America at war! (1941–) – Part 4

8778

Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (February 16, 1945)

FROM
(A) SHAEF MAIN

ORIGINATOR
PRD, Communique Section

DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN
161100A February

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) 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) AFHQ for PRO, ROME
(20) HQ SIXTH ARMY GP

(REF NO.)
NONE

(CLASSIFICATION)
IN THE CLEAR

Communiqué No. 314

UNCLASSIFIED: Allied forces have captured Warbeyen, northeast of Kleve, and advanced beyond it toward the Rhine. South of the Reichswald Forest we have extended our bridgehead across the Niers River and captured Kessel and Hommersum, despite stiffening enemy resistance.

Fortified towns in the Prüm sector were attacked by our fighter-bombers.

In the area northwest of Echternach, our ground units gained one-half mile northward against strong resistance to reach high ground one mile southeast of Cruchten. A quarter-mile gain was made to the area one and a half miles north of Ferschweiler and one mile west of the Prüm River. Our units just north of Echternach continue to clear enemy pillboxes.

In the area southeast of Remich, we gained three-fourths of a mile against small arms and mortar fire to reach a point one mile southeast of Sinz. A number of pillboxes were cleared in this operation.

In northern Alsace, west of Haguenau, an enemy raid across the Moder River following an artillery concentration was repulsed. Strasbourg and Saverne underwent hostile shelling.

Allied forces in the west captured 1,499 prisoners 13 February.

Rail bridges at Sinzig, Mayen and Bremm, rail traffic and other communications targets west of the Rhine from Cologne to the southwest of Koblenz were attacked by medium, light and fighter-bombers.

North of the Alsace and east of the upper Rhine, other medium and fighter-bombers in strength attacked six railway yards, including those at Offenburg, which were hit twice during the day. Other targets were road transport, armored vehicles, supply dumps and barracks.

Transportation targets in Dresden and Cottbus and a synthetic oil refinery near Magdeburg were attacked by more than 1,100 escorted heavy bombers. Rail transport was strafed by some of the escorting fighters.

In other areas, bad weather restricted air operations.

During the day six enemy aircraft were shot down and five others were destroyed on the ground. Fifteen of our heavy bombers, one medium bomber and nine fighters are missing.

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/
8779

U.S. Navy Department (February 16, 1945)

CINCPOA Communiqué No. 260

Carrier aircraft of the Fifth Fleet are continuing to attack the Tokyo area.

Preliminary reports indicate that substantial damage was inflicted on enemy installations on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands. In spite of adverse weather conditions during the bombardment by battleships and cruisers of the Pacific Fleet on February 16, our carrier aircraft set two luggers ablaze and three bombers were probably destroyed on the ground. A Kingfisher seaplane from one of the cruisers in the bombardment force shot down a Zero landplane fighter. One of our aircraft was destroyed by enemy antiaircraft fire but the pilot was rescued. Enemy shore batteries which fired on the bombardment group were silenced by the guns of the fleet. The bombardment is continuing.

On February 15, Army Liberators of the Strategic Air Force, Pacific Ocean Areas, bombed Iwo Jima in the Volcanos and Chichijima in the Bonins.

On the same date, StrAirPoa Army Liberators and Navy search planes of Fleet Air Wing One struck the airfields in Truk Atoll. Two enemy fighters and moderate anti-aircraft fire were encountered.

8780

The Pittsburgh Press (February 16, 1945)

1,300 NAVY PLANES RIP TOKYO
1,000 tons dropped in 9 hours – big fleet 300 miles off Japan

U.S. warships hit Iwo Island below capital at same time
By Frank Tremaine, United Press staff writer

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8781

Allies clear springboard on Rhine River

Canadians slowed in other sectors

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8782

Three U.S. fleets now blasting Japs

Yanks know enemy Navy’s whereabouts

…

8783

Main Jap line on Bataan cut

Yanks in Manila continue mop-up

MANILA, Philippines (UP) – U.S. troops broke through the main Jap defense line on Bataan today. The Yanks advanced swiftly into the southern half of the peninsula to avenge the U.S. Army’s defeat there in 1942 – the bitterest of the war.

The breakthrough on Bataan came as other Yanks shot and bayoneted their way through the smoke-shrouded streets of Manila in a no-quarter battle against thousands of fanatical Japs holed up in the southern half of the city.

Vanguards of the U.S. 11th Army Corps all but sealed the conquest of Bataan yesterday with the capture of the Balanga-Pilar area in a five-mile advance down the east coast of the peninsula from Abucay.

Belanga and Pilar formed the eastern anchor of the defense line on which Lt. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright’s heroic troops made their last stand on Bataan in the dark days of 1942.

The fall of the two towns put Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s forces astride the only remaining lateral highway on Bataan, running from Pilar to the west coast town of Bagac. With that line cut, the remaining Japs on the peninsula-appeared to have little chance of waging organized resistance for any length of time.

