The White Falcon - 24.07.1943, Blaðsíða 2

2
Russian Drive On Orel
Threatens To Trap Nazis
Standard PX
stock frequently
is augmented by
special items.
Here Capt. Har-
old M. Shaw,
chief of the local
PX network,
examines a bed-
room slipper,
part of new ship-
ment. Pvt. Alli-
son Dean of
Gettysburg, S.
Dak., helps Capt.
Shaw, while
(right) T/5 Jack
Smalley of Rock-
land, Me., places
other boxes on
the shelf.

There’s No Empty Space Now
On Post Exchange Shelves
The Russians continued to
smash back at the Germans with
unrelenting fury this' week, their
latest steam-roller drive carry-
ing them to within seven miles
of Orel.
The Soviet push resulted in
the capture of the town of Er-
molaevo, while at the same time
another hard-driving Russian
force stormed the German held
town of Mtsensk in the North-
east. Russian artillery played the
leading role here, opening up a
deadly barrage on the town while
Soviet infantry and armored un-
its fought their wray into the
northeastern and southeastern
suburbs.
The speed of the Russian ad-
vance around Mtsensk caught the
German defenders so completely
by surprise that they didn’t have
time to blow up vital bridges
leading into the town. A Moscow
dispatch says that the Germans
there are now inextricably trap-
ped.
This latest Russian comeback
is designed to cut off Nazi forces
in the Orel Salient and if the
Russians', who are attacking on
both sides, can cut their way
through, a large number of the
enemy will be trapped at the
peak of the bulge.
Troops advancing from the
south and another force driving
in from the north hope to join
directly behind the Axis posi-
tions.
In spile of the fact that Ger-
man resistance is reputed to be
very stiff, the Russians have
hopes of encircling large Nazi
forces and, according to Moscow,
“may force them to surrender.”
Russians claim that in this lat-
est action the Germans have lost
nearly 100 more planes and
nearly 75 tanks.
Veronica’s Baby Dies
Veronica Lake’s prematurely
born baby has died. The seven-
day-old child had been in a pre-
carious condition since ils birth,
which occurred a few days after
the actress was injured in a fall
at her movie studio.
The Luftwaffe is still a potent
force but its strength is spread
over too many fronts to be ef-
fective, Gen. H. H. Arnold, U.S.
Air Forces chief, stated this' week.
“It’s just a case of simple math-
ematics,” Gen. Arnold said.
“Take any number and divide
it again and again to allow for
the growing number of battle-
fields, and you have decreased
air power on any one front.”
The general explained the, suc-
cess of the Luftwaffe during the
Polish and French campaigns by
pointing out that the Nazi air
arm functioned as n single unit
Without gny distraction,
The name of the PX custodian
will remain anonymous to pro-
tect him from his buddies, but
Capt. Harold M. Shaw, Main Post
Exchange officer, revealed this
week that beer has become so
plentiful in these parts lately
one fellow refused his allotment
when he dropped around to re-
plenish his unit’s stock.
This doesn’t mean that beer is
flowing throughout the Command
without discretion because the
soapy suds are rationed to keep
everybody happy — and sober.
But it does indicate that the
PX problems of supply and de-
mand have been erased to the
satisfaction of everybody.
“For some time we were un-
able to obtain all the things we
wanted,” Capt. Shaw declared,
“but now we have more than 500
items being distributed regularly
to our sub-PX’s.”
Capt. Shaw pointed-out that $7
is the average monthly PX ex-
penditure among the soldiers.
This, he said, includes tobacco,
candy, beer, toilet articles and
sundry items too numerous to
were now very few planes that
the British and Americans were
not using in common. He stres-
sed the increasing cooperation
between the two nations in the
training of personnel and the
interchange of ^equipment.
Mae West Plans
Movie Comeback
Mae West, Hollywood’s buxom
come-hither queen, will return
fo the screen after a two-year
respite. Mexico will provide part
of the background for her film,
,whose title fa still undecided.
mention; everything essential,
plus a few “luxuries”, is on the
list.
Business will be increased next
month when the Sales Commis-
sary closes down except for of-
ficers’ clothing and equipage, the
PX officer said. “Our variety
won’t be expanded too much, but
we will he able to issue larger
quantities to enlisted men’s stor-
es,” Capt. Shaw asserted.
Comic gag-line writers have
been lampooning draft boards
since Yanks first began wander-
ing into military camps, but Pvt.
Charles Emerson, 35, of E. Cor-
inth, Vermont, doesn’t think it’s
funny.
Emerson was tilling the soil
on his farm when he received
one of those handsome invita-
tions: “Greetings, you have
been ....” on May 27, 1942. So
he trudged to Rutland, Vermont,
described his vocation to the ap-
peal board, and was granted an
occupational deferment.
