The White Falcon - 23.01.1943, Blaðsíða 2

2
U.S. Bombers, Subs
Smash At Jap Fleet
Heavy blows were dealt the
Jap navy this -week by Americ-
an bombers and submarines,
while Allied ground forces cap-
tured the village of Sanananda
on the northern coast of New
Guinea.
Due to the appearance of
American submarines in the
Pacific, Japanese ship losses
have seared to a total of 170
since outbreak of the war.
American sub raiders struck
the Japanese -communication
lines, inflicting severe losses to
the- Nipponese navy.
A Japanese convoy was steam-
ing through waters that are usu-
ally patrolled by American
bombers, and the destroyers
escorting the group of supply
ships were ready for action with
their anti-aircraft guns fixed.
Suddenly, a waiting pack of U.S.
subs let loose with a barrage of
well-aimed torpedoes.
The first hit sank a large Jap
destroyer. Following in order,
three more enemy vessels went
down. While the confused Jap-
anese milled in a circle, the Am-
erican subs vanished.
Sanananda village, on the
northern coast of New Guinea,
was taken by American and
Australian troops, despite ter-
rain difficulties they encounter-
ed. '
Hacking their way through
dense jungles, on the alert for
a Japanese counter-attack, Allied
troops severed the important
rear road leading to Sanananda.
The mission was accomplished
after wading through soggy
swamps during a steady rain.
In Papua, west of Sanananda,
Allied troops have split the Jap-
anese defensive positions into
four pockets. Although bad
weather has slowed up the drive,
Australian and American forces
are steadily pushing forward.
Nazis Seek Aid
From Bulgaria
New German demands on Bul-
garia were indicated today when
Bulgarian War Minister General
Michoff conferred with Nazi of-
ficials in Berlin.
Popular sympathy with Russia
in Bulgaria is based on the Slavic
kinship of the countries, and
doubt has been expressed that
pro-Nazi leaders in the little
Balkan country can turn Bulgaria
against the Allies.
Starvation Faces
European Peoples
Millions of civilians in occup-
ied countries are confronted
with starvation as a consequence
of Axis plundering, the Econ-
omic Warfare Board, reporting
on conditions in Europe, an-
nounced
Iraq’s Oil
Now Fights
For Allies
Aroused by internal troubles
ignited by Nazi agents, Iraq de-
clared war against the Nazis this
week, becoming the first Moslem
nation to enter World War II
on the side of the Allies.
Baghdad officials charged that
Axis spies had attempted to over-
throw the government, and also
implied that pressure had been
brought to bear against the Iraq
National Assembly.
Often called “the birthplace of
humanity,” Iraq is small in pop-
ulation, but equal in size to the
states of New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania and Ohio. It is one
of the world’s largest producers
of oil, which will prove a defin-
ite asset to the Allied cause.
England was given a mandate
over Iraq in 1920, but granted
the Moslems their independence
in 1930. At that time, Iraq had
an army of 28,000 men.
Marines Save
Chinese Girl
From |apanese
A Chinese girl, slashed by a
sabre and struck behind the ear
\yith a rifle butt by Japanese
invaders, was found by U.S.
Marines on a South Sea island
and given treatment by a Navy
doctor.
Catholic Navy Chaplain Fre-
derick P. Gehring, who formerly
operated an orphanage at Kang-,
chow (000 miles from Canton,
China), was given charge of the
injured girl. The Japanese soldi-
ers had killed both her mother
and father.
She was taken to a mission
hospital, where they gave her
the name Betty Lee. Later, an
orphanage in the New Hebrides
Islands will take care of her.
Air Corps Pilot
DiesAfterCrash
Capt. Bertram C. Martin of the
U.S. Air Corps died as a hero
this week at a European coastal
command air field.
Piloting a bomber, Capt. Martin
was unable to keep the plane
from crashing after mechanical
trouble had kept it from gaining
altitude after the take-off. He ord-
ered his mates to a safe distance
from the burning plane after the
crash landing, then attempted to
stiffle the fire in the ship’s nose.
But flames raced to the gas tanks,
and in the ensuing explosion,
Capt. Martin was killed.
He was a native of Ridgewood,
N.Y.
American soldiers at a U.S. Army base somewhere in India are teaching these Burmese nur-
ses some of the fine points of softball. The soldiers say their pupils are enthusiastic players.
Can’t you just imagine one of the gals sliding into third base in her native costume?
