Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 9 November 1942 — Page 1
FORECAST: Occasional rain this afternoon through tomorrow forenoon; continued mild this afternoon and tonight, becoming colder late tomorrow forenoon.
- Nsemees—nowarsl VOLUME 53—NUMBER 208
2
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. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1942,
Entered as Second-Class Matter at Posioffice, Indianapolis, Ind. Issued daily except Sunday.
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AMERICAN-BRITISH FORCES ATTACK KEY TOWNS WITH PINCERS THRUSTS ALONG COASTS OF ALGERIA, MOROCCO
ALGERIA
The American flag flies over Algiers today as allied forces from America and Britain contin been reported pombed and shelled. Warship engagements have been reported in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
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Vichy claims the French fleet is steaming up at Toulon. Tunisia is repor ted the next goal of the lightning-fast American troops.
VICHY'S FLEET
- LOSES HEAVILY.
35,000-Ton Ship Is Among Craft Hit in Battle
Off Casablanca.
LONDON, Nov. 9 (U. P.).—French warships suffered heavy losses in a violent battle with allied naval units off Casablanca yesterday, the French news. agency, Havas, said today. ) Allied warships also bombarded the port heavily, Havas said, and other Vichy reports told of severe .dive-bomber raids on the city which inflicted heavy damage. Some of the planes, apparently carrier-based,
Darlan Ready
» . sll BARE AR AN NN ill
allied side.
Darlan, commander in chief of all Vichy French armed forces, was at Algiers when the American attack was
launched and the axis radio
been captured there with Gen. Alphonse Pierre Juin, the
French army commander.
There has been no statement on Darlan’s whereabouts
from allied headquarters.
It was suggested that Lieut. Gen. Dwight D. Eisen“hower may have suggested that Darlan' might desire to transfer his sympathies to the allied side.
to Join Allies?
8.
has suggested he may have
+
were identified as American, the Vichy radio said. The official German news agency said that the naval engagement involved an American squadron and that it was broken off yesterday afternoon. 35,000-Ton Ship The dive bombers struck the 35,-000-ton French battleship Jean Bart and four French submarines, a German dispatch from Vichy said. is report also said two American corvettes were sunk at Algiers. Meanwhile, Vichy and Berlin reported that a formidable French naval fleet based at Toulon, including three battleships, was awaiting orders to steam into the Mediterranean to challenge the powerful British-American armada supporting the allied offensive against French North Africa, A ndon newspaper published a dispatch from Bern that the Italian fleet was steaming “westward” in the Mediterranean. The French Toulon fleet repregents the strongest single unit of Vichy’s dwindling naval and military strength. Including the 26,000-
ASKS OBSERVANCE
OF ARMISTICE DAY
FDR Says Faith Must Be
Kept With 18 Heroes.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (U. P.)—
President Roosevelt today called on the American people to observe armistice day on Nov. 11 in order to keep faith with those who died in the first world way.
“Faith can’ be kept with those
who died in the first world war only by resolutely prosecuting to final victory the great war in which we are now engaged, and by crowning that victory with a peace which shall safeguard and extend , , . essential freedoms,” the president said in a proclamation.
Mr. Roosevelt asked the American
ton battleships Strasbourg, and
* battleship Provence, the fleet has been one of chief of government Pierre Laval’s trump cards in negotiating with Germany. The Nazis have been anxious to get the French navy since the fall of France and Britain and the United States have repeatedly used pressure to prevent. this. ploited the situation to gain concessions from both sides.
Dunkerque and the 22,189-ton
Laval ex-
people “to rededicate this nation, on Nov. 11, 1942, to the great task of winning this war and building a just peace in order that we and our children may live in a world made free to work toward human advanceemnt.” He pointed out that “the calm which settled over the western front at 11 a. m. on Nov, 11, 1918, closed one phase of a world-wide struggle against lawless aggression
TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES
. 6 Business .,.... 7 Clapper ...... 9 Comics .......17 Crossword .,..13 _ Editorials ..10 Fashions : Mrs. Ferguson..10 Financial .... 13 Forum ..... a Hold Ev’thing. 9 Homemaking. . .12
In Indpls. .... 3 Inside Indpls . 9 Jane Jordan 12
Men in Service 18:
Millett Movies ..... vse B Obituaries Pegler Pyle Questions Radio ... Mrs. Roosevelt... 9 Schools . Side Glances..10 Simms 10 Society Sports State Deaths... 7
esse
‘Steele
Voice in Bal... 6
Weller eps essen 8 5
anid for .the basic freedoms, of ; mankind.” .