That should have settled the
issue for Emerson, but it merely
laid the groundwork for his
—Pacific
(Continued from Page 1)
The convoy consisted of three
light cruisers, six destroyers and
two transports. When the smoke
had cleared, one cruiser and two
destroyers were sunk, a third
destroyer was probably sunk,
and one transport and another
destroyer were severely damag-
ed.
Meanwhile, U.S. and Austra-
lian land forces continue to ad-
vance towarcj Komiatum in the
SfllfrniRHfl sector of New Guinea.
—Sicily
(Continued from Page 1)
in spite of heavy resistance. They
are driving through in an attempt
lo cut off Messina from the rest
of Sicily.
So far more than 40,000 pris-
oners have been taken. The Itali-
an 26th Division surrendered al-
most intact to the Americans.
Germans are reported to have
fired on the Italians as they
crossed the lines to give them-
selves up.
Allied Bombers flying across
the Sicilian narrows from North
Africa continue to blast the en-
emy at widely separated points.
American and Canadian troops,
standing in the geographical
center of the country, are in
command of the heart of Sicily’s
road and railway networks. This
vital strategic position was taken
when Axis troops, facing encirc-
lement, evacuated Enna.
At the same time, Axis troops
battling the British Eighth Army
at Catania face being cut off
from all supplies and reinforce-
ments. Canadian troops have only
a few miles to march to cut off
the road between Catania and
the supply bases to the north-
west.
British Tenor
To Give Recital
Capt. A. Best, popular tenor of
the British Royal Marines, will
present a concert tomorrow at
1700 hours in the No. 1 Rec
Center. He will he accompanied
on the piano by Kathryn Over-
street of the ARC.
claim to the title of the “Army’s
No. 1 Sad Sack.” One of the
board members dismissed Emer-
son with a flick of the wrist so
he exited — right into a room
where he was fingerprinted be-
fore he could explain his busi-
ness. ~
Next, another wrong door bec-
koned and Emerson found him-
self answering questions tossed
at him by a charming Civil Serv-
ice gal, who amazed him with
her inquisitive nature. However,
he thought this was just part of
the routine. By the time he re-
alized someone had crossed the
signals, the “deferred civilian”
had been jostled into another
chamber, followed suit when oth-
er fellows raised their right
hands. Then he was in Uncle
Sam’s Army and there wasn’t
anything he could do about it.
The complete transaction, from
the time he received his defer-
ment until he was sworn in,
consumed only ten minutes.
“That’s the fastest deferment I’ve
ever heard of,” Emerson groan-
ed here when he unveiled his
story.
“I knew there was something
wrong when a soldier told me
to go downstairs and wait for
the bus with the other follows,
Quartet Entries
Close In 3 Days
Time is growing short for
crooners, yodelers, operatic
stars, or what have you, and
quartets expecting to enter
THE WHITE FALCON Bar-
ber Shop Quartet contest have
only three more days to sub-
mit their entries to Base Spe-
cial Service Office. Quartets
already in the competition are
rehearsing songs in three di-
/isions—Gay Nineties, Clas-
sical and Modern—and the
Command’s best quartets will
be chosen during a singfest at
the Main Rec Center. Time of
the event will be announced
next week.
—Eisenhower
(Continued from Page 1)
proached the Sicilian coast it
passed through the armada used
in the invasion. Ilis ship xveaved
its way through the transports,
cruisers, destroyers and other
craft carrying ammunition and
tanks. Shells from an enemy bat-
tery on the shore fell a half-mile
astern as his ship cruised along
the coast.
At the Pachino Peninsula Gen.
Eisenhower went ashore again.
He climbed down the side of the
destroyer into an amphibious
jeep which carried him to the
beach where he talked with the
soldiers about their experience;
in the assault landing.
When he stepped ashore ast-
onished soldiers stared at him.
“How do you do, I’m Eisenhow-
er,” the Allied connnander-in-
chief told an officer.
hut I figured they’d discover the
error when our papers were
checked. I guess they never got
around to looking ’em up.”
When Emerson settled down
at Ft. Devens, Mass., he ap-
proached his CO with the sad
tale, but was laughed right out
of the orderly room. His sister-
in-law joined the probe recently
when she penned a note to Mrs.
Eleanor Roosevelt. The polite an-
swer explained, however, that
any action would have to come
from Emerson’s CO.
“All I’m missing now,” Emer-
son concluded, “is a letter from
my draft board informing me
that my deferment has expired
and I should report for induc-
tion!”
3 Teen Killers
Die In Chair
Three teen-age youths died in
the electric chair at Sing Sing
prison this week. Edward Haight,
17, was convicted of slaying two
sisters, 8- and 7-yearS-old, while
Benitez Dejesus, 19, and William
Diaz, 18, were found guilty of
killing Pvt, Edwin Eerkowit?’. ih
ft Harlem robbery,
Global Duties Weaken Luftwaffe,
Gen. Arnold, USAAF Chief, Reports
The Air Forces chief said then
Notice To Pvt. Emerson’s Draft Board:
Cancel Deferment—He’s In The Army!