America at war! (1941–) – Part 5

1361

Führer HQ (April 9, 1945)

Kommuniqué des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht

Im Süden der Ostfront kam es zwischen Drau und Leitha nur zu örtlichen Kampfhandlungen. Das Schwergewicht der Kämpfe liegt weiter im Wiener Raum. Starke Angriffe aus dem Wienerwald nach Westen und Norden scheiterten unter Abschuss von 35 Panzern an dem hartnäckigen Widerstand unserer Verbände. Im Süd- und Westteil von Wien stehen unsere Truppen in schweren Kämpfen. Versuche des Feindes, seine Brückenköpfe über die March zu erweitern, blieben im Allgemeinen erfolglos. Südlich und südöstlich der Weißen Karpaten hält der Druck des Gegners an. Mehrere Einbrüche wurden abgeriegelt.

Von der Front zwischen der Slowakei und der Ostsee werden erfolgreiche eigene Angriffe im Raum südlich Ratibor gemeldet.

An der Danziger Bucht zerbrachen erneute Vorstöße der Sowjets am Zugang zur Putziger Nehrung und in der westlichen Weichselniederung. Schwere Artillerieträger der Kriegsmarine griffen mit guter Wirkung in die Kämpfe ein.

Die tapfere Besatzung von Königsberg konnte es nicht verhindern, dass der Feind mit überlegenen Kräften bis zum inneren Festungsring vordrang. Schwere Straßenkämpfe sind im Gange. An der Samland-Front wurden starke Infanterie- und Panzerangriffe abgeschlagen und 82 Panzer vernichtet.

Schlacht- und Jagdflieger fügten den Sowjets durch Angriffe gegen Panzer, Geschützstellungen und Nachschubkolonnen empfindliche Verluste zu und schossen in den letzten 48 Stunden 41 Flugzeuge ab.

In Holland führten die Kanadier bei Zutphen und östlich Deventer wieder starke Angriffe, die bis auf geringe Einbrüche verlustreich zusammenbrachen. Nach Nordwesten und Norden fühlte der Gegner mit Aufklärungskräften weiter vor. In Nordostholland hinter unserer Front abgesetzte feindliche Fallschirmjäger wurden aufgerieben.

Die zwischen der Ems und der Weser vorstoßenden britischen Verbände wurden in heftige Kämpfe verwickelt und stehen mit vordersten Spitzen in der Weserniederung zwischen Syke und Verden an der Aller.

Aus seinen Brückenköpfen bei Stolzenau und Minden trat der Feind mit neu zugeführten Kräften nach Norden und Osten an. Er wurde östlich Nienburg an der Weser sowie westlich Hannover in harten Kämpfen zunächst zum Stehen gebracht. Weiter südlich ging Hildesheim verloren.

Um die Weserübergänge bei Holzminden und Höxter sowie im Raum westlich Göttingen wird gekämpft.

Die Schlacht am Nordrand des Ruhrgebietes, an der Siegfront und im Rothaargebirge hat gestern an Heftigkeit zugenommen. Unsere Divisionen verhinderten überall den vom Feind erstrebten Durchbruch. Ein nördliches Köln über den Rhein gesetztes Bataillon der 82. amerikanischen Luftlandedivision wurde zerschlagen, ein erneuter Übersetzversuch im Gegenstoß abgeschlagen.

Im Thüringerwald fügten in Flanken und Rücken der Amerikaner angesetzte Jagdkommandos und Stoßtrupps diesen hohen Verlusten zu und vernichteten einen höheren Stab. Zwischen den Westausläufern des Thüringerwaldes und dem Main-Dreieck halten die wechselvollen Kämpfe an.

Westlich Schweinfurt zerschellten wiederholte Angriffe der Amerikaner. Bei Crailsheim sind unsere Gegenangriffe im guten Fortschreiten. Die Stadt wurde wieder genommen; feindliche Entsatz versuche südlich und südwestlich von Bad Mergentheim abgewiesen.

In Pforzheim eingedrungener Feind wurde aus dem Westteil der Stadt wieder geworfen.

Verbände der Luftwaffe bekämpften bei Tag und Nacht anglo-amerikanische Angriffsspitzen und Nachschubstützpunkte und brachten sieben Flugzeuge zum Absturz.

