America at war! (1941–) – Part 5

Star’s kin sends Nazi flag as gift

HOLLYWOOD – Lucille Ball arrived at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer the other day to start her role in Early to Wed, halting all her friends to show them a huge German flag, bearing the Nazi swastika.

The red-haired star had just received it from her brother-in-law, Lt. Kenneth Morgan, along with cheering word of his safety. In a mortar division with the Seventh Army, he had moved into Strasbourg the night of its capture, and had awakened the next morning to find the flag flying outside his room.

Ernie Pyle V Norman

Roving Reporter

By Ernie Pyle

OFF THE OKINAWA BEACHHEAD (by Navy radio) – This is the last column before the invasion. It is written aboard a troop transport the evening before we storm onto Okinawa.

We are nervous. Anybody with any sense is nervous on the right before D-Day. You feel weak and you try to think of things, but your mind stubbornly drifts back to the awful image of tomorrow. It drags on your soul and you have nightmares.

But those fears do not mean any lack of confidence. We will take Okinawa. Nobody has any doubt about that. But we know we will have to pay for it. some on this ship will not be alive 24 hours from now.

We are in convoy. Many, many big ships are lined up in columns with our warships escort on the outsides. We are an impressive escort on the outsides. We are an impressive sight – yet we are only one of many similar convoys.

We left from different places. We have been on our way many days. We are the biggest, strongest force ever to sail in the Pacific. We are going into what we expect to be the biggest battle so far in the Pacific.

Our ship is an APA, or assault transport. The ship itself is a war veteran. She wears five stars on her service ribbon – Africa, Sicily, Italy, Normandy and Southern France. She wears the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Legion of Merit Silver Star. She has fared well on the other side. We hope her luck holds out in the Pacific.

We are carrying Marines. Some of them are going into combat for the first time. Others are veterans from as far back as Guadalcanal. They are a rough, unshaven, competent bunch of Americans. I am landing with them. I feel I am in good hands.

Two of a stripe

I’ve shared a cabin with Marine Maj. Reed Taylor of Kensington, Maryland. He is a Guadal vet and he jokingly belittles newcomers who weren’t through “green hell.” The major and I are sort of two of a stripe and we get along fine.

We have the nicest cabin either of us ever had at sea. And we’ve take advantage of it by sleeping away almost the whole trip. We’ve slept day and night. So have many others.

There is a daily argument on ship whether or not you can store up sleep and energy for the ordeal ahead. The doctor says it’s nonsense – that you can’t store up sleep.

Between naps I’ve read two books. They are Bob Hope’s I Never Left Home (how I wish I never had) and Bob Casey’s Such Interesting People only I wish I could hear Bob Casey tell all those stories in person, lying on his cot in France and roaring and shaking with his own laughter. Bob’s laughter would be good for us now. A Marione officer said, “I haven’t laughed for three days.”

Nobody complains

Our trip has been fairly smooth and not many of the troops were seasick. Down in the holds the Marines sleep on racks four tiers high. It isn’t a nice way to travel. But I’ve never heard anybody complain. They come up on the deck on nice days to sun and to rest and to wash clothes, or lie and read or play cards.

We don’t have movies. The ship is darkened at subset and after that there are only dim lights. The food is good. We get news every morning in a mimeographed paper and once or twice a day the ship’s officers broadcast the latest news over the loudspeaker.

They’ve kept us informed daily of the progress of the Okinawa bombardment that preceded our landing. Every little bit of good news cheers us. The ship, of course, is full of rumors, good and bads, but nobody believes any of them.

Daily briefings

Meetings are held daily among the officers to iron out last-minute details of the landing. Day by day, the Marine troop are fully briefed on what they are to do.

Everything we read about Okinawa stresses that the place is lousy with snakes. It’s amazing the number of people who are afraid of snakes. Okinawa “snake-talk” crops into every conversation.

On the last day we changed our money into newly manufactured “Invasion Yen,” drew two days K rations, took a last bath, and packed our kits before supper. We had a huge turkey dinner and, say, we have steak and eggs for breakfast.

“Fattening us up for the kill,” the boys laughingly say.

At 3 o’clock on the last afternoon there was a celebration of the Lord’s Supper. It was the afternoon before Easter Sunday. A lot of us could not help but feel the tragic irony of it, knowing about tomorrow’s battle.

Stokes: Song of supply

By Thomas L. Stokes

Othman: State of nation

By Frederick Othman

Truman wins fight to oust Pendergast’s prosecutor

District attorney at Kansas City won’t be reappointed despite success in office
By Daniel M. Kidney, Scripps-Howard staff writer

Gracie Allen Reporting

By Gracie Allen

My husband George who is an authority on military affairs says that Hitler and his friends will fight to the last man. George says he doesn’t know just who this “last man” will be but he’s pretty sure his first name won’t be Adolf.

