Legion fights curbs on loans to servicemen
Sweeping changes in G.I. Bill sought
By Ned Brooks, Scripps-Howard staff writer
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Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
Before he was killed on Ie Shima, Ernie Pyle, as was his habit, had written a number of columns ahead. He did this so there would be no interruptions in the column while he was getting material for more. Several more are expected.
OKINAWA (by Navy radio) – It’s marvelous to see a bunch of American troops go about making themselves at home wherever they get a chance to settle down for a few days.
My company of First Division Marines dug in at the edge of a bomb-shattered village. The village was quaint and not without charm. I was astonished at the similarity with the villages of Sicily and Italy.
The town didn’t really seem oriental. The houses were wooden one-story buildings, surrounded by little vegetable gardens. Instead of fences, each lot was divided by rows of shrubs or trees. The cobblestoned streets were just wide enough for a jeep. They were winding and walled on both sides by head-high stone walls.
A good part of the town lay shattered. Scores of the houses had burned and only ashes and red roofing tile were left. Wandering around, I counted the bodies of four Okinawans still in the streets. Otherwise the town was deserted.
The people had fled to their caves in the hillsides, taking most of their personal belongings with them. There is almost no furniture in Japanese houses, so they didn’t have to worry about that.
After a few days the grapevine carried the word to them that our commander picked out a nice little house on a rise at the edge of town for his command post.
Marines on an afternoon off
The house was very light, fairly clean, and the floors were covered with woven straw mats. A couple of officers and a dozen men moved into the house and slept on the floor and we cooked our rations over an open stone cookstove in the rear.
Then the word went around for the men of the company to dig in for several days. Two platoons were assigned to dig in along the outer sides of the nearby hills for perimeter defense.
The boys were told they could keep the horses they had commandeered, that they could carry wooden panels out of the houses to make little doghouses for themselves, but not to take anything else, and that they could have fires, except during air alerts.
They weren’t to start their daily mop-up patrols in the brush until the next day, so they had the afternoon off to clean themselves up and fix up their little houses.
Different men did different things. Some built elaborate houses about the size of chicken houses, with floor mats and chairs and even kerosene lanterns hanging from the roof.
One Mexican boy dug a hole, covered it with boards, and then camouflaged it so perfectly with brush you really couldn’t see it.
Some spent the afternoon taking baths and washing clothes in the river. Some rode bicycles around town. Some rode their horses up and down. Some foraged around town through the deserted houses. Some went looking for chickens to cook. Some sat in groups and talked. Some just slept.
Wear Jap kimonos
An order went out against wearing Jap clothing or eating any of the local vegetables, pork, goat, beef or fowl. But this was before the order came out.
The Marines had dug up lots of Japanese kimonos out of the smashed houses and put them on while washing their one set of clothes. If you ever want to see a funny sight, just take a look at a few dozen dirty and unshaven Marines walking around in pink and blue women’s kimonos.
A typical example was Pvt. Raymond Adams of Pleasant, Tennessee. He had fixed himself a dugout right on the edge of a bluff above the river. He had a grand view and a nice little grassy front yard. Out there he had driven stakes and built a fire. He hung his helmet over the fire like a kettle and was stewing chicken. He had taken off his clothes and put on a beautiful pink and white kimono.
Later a friend came along with a Jap bicycle with one pedal off, and Adams tried without much success to ride it up and down a nearby lane.
If there ever is a war play about Marines, I hope they include one tough-looking private in a pink-and-white kimono, stewing chicken and trying to ride a one-pedaled bicycle through a shattered Japanese village.
Pvt. Adams is married and has a boy eight months old he has never seen. If the baby could have seen his father that day he would probably have got the colic from laughing so much.
Innsbrucker Nachrichten (April 24, 1945)
Veränderungen im US-Kabinett?
