Clayton: World recovery outlook bright
Stettinius’ aide is ‘encouraged’
By Henry J. Taylor, Scripps-Howard staff writer
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Völkischer Beobachter (January 14, 1945)
Zukunft der europäischen Wirtschaft
Funk sprach vor dem Auslandswissenschaftlichen Institut
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Stimson hat Kopfschmerzen –
Desertionen und Verfallserscheinungen in der US-Etappe
Von unserem Berichterstatter in Portugal
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Führer HQ (January 14, 1945)
Kommuniqué des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht
Die Winterschlacht in den Ardennen hat sich zu neuer Heftigkeit gesteigert Unsere Panzer- und Infanterieverbände standen den ganzen Tag über in harten Kämpfen mit den reuen den gesamten Frontbogen anrennenden amerikanischen Divisionen. Feindliche Angriffe südlich Malmedy scheiterten. Südwestlich Vielsalm wurde der Versuch starker Verbände des Gegners, nach Houffalize durchzubrechen, durch unsere Gegenangriffe vereitelt. Auch im Raum östlich Bastogne gewann der Feind trotz scharfer Kräftezusammenfassung nur unbedeutend Boden.
Im Kampfraum von Hatten und Rittershofen im Elsass versuchten die Amerikaner erneut, bis zu achtmal am Tage angreifend, unsere Truppen aus der eroberten Maginot-Linie zu verdrängen. Ihre Angriffe brachen blutig zusammen.
Von Rheinau bis Erstein ist das gesamte Gebiet zwischen Rhein und 111 vom Feinde gesäubert.
Seit dem 1. Jänner wurden an der Westfront 520 feindliche Panzer abgeschossen oder erbeutet und mehr als 5.000 Gefangene eingebracht.
Aus Mittelitalien und vom Balkan werden keine Kämpfe von Bedeutung gemeldet.
In Ungarn blieb die Gefechtstätigkeit zwischen Plattensee und Donau weiterhin gering Versuche der Bolschewisten, im Schutz der Nacht von Osten her in das Stadtzentrum von Budapest durchzubrechen, wurden durch unsere zäh kämpfende Besatzung vereitelt. Nördlich der Donau vereinigten sich mehrere unserer Angriffsspitzen und engten damit den feindlichen Einbruchsraum weiter ein.
Im ungarisch-slowakischen Grenzgebiet setzte der Gegner zwischen Blauenstein und dem Hernadfluss seine Angriffe mit zahlreichen an den bisherigen Brennpunkten zusammengefass0ten Divisionen fort. Sie wurdet} bis auf einige kleinere Einbrüche abgewiesen, um die noch heftig gekämpft wird.
Aus dem Baranow-Brückenkopf haben sich die Brennpunkte der Abwehrschlacht gegen die neue Großoffensive der Bolschewisten in den Raum zwischen Weichsel, Nida und den Südausläufern der Lysa Gora verlagert. In der Tiefe des Hauptkampffeldes setzten starke deutsche Kampfgruppen, dem Ansturm der feindlichen Infanterie und Panzer erbitterten Widerstand entgegen. Nach bisherigen Teilmeldungen wurden an den beiden ersten Tagen der Schlacht 245 feindliche Panzer vernichtet, davon 134 an einem Tag durch ein Panzerkorps.
Im ostpreußischen Grenzgebiet begann der Feind im Raum Ebenrode–Schlossberg den erwarteten Großangriff nach zweistündiger Stärkster Artillerievorbereitung. Zusammengefasste Gegenwirkung unserer Artillerie auf Bereitstellungsräume und Batteriestellungen der Sowjets lähmte die feindliche Angriffskraft. In harten Kämpfen fingen unsere Truppen den Ansturm von mehreren durch zahlreiche Panzerbrigaden unterstützten Schützenkorps im Hauptkampffeld auf und vernichteten dabei nach den bisherigen Meldungen 56 feindliche Panzer. Im Nordteil des Memel-Brückenkopfes wies die Besatzung starke Angriffe der Bolschewisten in schwungvollen Gegenstößen ab.
Städte am Rhein und die frontnahen Gebiete im Westen wurden gestern durch anglo-amerikanische Terrorflieger mit Bomben angegriffen. In der Nacht flogen die Briten in das Gebiet der Pommerschen Bucht ein. Nachtjäger und Flakartillerie der Luftwaffe brachten 21 viermotorige Bomber zum Absturz.
London lag Tag und Nacht unter unserem Vergeltungsfeuer.
Vor der westnorwegischen Küste hatte ein deutsches Geleit Gefechtsberührung mit einem Verband britischer Seestreitkräfte. Die zu seinem Schutze eingesetzten Kampfmittel der Kriegsmarine versenkten hierbei einen Kreuzer und einen Zerstörer.
Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (January 14, 1945)
FROM
(A) SHAEF MAIN
ORIGINATOR
PRD, Communique Section
DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN
141100A 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. 281
Allied forces in Holland have taken the village of Gebroek in a local attack north of Sittard.
In the Ardennes Salient, east of the Salm River, good progress has been made south of Stavelot and Malmedy. Heavy fighting continued south of Langlire where our troops advanced in the direction of Montleban against stiff opposition.