My guess is that John Doe will be a little elderly German wearing thick spectacles. If they haven’t taken those away from him. He’d be the last man left to hold the fort anyway. Whether he wanted to or not, because he hasn’t any armored car to shoot away to a hideout in the Alps.

George says that the only difference between Hitler and his last man and a prizefight manager and his fighter is that sometimes the man in the ring is allowed a cut of the purse.

Japanese women soldiers killed

ABOARD ADM. TURNER’S FLAGSHIP OFF OKINAWA (UP) – Tenth Army soldiers on the Okinawa beachhead reported today that they wiped out one night enemy infiltration group composed in part of three or four women.

A Tenth Army intelligence officer aboard this flagship said the presence of women in the group was revealed following the attack when the bodies were checked.

The women were wearing regulation Jap Army uniforms and were carrying firearms, the officer said.

The entire group was killed at night. Our soldiers knew only that enemy forces wee trying to penetrate our lines.

Inasmuch as the women were wearing men’s army uniforms, they probably could not have been identified as women even in daylight, the officer explained. He pointed out furthermore that since they were carrying arms, they could expect no other treatment than death.

Millett: Incidents highlight solitude

Only war wife can understand
By Ruth Millett


Peace means job rivals

Labor bureau warns women
By Robert Barkdoll, United Press staff writer

Combat pro game –
Colleges alter football rules for spectators

Subject to draft –
Ruling does not exempt players

Republic Steel optimistic on post-war era

Sees heavy demand from auto industry

Gas rate-making methods criticized

4 companies told to reduce charges


Maturity dates of new war bonds announced

Army college training offered to youths, 17

Dennis Day heads Navy’s own musical unit

Tommy Riggs is with same gang
By Si Steinhauser

Senate awaits new nominee for loan job

Crowley, Winant are mentioned

Völkischer Beobachter (April 4, 1945)

Heiliger Volkskrieg

Morgenthau-Plan bleibt das Programm

Kochendes Wasser auf US-Eindringlinge

Führer HQ (April 4, 1945)

Kommuniqué des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht

Im Südabschnitt der Ostfront hält der feindliche Druck zwischen der Drau und der oberen Raab an. Südlich Wien fingen unsere Truppen die über Baden vorgedrungenen Sowjets in erbitterten Kämpfen auf und schossen zahlreiche Panzer ab. Zwischen dem Neusiedler See und der Donau sowie am Verteidigungsring von Preßburg wurden stärkere Angriffe des Gegners nach anfänglichem Geländegewinn zum Stehen gebracht. In den Kleinen Karpaten und beiderseits der Waag konnten die Bolschewisten unsere Linien an einzelnen Stellen zurückdrücken, wurden im Übrigen aber abgewiesen.

In Oberschlesien vereitelten unsere Divisionen zwischen Loslau und Jägerndorf erneute Durchbruchsversuche des Feindes. Gegen die Festung Breslau setzte der Gegner seine Angriffe mit starken Kräften fort. An der Westfront eingebrochene Sowjets wurden nach schweren Kämpfen abgeriegelt. An der Westküste der Danziger Bucht stehen unsere Truppen in der Oxhöfter Kämpe und in der westlichen Weichselniederung weiterhin in schwerem Kampf gegen fortgesetzte starke Angriffe. Nordwestlich Doblen scheiterten wiederholte Angriffe der Bolschewisten.

Im Westen drückten die Engländer unsere Gefechtsvorposten am Waal beiderseits Arnheim nach schweren Kämpfen auf das nördliche Stromufer zurück. An der Issel wie im Raum zwischen Henglo und den nordwestlichen Ausläufern des Teutoburger Waldes sind heftige Angriffe des Feindes und eigene Gegenangriffe im Gange. Panzergrenadiere stießen nordwestlich Burgsteinfurt in die tiefe Flanke des Gegners und vernichteten eine Panzergruppe. In den Straßen von Rheine und Osnabrück wird gekämpft. Über Herford stoßen Panzerspitzen gegen das Gebiet von Bad Oeynhausen vor, während die Besatzung von Münster dem Feind weiter verbissen Widerstand leistet. Im Nordabschnitt der Westfront wurden gestern 54 Panzer abgeschossen.

An der Sieg wiesen unsere Verbände zahlreiche Angriffe zurück und riegelten einzelne örtliche Einbrüche ab. Auch die am Rothaar-Gebirge angreifenden Amerikaner gewannen nur geringfügig Boden.