Truman umgibt sich mit neuen Mitarbeitern – Vor der San-Franzisko-Konferenz
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Feindverluste auf Okinawa
Ostasiendienst des DNB
Tokio, 23. April – Die Kämpfe auf den Ryukyu-Inseln nahmen im Verlauf der letzten Tage an Heftigkeit zu.
Der Feind führte Luftangriffe mit etwa 600 Flugzeugen gegen das gesamte Gebiet der Gruppe und vor allem gegen das Hauptinsel Okinawa durch und ging mit etwa 10,000 Mann im Süden Okinawas zum Angriff über. In den erbitterten Kämpfen konnte jedoch der feindliche Ansturm überall vor den vordersten japanischen Linien zum Stehen gebracht werden. 40 Panzer wurden zusammengeschossen. Die feindlichen Verluste waren hoch. Indessen haben die Nordamerikaner weitere Truppen gelandet. Der Kampf um diesen wichtigen Außenposten im japanischen Verteidigungsring geht mit aller Macht weiter. Zu den Kämpfen in Burma erfahren wir: In Burma find heftige Kämpfe zwischen den Engländern und den japanischen Verteidigern im Gange. Die Stoßrichtung des englischen Angriffs liegt an der Straße nach Rangun.
Führer HQ (April 24, 1945)
Kommuniqué des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht
Im Frontbogen südlich des Semmering warfen unsere Truppen die Sowjets noch weiter zurück und wiesen Angriffe bei Altmark und Traisen ab. Zwischen Laa an der Thaya und Nikolsburg sowie südlich Brünn konnte der Feind keine nennenswerten Erfolge erzielen. In diesem Kampfraum wurden 52 Panzer abgeschossen.
Im Südabschnitt der großen Schlacht zwischen den Sudeten und der Pommerschen Bucht drangen unsere Truppen in schwungvollem Angriff bis in den Raum hart östlich Wart vor. In der Stadt verteidigt sich die Besatzung weiter gegen starke Angriffe. Durch die Unterbrechung seiner rückwärtigen Verbindungen nordwestlich Brünn wurde der Gegner gezwungen, seine auf Dresden vorgeschobenen Angriffsspitzen zurückzunehmen. Priegnitz und Kamenz sind wieder in unserer Hand. Im Raum südlich Spremberg binden eigene Truppen in harten Kämpfen starke Kräfte der Bolschewisten.
Von Jüterbog stößt der Feind auf Wittenberg vor. An der Linie Guben-Frankfurt-Fürstenwalde wurden heftige Angriffe abgewiesen oder aufgefangen.
In der Schlacht um die Reichshauptstadt stießen die Bolschewisten trotz erbitterten Widerstandes unserer Truppen und Volkssturmeinheiten bis in den Raum südöstlich Brandenburg, südlich Potsdam und nördlich Königs Wusterhausen bis in die Randgebiete der östlichen und westlichen Stadtgebiete vor.
An der nördlichen Oderfront griff der Feind bei Schwetz erfolglos an, konnte seinen Brückenkopf zwischen Schwetz und Stettin dagegen erweitern. Nordöstlich Pillau vereitelten unsere Verbände in schweren Waldkämpfen nächtliche Durchbruchsversuche.
Beiderseits der unteren Ems wurden wiederholte Angriffe abgewiesen, dabei eine große Anzahl Panzer abgeschossen und Gefangene eingebracht.
Der Schwerpunkt der Kampfhandlungen in Nordwestdeutschland lag gestern zwischen der Aller, der nördlichen Weser und der Elbe bei Stade. In schweren wechselvollen Kämpfen gelang es dem Gegner trotz vielfacher Überlegenheit nicht unsere Front zu durchbrechen. Während im sächsischen Raum und im Vogtland weiterhin Kampfruhe herrscht, halten die feindlichen Angriffe gegen den Raum Eger-Weiden an.