South of Pilar, the Americans were pushing into rugged, mountainous terrain only 16 miles from the southern tip of the peninsula and about 18 miles from Corregidor.

Blast Corregidor

Corregidor, guarding the entrance to Manila Bay, was rocking continuously to the blast of American bombs in a non-stop bombardment that clearly pointed to an imminent amphibious attack on the island.

A force of B-24 Liberators heaped another 112 tons of bombs on the rock fortress Wednesday without drawing an answering shot from the island’s gun batteries. Headquarters observers warned, however, that “the Rock” is not likely to be an “easy murk” for an American landing, since the Japs are well entrenched there and probably have plenty of big guns emplaced deep in the island caves, out of reach of bombs.

Swarms of U.S. attack planes were supporting the drive down Bataan.

Gain slowly in Manila

Inside Manila, however, the advance was going ahead more solely, with the heaviest fighting centered around Fort McKinley, on the southeastern outskirts of the city, and on the eastern and southern approaches to the old Walled City on the Manila waterfront.

The Japs in both pockets were being whittled down steadily, but they were fighting hard and ruthlessly, burning everything in the wake of their retreat and slaughtering Filipino civilians inside their lines.

One strong enemy group barricaded themselves inside the Philippine General Hospital while the Yanks closed in from three sides, firing cautiously to avoid injury to a number of Americans believed to be in the building.

Japs tricked

Captured Jap documents revealed that the enemy had been tricked completely by the American landing at Lingayen Gulf, 110 miles north of Manila, apparently having expected the main attack to come in the Batangas area to the south.

As a result, the Japs were unable to put up a really strong defense north of Manila and the conquest of the northern half of the city was relatively easy.

South of the Pasig River, however, the enemy concentrated perhaps 20,000 crack troops in and around the city, and covered the streets with mines, artillery and machine guns in the mistaken belief that they could turn the capital into a death trap for Gen. MacArthur’s troops.

8784

Earle’s wife files suit for divorce

Claims ex-governor deserted her in 1942

…

8785

Southworth’s son missing in B-29 crash in New York

Four other crew members lost as Superfortress overshoots airport – five men rescued

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8786

Purple Heart critic blasted by Jane Froman

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Circus men plead ‘no defense’

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8787

Drew Pearson sues Pegler

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8788

1,000 Fortresses hit plants in Ruhr

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7 planes crash – 8 fliers killed

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8789

Senator wants Chaplin deported to protect girls

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8790

Woman delegate wants Hitler exiled

NEW YORK (UP) – Dean Virginia Gildersleeve of Barnard College, the only woman delegate to the United Nations Conference in San Francisco April 25, favors demilitarization of Germany and exile of Adolf Hitler to a remote island in lieu of his execution because he is mad.

She said in an interview:

I should like to see Hitler taken to a remote island and kept there while he lives – quite quietly. I should prefer that to having him executed, but I consider him a madman, and I do not like the idea of executing a madman. However, I should not feel too dreadfully if some other procedure should be followed.

8791

One of 5 survivors tells story –
1,800 Allied prisoners perish as sub sinks rat-trap Jap ship

By Leonard C. Schubert, United Press staff writer

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600 Jap planes blasted by B-29s

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8792

Liberated prisoners give $708 to Red Cross

MANILA, Philippines (UP) – The liberated Baguio internment camp has contributed 1,405 pesos, 56 centavos (about $708) in genuine Philippines currency and coin to the Red Cross, it was disclosed today.

The money, saved for more than two and a half years, represented a commissary surplus at the time the internees were transferred to Baguio from the former Army post, Camp John Hay, where they had to buy their own food.

8793

Labor’s peace demands take form in Britain

Report adopted after Russians amend it
By Fred W. Perkins, Pittsburgh Press staff writer

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8794

Lewis upsets carefully-laid plans for return to AFL

Cagey, unpredictable mine boos maneuvers negotiations in hope of further concessions
By Ned Brooks, Scripps-Howard staff writer

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Pay raise asked for Congress

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8795

How to address mail to freed Luzon captives

WASHINGTON (UP) – The War Department, today issued instructions for addressing letters to military and civilian personnel liberated from Jap camps on Luzon Island.

The correct method of addressing such letters is as follows:

Name of person,
(Use serial number for military personnel),
American Red Cross,
Civilian War Affairs Section,
APO 442, Care of Postmaster,
San Francisco, California

The War Department said mail will be limited to letters and postcards. It should be addressed in this manner only when destined for recently released personnel, Regular mail service between the United States and Luzon for other civilians will be resumed at a later date.

Every effort will be made to send all mail for berated prisoners by airmail, the War Department promised.

8796

Prize for Congress creates stir

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8797

End of Tokyo radio concert signals raid has started

Nimitz grins broadly after announcing accomplishment of ‘deeply cherished desire’
By William F. Tyree, United Press staff writer

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Superfortresses act as eyes for Navy raid

Spot Jap convoys for U.S. carriers

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