An der mittelitalienischen Front setzte der Feind seine Angriffe an der ligurischen Küste wieder mit stärkeren Kräften fort. Er konnte unsere Abwehrfront geringfügig zurückdrücken.

Durch Angriffe amerikanischer Bomberverbände entstanden Schäden besonders in Plauen, Halberstadt und Stendal. In der Nacht griffen britische Kampfflugzeuge Hamburg und Städte in Mitteldeutschland an. Luftverteidigungskräfte vernichteten nach bisherigen Meldungen 34 meist viermotorige Bomber.

1362

Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (April 9, 1945)

FROM
(A) SHAEF MAIN

ORIGINATOR
PRD, Communique Section

DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN
091100B 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

(REF NO.)
NONE

(CLASSIFICATION)
IN THE CLEAR

Communiqué No. 366

UNCLASSIFIED: Allied airborne forces have been dropped over a wide area in Northwest Holland. Zutphen, on the Ijssel River, has been captured.

Enemy resistance continues to be strong in the Meppen area. East of Lingen we occupied Lengerich and Freren and are continuing to advance eastward. To the south, we captured Halverde.

Gun positions and strong points at Deventer, in the areas of Lingen, Haselünne and Quakenbrück, and road and rail transport over wide areas in Holland and Northwest Germany were struck at by fighter-bombers and rocket-firing fighters.

Our armored forces advancing northeast from the Dümmer See, continued to make good progress. Syke has been captured and we are less than 12 miles from Bremen.

East of the Weser River, we occupied Loccum and Bad Rehburg and are on the outskirts of Neustadt after passing through Sachsenhagen.

We reached the northern outskirts of Stadthagen. Our armor captured Sarstedt and Himmelsthür, north of Hildesheim, and Marienburg, two miles south of the town.

To the southwest we are fighting in Capellenhagen, and we captured Eschershausen. Fighting continues in Höxter.

Northeast of Kassel our infantry reached a point three miles west of Hardegsen. We took Göttingen and Varlosen, while other units cleared Hann-Münden and pushed beyond the town.

Our armor reached Dingelstädt, ten miles northwest of Mühlhausen. In the vicinity of Struth, west of Mülhausen, we repulsed a counterattack, knocked out nine of the 16 enemy tanks employed and killed or captured approximately half of the estimated 1,000-man infantry force. Another counterattack was repelled southwest of Mühlhausen.

Our infantry reached a point four miles northeast of Gotha, and other units mopping up behind the armor cut the Ohrdruf-Suhl road eight miles north of Suhl. Our forces reached a point three miles southeast of Suhl.

South of Meiningen our infantry and armor advanced eastward about 15 miles to reach Königshofen.

In mopping up the area between salients farther south, we occupied many towns and villages south and southeast of Bad Kissingen.

East of Würzburg, our troops have cleared the west bank of the Main River for a distance of some 12 miles.

Armor, driving westward from Crailsheim, reached Geislingen.

House-to-house fighting continues in Heilbronn.

The town of Pforzheim, southeast of Karlsruhe, has been captured and our forces have made good gains to the east.

On the northern sector of the Ruhr Pocket, our infantry extended its bridgehead over the Rhine-Herne Canal and entered Katernberg and Gelsenkirchen. We are meeting strong resistance in Castrop-Rauxel. To the west a number of towns were cleared including Merklingen and Rahm, and we entered the northwest outskirts of Dortmund. Farther west, our armor entered Werl, captured Gunningen and entered Warstein.

On the eastern edge of the pocket, we are within two miles of Meschede.

West of Siegen, our forces captured several towns including Freudenberg, Morsbach and Merten.

Allied forces in the west captured 39,662 prisoners 7 April.

Railyards at Stendal, Plauen, and Cheb, southeast of Plauen; ordnance depots at Bayreuth and Grafenwoehr, southeast of Bayreuth; an aircraft repair factory at Furth and airfields at Schafstädt, southwest of Halle, and at Roth, south of Nürnberg were attacked by escorted heavy bombers in great strength.

Rail and road transport, railyards and other communications targets at Celle, northeast of Hanover, Magdeburg, Sondershausen, Leipzig, Schleiz, northwest of Plauen, Bamberg and in the area of Nuremberg were attacked by strong forces of medium, light and fighter-bombers.

