America at war! (1941–) – Part 4

6919

U.S. Navy Department (January 10, 1945)

Press Release

For Immediate Release
January 10, 1945

Three destroyers lost during Pacific typhoon

While taking part in recent combat operations in the Western Pacific, three destroyers of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were lost and a number of vessels suffered damage during a typhoon of severe intensity which developed with great rapidity.

The importance of the operational situation was such that the operations in hand could not be suspended or altered because of weather conditions.

The ships lost were the USS HULL (DD-350), LCDR James Alexander Marks (USN), Commanding Officer; the USS SPENCE (DD-512), LCDR James Paul Andrea (USN), Commanding Officer; and the USS MONAGHAN (DD-354), LCDR Floyd Bruce Garrett Jr. (USN), Com­manding Officer.

A thorough search of the area by aircraft and surface vessels was conducted over a period of days. The Commanding Officer, four other officers and forty-nine men of the HULL were rescued. Twenty‑four of the personnel of the SPENCE, including one officer of the Supply Corps, were saved. Six of the personnel of the MONAGHAN were rescued.

The next of kin of casualties of the HULL and MONAGHAN have been informed and those of the SPENCE will be notified by telegram as soon as information becomes available.

A Court of Inquiry headed by VADM J. H. Hoover, USN, was duly convened by FADM C. W. Nimitz, USN, to investigate all the circumstances.

Communiqué No. 567

Pacific Area.
The following craft have been lost in the Pacific Area recently as a result of enemy action:

  • 4 landing craft (LST)
  • 1 motor torpedo boat
  • 1 small submarine chaser
  • 1 small auxiliary vessel

The above, in addition to the loss of the destroyers USS HULL (DD-350), USS MONAGHAN (DD-354), and USS SPENCE (DD-512), announced in a Navy Department Press Release today, together with losses previously announced in communiqués and press releases, covers all losses of surface craft during the Philippine campaign up to December 31, 1944.

6920

Völkischer Beobachter (January 11, 1945)

Deutsche Gefangene misshandelt

Schandtaten der Nordamerikaner und Gaullisten

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6921

‚Einfach umbringen!‘

Härtester Kampfwille gegen blindwütigen Hass
Von Prof. Dr. Johann von Leers

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6922

Beispiel Royan

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6923

Kochende US-Volksseele

Von unserem Berichterstatter in Schweden

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6924

Erster Augenzeugenbericht –
Yankees auf Luzon gelandet

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6925

Führer HQ (January 11, 1945)

Kommuniqué des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht

Um die tiefen Flanken unseres Frontbogens in den Ardennen besser abzustützen, wurde der über die Ourthe nach Westen vorspringende Teil, ohne vom Feinde bedrängt zu werden, zurückgenommen und die Stadt Saint-Hubert aufgegeben. Die dort eingesetzten englischen Divisionen folgen unseren Bewegungen nur zögernd.

An der Nordflanke des Kampfraumes südwestlich Vielsalm vermochten die Amerikaner mit ihren verlustreichen Angriffen gegen unsere starke Abwehr nicht durchzudringen. Auch im Gebiet von Bastogne hat sich trotz des anhaltenden feindlichen Druckes nach Norden der Frontverlauf nicht wesentlich verändert.

In Lothringen eroberten unsere Truppen den seit Tagen umkämpften Ort Rimling nördlich Rohrbach. Die Waldkämpfe um die Talausgänge der Unteren Vogesen dauern an.

In der Rheinebene nahmen deutsche Verbände weitere Befestigungen der Maginot-Linie bei Hatten im Sturm und befreiten zahlreiche Orte im mittleren Elsass. Nach heftigen Kämpfen wurden südlich Erstein eingeschlossene feindliche Kräfte vernichtet, ihre Reste in Stärke von über 300 Mann in die Gefangenschaft abgeführt.

Zur Störung des feindlichen Nachschubs liegen Lüttich und Antwerpen unter verstärktem Fernbeschuss.

Die Kampfpause in Mittelitalien dauert an.

Bei starkem Schneetreiben wurden in Ungarn zahlreiche feindliche Angriffe südlich und nordöstlich des Vértesgebirges abgewehrt und dabei 16 sowjetische Panzer abgeschossen.

An der Ostfront von Budapest nahm der Gegner erst am Nachmittag seine Angriffe wieder auf. Sie scheiterten sämtlich trotz des Einsatzes zahlreicher Flammenwerfer auf Panzern am zähen Widerstand, der Besatzung.

In gut fortschreitendem Angriff engten unsere Verbände den feindlichen Einbruchsraum nördlich der Donau ein. Bei der Abwehr feindlicher Gegenangriffe wurden 17 bolschewistische Panzer vernichtet.

