinea, to the Philippines.
Guam, Saipan, Tinian, the Solomons, the Admiralties, New Guinea and Halmahera have fallen to the combined efforts of the Allied forces of all services. Peleliu, Angaur and nearby islands of the Palau group have been occupied. Former major Japanese bases at Yap, Truk, Palau, Rabaul and Kavieng have been neutralized. Remaining units in these ports have been isolated. Enemy survivors are bombed and shelled daily by our planes and ships with no hope of getting support or supplies from the harassed Japanese Navy.
United States task forces have made repeated attacks on the Kurils, the Bonins, Mindanao and Luzon in the Philippines. Ships and fleet air units have shelled and bombed Celebes, Borneo, Java and Sumatra in the East Indies. Our surface ships are making more frequent attacks on Formosa, the Ryukyus, the Kurils and the Philippines.
The United States Fleet is now the strongest in the world. The largest and fastest battleships and aircraft carriers ever built are being added to our naval units. United States industrial technique is building even larger and faster ships and planes in quantities the Japanese cannot hope to match with their present industrial limitations.
Every day the war draws closer to the Japanese homeland. From bases captured and established by Marine, Army and Naval units, air fleets of B-29 Superfortresses are bombing industrial targets in Tokyo and other sections of Japan and Manchuria, just as Allied aerial warfare reduced the productive capacity of Germany.
Important Japan supply lines from her Empire outposts are being severed. Intensified U.S. submarine operations are continuing to sink more Japanese merchant ships loaded with supplies and materials desperately needed either at the front or in the home islands. Carrier-based planes are adding to this shipping toll.
Our progress in the Pacific campaigning has been so successful and uninterrupted that even high Japanese officials have indicated concern. The preponderance of U.S. ships, war materials and manpower portends increased casualties and hardships for Japan’s military, increased destruction and suffering for her industrial sectors.
As the blockade of Japan tightens, as the bombing of Japan is stepped up, as United States productive capacity is enlarged, it is inevitable that Japan will be defeated.
Until the day that Allied victory is complete, the United States Navy is determined to carry the fighting to the very vitals of Japan.