Sixteen enemy airfields including those at Nordhausen, Dessau, Halle, Merseburg, Erfurt and Hof, and others in the Nuremberg area, also were targets for medium, light and fighter-bombers.

An oil refinery at Nienhagen, northeast of Hanover; an oil storage depot at Münchenbernsdorf, southwest of Gera; and an ammunition dump at Kleinengstingen, south of Stuttgart, were hit by medium and light bombers.

During the day’s operations, 35 enemy aircraft were shot down, 66 were destroyed on the ground and many others were damaged. According to reports so far received, ten of our heavy bombers, one medium bomber and six fighters are missing.

Last night, heavy bombers in great strength attacked submarine building yards at Hamburg, and a synthetic oil plant at Lützen west of Leipzig. Targets in Berlin were also bombed.

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/
1363

U.S. Navy Department (April 9, 1945)

Joint Statement

For Immediate Release
April 9, 1945

The following joint Anglo‑American statement on submarine and anti­-submarine operations is issued under the authority of the President and the Prime Minister:

During March, the U-boat effort continued to increase but fewer successes were obtained against our shipping than in February. Casualties inflicted on U-boats were again severe and the prolonged and extensive bombing and minelaying policy of the Allies has undoubtedly delayed the introduction of the new type U-boats. In a similar manner the capture of Danzig by the Soviet Army helps to cut off the evil at its source.

1364

CINCPOA Communiqué No. 327

About half of Motobu Peninsula was brought under U.S. control by Marines of the III Amphibious Corps on Okinawa on April 9 (East Longitude Date). A general advance of 3,000 to 4,000 yards was made during the day against opposition which continued to be scattered and ineffective. Advance elements of the III Corps on Ishikawa Isthmus were reported in the vicinity of Kushibaru Town.

The XXIV Army Corps made small local gains in the southern sector against enemy opposition which continued to be heavy. The volume of enemy small arms and machine-gun fire on the southern front increased during the day of April 9, and mortar and artillery fire continued to be heavy. Heavy gunfire from fleet units was concentrated on enemy installations in southern Okinawa during the day resulting in destruction of guns, emplacements, barracks, and small craft. Carrier aircraft from the Pacific Fleet and both Army and Marine artillery supported the attacking U.S. Army troops. During the evening of April 9, about 10 enemy aircraft attacked our forces in the area of Okinawa. Seven were destroyed.

Army Black Widow night-fighters attacked targets in the Bonins on the nights of April 8 and 9. Army Mustangs of the VII Fighter Command made daylight attacks on enemy installations in the Bonins on the same dates.

Ammunition dumps, storage dumps, buildings and other installations in the Palaus were destroyed on April 8 and 9 by Corsair fighters and Avenger torpedo planes of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.

A single search Privateer of Fleet Air Wing Two bombed installations on Wake Island on the night of April 8.

On the same date, Helldiver bombers of the 4th MarAirWing continued neutralizing attacks on enemy positions in the Marshalls.

1365

CINCPOA Press Release No. 65

For Immediate Release
April 9, 1945

During the heaviest aerial attacks on our forces around Okinawa on 8 April (East Longitude Date), VADM Richmond Kelly Turner, USN, received the following report via voice radio from a minesweeper under his command:

We have been hit twice in attacks by two aircraft but we splashed the third one. Six wounded in action. We are now taking a damaged destroyer in tow.

1366

White House Statement on the Anniversary of the Attacks on Norway and Denmark
April 9, 1945

Today marks the anniversary of the infamous and ruthless attack on Denmark and Norway. For five long years the Danish and Norwegian peoples have suffered under the heel of the Nazi oppressor. Yet never has their courage lagged. Never have they ceased to resist. Very soon their period of martyrdom will be ended. Then, as the peoples of Denmark and Norway have fought as allies in the common struggle against the forces of aggression, so will they work with the other like-minded nations to insure the maintenance of world peace and security.

1367

The Pittsburgh Press (April 9, 1945)

1ST ARMY SPEARS 18 MILES
Paratroops deep in Reich – Hannover, Bremen stormed

Ninth Army perils Brunswick in smash toward last river west of Rhine

…

1368

Wedge driven into Jap line on Okinawa

U.S. invaders seize third of island

map.040945.up
Gaining on Okinawa, U.S. forces held more than a third of the Jap island. On the southern sector, U.S. Army troops drove a wedge into the Jap defense line above Naha. On the north, U.S. Marines drove to cut off the Motobu Peninsula.