'LEND-LEASE CITED IN EGYPT VICTORY
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (U, P.)— President Roosevelt tbday made public a report showing that “the magnificent British victory ifi Egypt was aided to an important extent “by . American lend-lease equipment. ' “In the Egyptian campaign we can see the vindication of the lendlease idea,” Mr. Roosevelt said. The report disclosed that total exports of American munitions and
- other products to Egypt since start
of lend-lease program .in March, 1941, through September, 1942, were valued at $636,952,000, = including both lend-lease and direct . pur-
Waring Calls for
Resources Draft
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (U. P.). —Roane Waring, national commander of the American Legion, told a congressional committees today that “we may suffer defeat” in world war II unless. congress immediately enacts a national service act providing for “conscription of all the material resources of this nation.” “Congress should take immediate action to enact legislation which will provide a firm control over manpower and for the conscription of all the material resources of this nation,” "Waring told the senate military affairs committee, which is considering four pending bills which would authorize President Roosevelt to mobilize fully American man and womanpower. “Unless we buckle down to the job at hand,” he said, “we may suffer defeat.”
LOCAL TEMPERATURES 6am ...52 10a, m, ... 56 7a.m. ...52 11a. m. ...59 8a. m, ... 54 12 (noon) .. 61 9am ...55 1pm... 65
By UNITED PRESS France is believed to have about 100,009 poorly equipped , men in North and West Africa and reports from Vidhy yesterday indicated that some units had mutinied in support of the united nations invasion. The air force has been estimated at from 500 to 700 planes, 200 in Morocco and the remainder at Dakar. The French have few tanks and probably little munitions. They also are short of 0il and gasoline. | France's main strength lies in her naval forces. ’ According to best reports warships under Vichy control in the Mediterranean and African areas are: Dakar—The 35,000-ton .battleship Richelieu, four 7600-ton ' cruisers,
of Capture YEAR’
LONDON, Nov. 9 (U. P.) —Speculation arose in some . quarters today that Admiral Jean Francois Darlan may have a proposal under consideration to come over to the
What Is France Here Are Fleet Locations
HOUSE REJECTS
» »
ROMMEL ARMY MAY ATTEMPT BARDIA STAND
Afrika Korps Reduced to 20,000 Men; Face Libyan Dunkirk.
By LEON KAY United Press Staff Correspondent J
CAIRO, Nov. 9.—Marshal Erwin Rommel’s broken army’ neared Bardia, in Libya, today in its flight from complete destruction and the British believed he might try to rally his remaining forces —25,000 to 30,000 men— there for a stand. The battle of Egypt, a complete and smashing success for the allies, was over. Rommel, who had started with 140,000 men, had less than one-fifth left, and even those were disintegrating as they fled into Italian Libya. Thirty thousand to 40,000 of his men were prisoners. Other thousands were killed or wounded, and six divisions of Italians, approximately 90,000 men, were ready to be captured... The allies had de-
stroyed at least 500 of his tanks and 900 to 1000 of his guns.
Hint Rommel Evacuation
(Swedish military experts believed that Rommel would hastily
Votes, 178 to- 40, Against Acceptance of Senate
Amendment.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (U., P.).— The house without debate today refused by a vote of 178 to 40 to insist that drafted 18- and 19-year-old troops be given a year of training before being assigned to combat duty. The vote was on a motion by Rep. John Rankin (D. Miss.) to instruct house conferzes .tn accept a senate amendment to the 18-and-19-year-old draft bill which will require the year’s training of teenage troops. Majority Leader John W. McCormack (D. Mass.) read a few sentences of a letter he received from Gen. George C. Marshall, army chief of staff, urging congress not to “hamper us at this critical period.” “I'am fully aware,” Gen. Marshall wrote, “of the peril of employing partially trained troops in combat.” The house sent the measure to conference where the senate amend-
ment is expeeted to be eliminated. Had the Rankin motion prevailed, the year’s training requirement would have been in the bill when it goes to the white house. Opposition to this provision, and
other “crippling amendments,” was
voiced last night by Undersecretary of War Robert P. Patterson, who told a radio audience that the army cannot afford to be “hamstrung by legal restrictions” and the United
States must support its fighting
men “with every resource that we possess.”