Am Brückenkopf Memel brachen deutsche Grenadiere und Panzer auf einer Frontbreite von vier Kilometer überraschend in die feindlichen Stellungen ein und fügten den Sowjets bei geringen eigenen Ausfällen empfindliche Verluste zu.

An der übrigen Ostfront blieb die Kampftätigkeit gering.

Die nordamerikanischen Terrorbomber griffen gestern den frontnahen Raum im Westen und Orte am Rhein an. In den frühen Abendstunden warfen britische schnelle Kampfflugzeuge Bomben auf Hannover.

Der Großraum von London liegt dauernd unter unserem Vergeltungsfeuer.

Der Obergefreite Schwamm, Kradmelder im Stabe eines Panzergrenadierregiments, vernichtete auf einer Meldefahrt nördlich der Donau innerhalb einer Stunde drei feindliche Panzer und eine schwere Panzerabwehrkanone mit Nahkampfmitteln.

6926

Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (January 11, 1945)

FROM
(A) SHAEF MAIN

ORIGINATOR
PRD, Communique Section

DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN
111100A January

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. 278

On the northern flank of the Ardennes Salient, Allied forces have cleared the west bank of the Salm River as far south as Salmchâteau. The village of Samrée has been taken after heavy fighting.

Farther west, our units continued to follow up the withdrawing enemy. Hodister has been captured and we are patrolling forward to the La Roche–Marche-en-Famenne road. South of Marche-en-Famenne, we have crossed the Homme River and occupied Ambly. Opposition has been slight, but mines are plentiful.

On the southern flank of the salient, Tillet is in our hands after hard fighting. In the wooded area just west of the town, our troops have made gains of about a quarter of a mile. We have been forced back from Flamierge. Our units have reached points four and a half miles directly north of Bastogne and have taken Recogne.

In the sector south and east of Bastogne, our forces have cleared the enemy from Villers-la-Bonne-Eau and Harlange. Farther east, we have taken Berlé and our units are one-half mile north of the town. We hold high ground one and a half miles southwest of Wiltz. Fighter-bombers operating in this sector attacked enemy transport and troop barracks.

More than 1,100 heavy bombers escorted by 300 fighters attacked bridges, railway yards and airfields in western Germany and road bridges and junctions on the German-Belgian frontier at the base of the Ardennes Salient. Targets included road and rail bridges over the Rhine River at Köln, airfields in the areas of Köln, Bonn and Euskirchen and marshalling yards at Karlsruhe.

Southwest of Saarbrücken, we gained more than 2,000 yards against moderate resistance and entered Oetingen.

Progress also was made on the east side of the enemy wedge in the lower Vosges Mountains where Obermuhlthal was occupied by our forces.

In the Rhine River Valley, north of the Haguenau Forest, fighting continued at Hatten where a strong enemy thrust was turned back on Tuesday. Along the Rhine, nearby, there was fighting at several points in the enemy bridgehead north of Strasbourg.

Enemy attacks were repulsed in the Alsace Plain between Strasbourg and Colmar.

Supply dumps at Zweibrücken and Pirmasens were destroyed by fighter-bombers.

Striking along the Rhine River Valley from Landau southward to Mulhouse, other fighter-bombers destroyed an ammunition dump at Landau and hit a supply dump at Durlach; bombed and strafed targets at Rastatt, Freistett and Wittenweier; destroyed ten enemy tanks and damaged others northeast of Colmar and east of Emmendingen; hit a bridge a Riegel, and cut the railway line in a number of places between Colmar and Mulhouse.

Early last night, a force of light bombers attacked Hanover.

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/
6927

The Pittsburgh Press (January 11, 1945)

YANKS TAKE 30 LUZON TOWNS
MacArthur’s invaders push 20 miles inland

Reach first river on road to Manila
By William B. Dickinson, United Press staff writer

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6928

Nazis flee to West Wall

Yanks take Laroche, northern anchor of salient in Belgium
By J. Edward Murray, United Press staff writer

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6929

Jap swimmers attack U.S. fleet

Most of enemy die – light damage caused

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6930

Germans strip six Yanks, open up with machine guns

One doughboy feigns death, then, almost frozen, escapes through icy woods
By John B. McDermott, United Press staff writer

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6931

Roosevelt and Senators confer on foreign policy

President and bipartisan delegation also discuss ‘Big Three’ meeting

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6932

5 more on trial in cigarette thefts

Army officer tells of undercover work

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6933

U.S. casualties now at 646,380

Losses from German drive due next week

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6934

Stimson: Men under 30 facing draft

330,000 now deferred must be summoned

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6935

Shop windows and billboards to be darkened

Byrnes’ order results from coal shortage

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6936

Allied command ousts British broadcaster

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6937

Butter shortage to become worse

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6938

I DARE SAY —
Life begins at any age

By Florence Fisher Parry

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