In Thüringen verteidigen unsere Besatzungen Eisenach und Meiningen. An ihnen vorbeistoßend, gelangten feindliche Kräfte bis in den Raum von Gotha und Suhl. Die Amerikaner verloren in diesen Kämpfen 23 Panzer.

Auch im östlichen Spessart und am Main beiderseits Würzburg wurde die Verteidigung gefestigt. Südlich Ochsenfurt wurde eine schwächere feindliche Panzergruppe zurückgeworfen. Westlich Wimpfen am Neckar musste der Gegner vor den Angriffen unserer Gebirgsjäger zurückweichen. In der Rheinebene südwestlich Bruchsal blieben seine Angriffe in unserem Abwehrfeuer liegen.

Auf der Landbrücke zwischen der Adria und dem Comacchio-See wurden nach starken feindlichen Angriffen unsere Stellungen um wenige Kilometer an den Kanal bei Porto Garibaldi zurückgenommen.

Anglo-amerikanische Bomberverbände griffen gestern Orte in Nord- und Mitteldeutschland an und verursachten besonders schwere Schäden in der Stadt Kiel. In der Nacht war der Großraum Berlin das Ziel britischer Bombenangriffe.

Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (April 4, 1945)

FROM
(A) SHAEF MAIN

ORIGINATOR
PRD, Communique Section

DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN
041100A April

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) SHAEF MAIN
(20) PRO, ROME
(21) HQ SIXTH ARMY GP 
(REF NO.)
NONE

(CLASSIFICATION)
IN THE CLEAR

Communiqué No. 361

UNCLASSIFIED: Allied forces north of Nijmegen have cleared a large area between the Waal and the Neder Rijn. To the northeast along the Twente Canal we have cleared Lochem and have advanced beyond the town to the west.

Northeast of Enschede, we captured Nordhorn. Farther east, our forces advanced through difficult country and have reached the outskirts of Osnabrück.

Münster has been cleared. Northeast of Bielefeld we crossed the Werra River south of Herford and have advanced to the northeast. Our units crossed the Bielefeld-Paderborn road and pushed beyond it to the east.

Railyards at Holzminden and Hameln were bombed by medium and light bombers.

On the northern side of the Ruhr Pocket, our forces crossed the Lippe-Seiten Canal and are fighting in the outskirts of Hamm. To the southeast, we captured Oestereiden and Rüthen.

Winterberg is in our hands, and in the area to the south we made gains of up to two miles toward the west. We repulsed a counterattack southwest of Winterberg and are fighting in Bad Berleburg.

Our forces pushing northward along the southern edge of the Ruhr Pocket crossed the Sieg River ten miles north of Siegen which is in our hands. Netphen, to the northeast, was taken after a three-hour battle.

Southeast of Paderborn, our infantry is advancing into the Hardehausen Forest, where an estimated 1,000 German infantrymen and 20 tanks were bypassed by our spearheads. This enemy force made two unsuccessful counterattacks in the vicinity of Blomenberg and eight of its tanks were knocked out in the first attack. We have cleared Helmern and Borgentreich northwest and northeast of Warburg which has been captured. Fighting continues in Kassel.

German barracks and troop concentrations at Nordhausen, east of Kassel, were bombed by heavy bombers. Airfields at Thal and west of Erfurt were attacked by fighter-bombers.

Fanatical enemy resistance in Aschaffenburg was overcome after several days’ severe fighting. We made gains up to 10 miles to the northeast, reaching Florsbach.

At Würzburg, our infantry, with armor support, crossed the Main River in assault boats and entered the city. Another crossing was made some eight miles to the south. We drove two miles beyond the river but an enemy counterattack cost some of the gains.

Armored columns advancing up to Neckar River closed on Heilbronn farther north and west.

Among 4,400 prisoners taken, mostly in the Heilbronn-Würzburg-Aschaffenburg sector, was another German general who was a hospital patient.

Allied forces in the west captured 27,771 prisoners 2 April.

Artillery positions, east of Aschaffenburg and enemy armor and strongpoints in the outskirts of Würzburg were bombed and strafed by fighter-bombers. Railyards at Würzburg and Stuttgart were attacked by other fighter-bombers.

Three large U-boat bases, the naval base and the shipbuilding center of Kiel were attacked yesterday by escorted heavy bombers in great strength.

Road and rail transport in wide areas stretching from Amersfoort, Holland to Bremen, Germany and motor transport and armor in the Ruhr were attacked by fighter-bombers.

Targets in Berlin and enemy movements in the areas of Bremen, Hamburg, Stendal and Magdeburg were attacked last night by light bombers.

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 FA4655

AUTHENTICATING SIGNATURE
/s/