RAF Bombers Strike Hard At Berlin
As Luftwaffe Visits London. Moscow
British and German bombers
roared over the English Chan-
nel this week to bomt Berlin
and London, respectively, on the
same night for the first time
in many months.
Areas around Moscow also re-
ceived a visit by the Nazis, but
neither side commented to any
extent on the raid.
Formations of several hundred
British aircraft swept through
Berlin’s outer-city defense syst-
em, catching the Nazis unawar-
es. High explosives were drop-
ped, and the German radio later
admitted severe damages and
casualties had resulted.
The British continued their
raids through the week on oc-
cupied coastal towns of Europe,
including the successful bomb-
ing of the German submarine
base at Lorient, France, for the
second time this week.
—Russia
• (Continued from Page 1)
The released Soviet armies are
now advancing in co-ordination
with other Russian units along
the 2,000-mile front. Several im-
portant towns already have been
recaptured, and at least one main
center of resistance south of
Lake Ladoga has been wrested
from the Axis.
German counter-blows, struck
on all fronts during the past few
days, have failed to retard the
Russians. The Red Army threat-
ens to sweep the enemy out of
the entire Caucasus, regain con-
trol of Rostov, push far into the
Ukraine, and drive the Germans
deep into Latvia and Estonia.
The threat to, break off Hit-
ler’s rail communications with
Rostov greatly increased yester-
day when the Russians captured
more towns, including Proletar-
skaya on the Volga-BlacH Sea
railroad, only 25 miles from
Salsk. In the same area, Soviet
forces drove across the Manych
River at several points, and con-
tinued to move southwestward.
From this base, with its strong
anti-aircraft defense, Axis mar-
auders prey on Atlantic Ocean
shipping. Specially constructed
garages for the undersea '■'■aft
Nazi Losses
In Russia—
3,000,000!
Germany’s huge military death
toll has mounted steadily since
September 1939 and has passed
3,000,000, according to estimates
by Dr. Robert Ley, Nazi labor
front leader. The figures releas-
ed were broadcast by the Dakar
(Africa) radio this week.
Losses,, including soldiers kill-
ed, wounded and captured on the
Russian front, do not embrace
those of Italy, Hungary or Rou-
mania. Men who were wounded
but will see service again have
not been included.
Tabulations have not been
made for the French, Flanders,
Balkans, Greece, Crete or Li-
byan campaigns, nor does it list
victims of torpedoed boats or
guerrilla warfare. These have all
been costly, and Dr. Ley, who
establishes the original strength
of German might at 12,000,000,
cites that an additional 1,000,000
men must surely have been lost.
Mexico Faces
War Inflation
Mexico faces inflation, accord-
ing to a statement by the Na-
tional Bank of Mexico, report-
ing after a recent survey on ec-
onomic conditions in the Re-
public.
Inability of the people to pur-
chase domestic products or Un-
ited States products, which
formerly amounted to 810,000,-
000 yearly, has resulted in an
unexpected flow of money,
have been built of reinforced
concrete, sometimes 10 feet thick.
Scattered bombing by the Luft-
waffe over English coastal towns
consisted only of small flights
of 40 to 60 planes. The English
bagged nearly 20 percent with
fighter plane opposition and ac-
curate ground-batteries’ fire.
Boston Bombers and Spitfire
fighters bombed the port of
Cherbourg, France, in exchange
for the German raid on the
Thames area. The RAF also ac-
counted for three Nazi supply
ships off the Dutch coast, while
American Flying Fortresses
pounded railway targets in
France.
—Africa
(Continued from Page 1)
einbark his troops from Tripoli.
Bombers of the USAAF aided
the Eighth Army advance with
a daylight raid on the Tripoli
harbor and the Castel Benito
airdrome.
Fighting French troops have
joined the British south of Tri-
poli after a 1,564-mile three-
week drive north from French
Equatorial Africa through the
Fezzan area of southern Libya.
These forces are apparently at-
tacking with the Allied forces
in Tarhuna.
In conjunction with the ad-
vance of the ground forces and
planes of the USAAF, airplanes
of the Middle East Command
have demolished the Castel Ben-
ito airport, last large Axis field
east of Tripoli. The planes straf-
ed fleeing Axis columns on the
approaches to Tripoli, and hit
at enemy transportation be-
tween Sfax and Gabes
In the Tunis sector, activity
is still negligible due to new
winter rains. Armored units are
fighting in the Bourada Goubel-
lat area southwest of Tunis, and
slight Axis gains have been re-
ported ip the region of Pont
du Fahs,