GUAM (UP) – U.S. Tenth Army troops have wedged into the enemy’s first major defense line before Naha, capital of Okinawa, in fighting approaching the fury of the bloody Iwo campaign, front reports said today.

Casualties on both sides were mounting, but the Americans were killing three to 18 Japs for every American killed, United Press writer Mac R. Johnson reported from the invasion flagship.

Soldiers of the XXIV Corps penetrated the first Jap defense line in slugging advances of 200 to 400 yards yesterday after capturing Uchitomari, four miles north of Naha, and Kaniku, 4½ miles northeast, Saturday.

Hold third of island

The advances, coupled with an almost unopposed Marine push in Central Okinawa, brought one-third or more of the island under American control as the invasion entered its second week.

As on Iwo, the Jap defenders of Naha were fighting from caves, interlocking pillboxes and other strongpoints on heights from which they could sweep the advancing Americans with crossfire.

Frequent hand-to-hand combats were developing as the Americans hit deeper into defenses manned by upwards of 60,000 Japs. One knoll alone was found to have as many as 15 entrances to its underground tunnels and caverns, where large quantities of supplies and ammunition were found.

At night, the Japs were attempting their favorite tactics of infiltration. Some American troops were killing Japs within two or three of their foxholes in the night blackness.

Japanese batteries opened fire on American guns emplaced on Keise Island, some eight miles west of Naha, and a violent artillery battle followed. U.S. battleships silenced the enemy guns.

Use captured airfields

Despite the fury of the fighting, Col. Brainard Prescott of East Aurora, New York, a Tenth Army staff officer, said casualties on Okinawa were much less than originally estimated.

Marines of the III Amphibious Corps drove another 3,000 to 4,000 yards north along the Motobu Peninsula in Central Okinawa against almost nonexistent resistance.

The advance was rapidly cutting off the peninsula and threatening to engulf 17 villages. Its pace indicated the Marines soon would have all Northern Okinawa in their hands, enabling them to turn back south to reinforce the drive on Naha, a city of 65,000.

Marine fighters were already using the two captured airfields in Central Okinawa.

Thirteen enemy planes were shot down by U.S. aircraft and anti-aircraft guns Saturday and Sunday in the Okinawa area.

By Saturday night, a communiqué said, 30,000 Okinawa civilians were being cared for by the U.S. Military Government on the island.

1369

Report from unoccupied Germany –
Germans murder each other and those who snub party

By Curt Riess

…

1370

Slain prisoners found by Yanks

U.S. flier may be among victims
By Robert E. Richards, United Press staff writer

…

1371

G.I.’s count $100 million in Hitler’s escape hoard of gold

By Reynolds Packard, United Press staff writer

…

1372

Shirley Temple engaged to wed

Actress, sergeant to wait 2 years

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1373

Fifth Army closes on Spezia base

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1374

Mine contract being delayed by one issue

But both sides urge acceptance

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1375

11-ton bombs rip U-boat shelters

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1376

I DARE SAY —
Ersatz

By Florence Fisher Parry

…

1377

Roosevelt lauds Norway, Denmark

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1378

Veteran, 108, dies

MINNEAPOLIS – Henry Mack, oldest veteran of the Civil War, died at the Veterans Hospital here yesterday at the age of 108. A former Negro slave, Mack suffered a fractured leg in a fall last December.

1379

Okinawa victims arrive at Guam

GUAM (UP) – Wounded Marines and soldiers from Okinawa Island arrived here simultaneously today aboard a hospital ship and the first Navy evacuation plane to land in the Ryukyus.

The wounded on the hospital ship were men who had been hit early in the campaign but the big four-engined R5D – Navy’s version of the Army’s flying ambulance – carried 23 patients wounded Saturday and one who had been hit this morning.

Aboard the plane was Ens. Jane Kendeigh of Henrietta, Ohio, who was the first nurse to land at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

The hospital ship brought 431 patients. Nine men died en route.

1380

U.S. urged to keep bases in Pacific

…