The White Falcon - 02.10.1943, Blaðsíða 1

Vol. V.
ICELAND, Saturday, October 2, 19b3.
No. 2.
Russians
Crossing
Dnieper
The first cold breath of the
oncoming Russian winter is ad-
ding to the misery of the re-
treating Germans today as Stal-
in’s valiant Red Army continues
to sweep westward in a four-
pronged pincers movement on a
250 mile front.
The Soviets are reported to be
forcing the Germans, back across
the Dnieper river at several
points north and south of Kiev,
and to he forging across the
stream under deadly German fire.
In the middle lower reaches of
th’e Dnieper the Russians are now
entrenched on the entire east
bank, and have already ousted
the Nazis from their bridgehead
at Kremenchug.
The recent capture of the key
city of Smolensk is looked upon
-by the Russians as the “real op-
ening of the gates westward” and
the dawning of a speedy libera-
tion of White Russia. Driving
onward with, bewildering' speed
all along the front from Vitebsk
— which is less than 100 miles
from the Polish border — to the
Black Sea.
Big Soviet target of the moment
appears to be Dniepropetrovsk,
site of the biggest power dam
in all Russia, which was blown
up before the city was surrend-
ered to the Germans. The Russi-
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USO Entertainer
Meets Old Neighbor
From “Downstairs”
Never having considered Ice-
land as a place to renew old ac-
quaintances, Pfc. Richard Beam,
an Infantryman here, experienc-
ed such surprise that he exclaim-
ed, “Well, what do you know
about that!” upon spotting Miss
Patti Cranford going through her
song and dance in a USO show
which played at his camp re-
cently.
Beam and Miss Cranford were
neighbors in Middletown, Pa.,
way back in 1941; Beam lived
downstairs and Miss Cranford
lived upstairs in the same house.
At the show the other night they
met for the first time since May
of this year when Beam was
home on furlough. They both are
reported to have found inuett to
talk about.
Naples Falls
As Nazis Crack
They tell their story with words and pictures. In Iceland to
get the lowdown on how American troops are living, Col. Bern-
ard L. Jacot of England, now an accredited US Army war cor-
respondent, and Mr. James Jarche, Britain’s No. 1 cameraman,
discuss one of Jarche’s photos of troops here. Both men have
seen soldiers of many countries in actual combat and are high
in their praise of the American soldier in Iceland.
Famed British Newsmen
Praise Troops Here
American troops here this week received perhaps the
finest tribute they will ever he paid. From the lips of
tall, impressive Col. Bernard L. Jacot of England it was:
“The finest spit and polish soldiers I have seen yet are
the men of General Key’s Iceland Base Command.”
That statement was made by
Iceland’s Still
Hard To Reach
By Telephone
Pfc. Edward Berg, an IBC In-
fantryman, received a letter from
his wife the other day that amus-
ed him so much that he read it
aloud to those sharing the hut
with him. Mrs. Berg stated that
she had tried — although to no
avail — to call him long distance.
She attempted to place the call
from her home in Pittsburgh, but
experienced a great deal of diffi-
culty, she stated, in making the
operator understand the location
of her party.
Mrs, Berg withdrew from the
battle only after the operator in-,
quired of her if Iceland were in
Pennsylvania pr New York!
Naples fell to the Allied Fifth Army yesterday, after
three weeks of the most desperate fighting Americans
have felt so far in this war. Allied Headquarters report-
ed that Gen. Mark Clark’s troops had “complete posses-
sion” of the big Italian seaport.
The
Col. Jacot after he had visited
and talked with troops all over
the Command. But what makes
the words so significant is the
fact that they came from a man
who knows soldiers and who
knows war. As a fighter pilot in
the first world war he was shot
down over France, a machine
gun bullet in the back of his
head. In the present conflict he
suffered bayonet wounds in
hand-to-hand conflict before
being evacuated at Dunkirk. He
has seen the armies of France,
Russia, Spain, Britain and Ame-
rica in actual combat,
As sincere as Winston Church-
ill is British, the Colonel—now
a war correspondent—handed
out these bits of information
from his rich background to a-
Falcon reporter with the casual-
ness of a Hollywood butler and
(Continued on Page 8)
hard-won break-through
into the city was effected
through strong Nazi hill positions
north of Salerno. The first Am-
erican and British troops pour-
ed into the plains before the city
along the coastal fringe of the
mountains.
Most important of the con-
quests reported “enroute”, has
been the capture of the ancient
city of Pompeii. A number of
other large towns wrenched
from the grasp of the Germans
includes the key center of Nocera
and the ports of Sorento and
Castellammare The entire Sor-
ento peninsula, to the west of
these towns, is also in Allied
hands.
Reports from Allied Headquart-
ers say that few German prison-
ers were taken during the fierce
fighting for the hills. Although
the Nazis fought furiously for
every inch of ground, once they
realized they were going to be
unable to stem the advancing Al-
lied tide their leaders ordered
a swift retreat. A small, unnam-
ed village at the point in the
pass where the break-through
was made was reported to have
changed hands several times.
In the meantime, Gen. Mont-
gomery’s Eighth Army has been
rolling, steadily onward, and the
Britishers have last been report-
ed 16 kilometers beyond recent-
ly captured Fog'gia. A British
Pearl Harbor announced the oc- j correspondent with the Eighth
Japanese
Battered
AtWewak
Allied planes this week scor-
ed a smashing victory over Jap-
anese air and sea power when
they blasted a new Nipponese
attempt to reinforce and reestab-
lish their battered base at We-
wak, New Guinea.
Striking with unabated fury,
American and Australian airmen
succeeded in knocking out seven
Jap transports, three tankers,
four merchant vessels up to the
5000-ton class, 29 barges and
some smaller craft. They also
bagged an announced total of 58
enemy planes.
Meanwhile in Finschafen on
New Guinea, Australians and Am-
ericans are closing in from three
sides. The Allied land fighters
are meeting with stiff Nip resist-
ance, but the Allied distance from
the center of Finschafen has
been cut down to half a mile.
American fliers are aiding the
American and Aussie ground
forces by a relentless pounding
of the remaining Jap positions.
A late report from the U.S.
Pacific Fleet Headquarters at
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“Angel Street” To Open
Before Soldiers Wednesday
Soldiers in Iceland will be
treated to a slight touch of Broad-
way next week when local actors
present their opening perform-
ance of “Angel Street,” a three-
act mystery drama which is still
playing before sellout crowds in
New York after more than 700
performances.
One of the most ambitious era-
ductions- that Base Special Ser-
vice has undertaken so far, the
play’s cast will include those two
favorites of local GI’s, Cpl. Rich-
ard Wendley and Sgt. Mel Brandt,
stars of the recent show “Heaven
Can Wait,” Also included in tbe
cast Witt be Inga ttaxness, prp-
minent Icelandic actress, Lt. Ele-
anor Flinchbaugh, star of the
ANC production, “The Women,”
and Jessalee Mallilieu of the Red
Cross.
Described by United Press as
“the most suspenseful play New
York has seen in a long time,”
the play “Angel Street” will be
presented here for the fust time
at the new Air Corps theater
next Wednesday night, October 6.
Performances will be given at
the same theater Friday evening
and Sunday afternoon, after
which the actors will “hit the
road,”