In Süddeutschland richtete sich der Hauptdruck der Amerikaner nach Südosten gegen den Nordteil des Bayrischen Waldes und den Großraum Regensburg. Unsere Gegenangriffe gegen die tiefe Flanke der auf die Donau durchgedrungenen Kräfte sind zwischen Ehingen und Regensburg in gutem Fortschreiten. Versuche, der Amerikaner, ihren Brückenkopf südlich Dillingens zu erweitern, brachen verlustreich zusammen. Aus dem Raum Sigmaringen drang der Feind weiter, nach Südosten vor. Mit den westlich davon durchgebrochenen Panzerspitzen sind heftige Kämpfe im Abschnitt Tuttlingen-Donaueschingen und weiter südlich im Gange.
In Italien hält das erbitterte Ringen in unverminderter Härte an, ohne dass sich die Gesamtlage wesentlich veränderte.
Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (April 24, 1945)
FROM
(A) SHAEF MAIN
ORIGINATOR
PRD, Communique Section
DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN
241100B 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 MAIN
(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) HQ SIXTH ARMY GP
(21) WCIA OR OWI WASHINGTON FOR RELEASE TO COMBINED U.S. AND CANADIAN PRESS AND RADIO AT 0900 HOURS GMT
(REF NO.)
NONE
(CLASSIFICATION)
IN THE CLEAR
Communiqué No. 381
UNCLASSIFIED: Allied forces in north Holland beat off an enemy counterattack near Wagenborgen and are fighting in Appingedam.
Our forces in Germany, advancing down the right bank of the Weser, captured Uphusen, five miles from the outskirts of Bremen.
Enemy defense positions around Bremen were attacked by medium bombers. West of Oldenburg, fighter-bombers hit a concentration of field guns.
West of Hamburg we have occupied Harsefeld and Oostenbrugge.
Enemy forces which penetrated the Klotz area 19 April, and subsequently were pocketed, have been mopped up except for a few stragglers.
Dessau has been cleared and our forces are fighting in the western part of Eilenburg. Our patrols crossed the Mulde River in the vicinity of Eilenburg.
In Czechoslovakia, our troops liberated Thonbrunn and Dolreuth. To the south, in Germany, our infantry cleared Tirschenreuth after meeting strong resistance from 1,500 Hungarian troops who ultimately surrendered.
Our armor cleared Weiden and advanced south to enter Nabburg and Schwarzenfeld. Our infantry, advancing with the armor, reached the vicinity of Mantel and entered Aschach.
Southwest of Amberg, we reached the vicinity of Kastl and cleared Neumarkt after repelling a small counterattack.
South of Nuremberg, our armor and infantry made gains up to ten miles and reached Weissenburg.
Our forces crossed the Donau River at Dillingen, 15 miles northwest of Augsburg, and we advanced five miles south of the river.
Upstream along the Donau we reached Ehingen, 12 miles southwest of Ulm. Other units driving east from Sigmaringen advanced to within six miles of Ehingen, virtually sealing off an area of 500 square miles southeast of Stuttgart.
From Ludwigshafen we drove 25 miles eastward to a point 18 miles north of Friedrichshafen on Constance Lake. A 40-mile stretch of the German-Swiss border is now in our hands.
West of the Black Forest we gained eight miles southward along the Rhine to reach Müllheim.
Allied forces in the west captured 32,642 prisoners 22 April.
Enemy shipping off the Frisian Islands and in the Ems Estuary; rail lines and traffic between the Ems and Weser Estuaries and in the Elbe Estuary area, and airfields in both northern and southern Germany were attacked by fighter-bombers. Many aircraft were destroyed or damaged on the ground.
Four enemy aircraft were shot down during the day. According to incomplete reports, eight of our 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 FA4655
AUTHENTICATING SIGNATURE
/s/
U.S. Navy Department (April 24, 1945)
CINCPOA Communiqué No. 342
The XXIV Army Corps continued the attack against enemy lines in the southern sector of Okinawa on April 23 (East Longitude Date). Elements of the 7th Infantry Division captured an important enemy position on high ground west of Ishin Village. Enemy opposition was heavy along the entire front.