East of La Roche-en-Ardenne, we have made limited progress against moderate resistance. An enemy counterattack by a small number of tanks supported by infantry was repulsed to the southeast of the town.
South of La Roche, our units continued to follow up the withdrawing enemy and have occupied Ortho. Other forces pushing northward have cleared the enemy from Lavacherie, Sprimont (Fosset), Amberloup and Fosset, and we have reached Roumont in the woods east of the Bastogne–Marche-en-Famenne highway. In the general area of these villages enemy resistance has been confined largely to minefields, booby traps and sniper activity.
Farther east we have reached Gives and our units are just south of Bertogne.
Our forces made progress northeast of Bastogne, reaching a point on the railroad three and one-half miles from the city, and Foy, on the road to Houffalize.
Fighter-bombers struck at rail and road transport in the St. Vith area and elsewhere in the Ardennes Salient, destroyed several tanks and armored vehicles, and strafed enemy infantry south of Prüm. Escorted medium and light bombers attacked communications at Manderfeld. During the night light bombers attacked road and rail transport.
Our units kept up pressure against the western and southern flanks of the lower Vosges Salient and were meeting strong resistance.
In heavy fighting in the Maginot Line positions north of the Haguenau Forest we made progress in the vicinity of Hatten. The enemy fought stubbornly to maintain his last strong point in Rittershoffen against our attacks.
More than 900 escorted heavy bombers attacked railway bridges over the Rhine at Mainz, Mannheim, Worms, Germersheim and Karlsruhe, and railway yards at Bischofsheim and Kaiserslautern. Other escorted heavy bombers attacked enemy communications at Saarbrücken.
Bridges at Steinbrück and Dasburg and a bridge over the Simmer River at Simmern were attacked by medium and light bombers.
Fighter-bombers striking at German communications and supplies in the Kaiserslautern and Bitche areas attacked railway yards at Beeden and Neustadt; hit rail transport near Langmeil and Otterberg; bombed two tunnels and cut the rail line in a number of places between Kaiserslautern and Neustadt; and started fires in an ammunition dump at Durlach.
Fighters and fighter-bombers flew offensive patrols over Holland and into Germany eastward to Münster.
Last night, heavy bombers in strength attacked the synthetic oil plant at Pölitz, near Stettin and again attacked communications at Saarbrücken.
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/The Pittsburgh Press (January 14, 1945)
LUZON INVADERS GAIN 8 MILES
Three forces advancing on road to Manila
Japs still fail to challenge offensive
By William B. Dickinson, United Press staff writer
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All-out drive on Bulge opens
German escape road severed – 1st, 3rd Armies 5½ miles from junction
By James F. McGlincy, United Press staff writer
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Halsey’s attack goes into 11th day
268 Jap ships and 703 planes wrecked
By Mac R. Johnson, United Press staff writer
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3,000 U.S. planes end lull in raids
Heavy bombers hit seven Rhine bridges
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Bombs rip Japs fleeing Mandalay
Greatest fleet ever to strike in Burma
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Presidential seizure threatened –
Beer essential, WLB rules brewery strike must end
Parties to jurisdictional dispute told suds are vital for armed men, civilian morale
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Steel output holds despite shortages
No effect felt yet from fuel ‘crisis’
By Robert Taylor, Press Washington correspondent
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U.S. expected to end break with Finland
Two representatives sent to Helsinki
Washington (UP) –
The United States is expected to begin preparations soon for resumption of full diplomatic relations with Finland after a six-month break.
The actual restoration of normal relations and exchange of ministers plenipotentiary may be several months away, but the first step in that direction was taken yesterday with assignment of two foreign service officers to establish an American mission in Helsinki.
Upon their first reports probably will depend the decision whether to invite Finland to send similar representatives to this country preliminary to establishment of formal relations.
Finn sent home
It will be six months next Wednesday since the State Department denounced Finnish Minister Hjalmar L. Procope as persona non grata for “actions inimical” to the United States. This country formally severed relations with Finland June 20.
Maxwell M. Hamilton, former minister counsellor of the American Embassy in Moscow, will leave Washington soon to become the U.S. representative in Finland with personal rank of minister. He will be assisted by Randolph Higgs, who probably already has left Stockholm for Helsinki.
Never declared war
The United States never declared war on Finland, the break in relations having been followed within three months by Finland’s capitulation to the Russians and the signing of an armistice. But Russia and Great Britain are still technically at war with Finland pending completion of negotiations and signing the peace treaty.
The Soviet and British governments were advised in advance of the American decision to send two diplomats to Finland. Finland, however, was not. She learned of the decision through the department’s press announcement which was presumably forwarded to Finland through Switzerland, the protecting power for U.S. interests in Finland, or through Sweden, the protecting power for Finnish interests in this country.
Representatives there
There were no indications yet that the British and Soviet governments contemplate moves similar to that of the United States.
They have not restored diplomatic representation in Helsinki, but have representatives there as members of the Allied Control Commission, the body set up under the Soviet-British-Finnish armistice terms.
Simms: U.S. to offer pact extending grand alliance
Little nations look to Roosevelt
By William Philip Simms, Scripps-Howard foreign editor
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1,300 combat doughboys return on ‘battle leaves’
Overseas ‘old-timers’ and outstanding heroes return to USA for 30 days
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Connally denies attempted gag
Ball to speak next on foreign policy
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