Marines of the III Amphibious Corps were engaged in mopping up remnants of the enemy on Yagachi Island north of Motobu Peninsula on April 23. On the same date, III Corps troops occupied Heanza Island east of Katchin Peninsula and Kouri Island, north of Motobu Peninsula, finding no opposition.
On April 24, ships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet delivered heavy gunfire in support of the attacking troops in the XXIV Corps sector. Numerous caves were closed and blockhouses, pillboxes, trenches and gun emplacements were destroyed. Adverse weather reduced air operations and there was no enemy aircraft activity over the area during the day.
Search aircraft of Fleet Air Wing One sank two small cargo ships and one motor torpedo boat and damaged two torpedo boats east of the Ryukyus on April 23. On the following day, search planes of the same Wing strafed building and radio installations in the northern Ryukyus and damaged a number of small craft.
Carrier aircraft from units of the British Pacific Fleet strafed and bombed runways, airfield structures, barracks and other installations on islands of the Sakishima group on April 20 encountering no enemy air opposition.
On April 23, Liberators of the Strategic Air Force bombed installations on Marcus Island. Iwo based Mustangs of the same force bombed and strafed storage dumps on Chichi Jima in the Bonins on April 24.
The Pittsburgh Press (April 24, 1945)
Yanks drive to Danube in Bavaria
Berchtesgaden in path of Third Army plunge – Regensburg menaced
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All but fourth of Okinawa seized
Yanks converting isle into key base
GUAM (UP) – U.S. forces have captured three-quarters of Okinawa and have been converting it into a key base for the next stage of the American march on Japan and the China coast, Adm. Chester W. Nimitz said today.
Even as he spoke, U.S. B-29 Superfortresses were continuing their softening-up bombardment of Japan proper. A fleet of 150 from the Marianas hit the Hitachi aircraft factory at Tachikawa, 14 miles west of Tokyo, for the first time.
Adm. Nimitz revealed that development of Okinawa into a major American base was underway at a press conference on the island following an inspection tour.
He said:
The acquisition of Okinawa will permit us to project our sea and airpower to the China coast and Japanese homeland and will greatly facilitate and speed up operations in the future.
The operations here are going along as planned and development of the island already has started.
Adm. Nimitz said the remnants of the Jap surface fleet are still capable of attacking American shipping, but cannot be regarded as a “serious threat.” He said they would be hunted down as soon as the Okinawa airfields are ready to handle all the available planes.
The American ground offensive on Southern Okinawa appeared to have stalled temporarily in the powerful network of Jap defenses shielding Naha.
Superfortresses which bombed the Hitachi aircraft plant today were striking at the Tokyo area for the first time this week. They attacked from medium altitude and good results were expected.
The plant, which covers one million square feet, is only 19 miles from the Imperial Palace and one of the few aircraft engine factories not attacked previously by Maj. Gen. Curtis LeMay’s Marianas-based Superfortresses.
In the fighting on Okinawa, Adm. Nimitz announced that warships and carrier planes continued the heavy bombardment of Jap positions in the southern part of the island.
Three U.S. divisions of the XXIV Corps have been attacking the Japs since Thursday but the drive stalled temporarily 3½ miles north of Naha.
The communiqué disclosed that 28 Jap aircraft were destroyed by carrier planes and fighters throughout the Ryukyus Sunday and Monday.
Polish dispute overshadows peace session
Frisco conference to open tomorrow
By Lyle C. Wilson, United Press staff writer
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‘OPA making criminals of people,’ Wheeler says at meat probe
Senator charges agency has failed here, promises enforcement ‘or some changes’
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Homewood soldier rescues 89 Yank pilots in China
Travels 10,000 miles in areas never before seen by white men to save some fliers
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