's Strength?
10 corvettes, three mine sweepers and other light units. | Casablanca—The 35,000-ton: Jean Beart, not yet completed: it was towed from France after the armistic:, armament greatly reduced; a 7200-ton cruiser and two old light cruisers; about 12 submarines and nine torpedo boats. Other smaller units of the French
fleet are based at Mers el Kebir,
Algeria and Bizerte, Tunisia. Toulon—The 26,500-ton , battleships Dunkerque and Strassbourgh, and the 22,189-ton battleship Provence, a 10,000-ton cruiser, two 9938ton cruisers, two 7600-ton cruisers, La Gailssoniere and . Jean - de Vienne; two 2884-ton destroyers, 11 destroyers of the 2241-ton class, three of the 2126-ton class, a 10,000ton séaplane, an undiselosed num-
four 2569-ton destroyers, a 5747-ton
supply ship shou} 13, submacines,
ber of submarines and other sm all
attempt to. evacuate the remnants NE 2X . (All Rommel’s hope of escaping disaster have been dashed by American landings in North Africa, these experts said, and he realizes that unless he tries to escape to Europe soon, the eighth army will be so close upon him there will be a German-Italian Dunkirk.) The Germans tried to fight a delaying action at Matruh, in Egypt, 125 miles east of the Libyan border. United Press Staff Correspondent Henry Gorrell watched German 88 mm. and mortar batteries on the escarpment overlooking Matruh surrender, one by one. The eighth army swamped the Germans and drove on west after the main force. A communique of the British Middle Eastern command : today confirmed battlefront dispatches of United Press correspondents that the last axis forces holding out at Matruh capitulated yesterday.
50 Trucks Shot Up
Allied air striking forces relentlessly pursued the remnants of Rommel’s army, the communique |said, and continuously attacked his transport columns which were without air protection and at the merey of allied bombers and fighters. One fighter-bomber sortie yesterday shot up 50 trucks. The eighth army has collected many more prisoners, including the Italian Pavia division, the communique said. (The London Daily Mail reported from Cairo that Rommel had less than 20,000 men left and that his tank forces were ’ practically dissolved.) . Reports reaching Cairo yesterday said that famous Hellfire Pass on the border was believed to have -been partly destroyed by big bombs rained from allied heavy and medium bombers. These reports also said enemy transport in the Bugbug area, near the border, was so closely packed that bombers couldn't help hit it.
Pilots Drop fo 500 Feet
Pilots of medium bombers flew down to within 500 feet and ma-chine-gunned the dense concentration. Rommel was trying to fly in gasoline for his remaining tanks] and trucks. . Speedily advancing squadrons of British and American planes were operating from airdromes they had attacked a few days ago, when they were in axis hands. : Fields at El Daba; FPuka and other points westward were littered with wrecks of Junkers 88's, gliders, some for carrying troops: and some for carrying material up to the size of trucks, ‘and many Messerschmitt 109’s and communication aircraft. Six Italian divisions were milling around in the desert, waiting to be captured. They were the Trento, Trieste, Pavia, Bologna, Brescie and Folgore divisions, the latter including some parachute troops as infantry.
"COL, ROOSEVELT IN AFRICA LONDON, Nov. 9 (U, P.).—Lieut. Col. Elliott Roosevelt, son of President and Mrs. Roosevelt, is with Lieut. Gen: Dwight D. Eisenhower
iterranean from Italy and extends 0 “the Sora point of
—Members of the Liberal Church
2 2 =»
U. S., Vichy Formally End Diplomatic Relations.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (U. P.).—U. S. forces in French North Africa prepared today to drive across Tunisia into
On the War Fronts
Nov. 3, 1942,
LONDON-U. ‘S. forces in Africa speed eastward toward Tunisian frontier after mopping up Algiers; powerful reinforcements stream
Libya where, in conjunction with the British driving westward from Egypt, they will be in a position to smash the remnants of axis forces in
Africa;
The White House disclosed that President Roosevelt notified Tun-| isian authorities of allied intention to cross their territory. Thus the American forces will break through the axis back door behind Rommel’s scattered forces. The White .House disclosure of the allied intent followed reports that the invading American troops had already started eastward toward Tunisia from beachheads established on the Algerian coast. '* Across Sea From Italy Tunisia, a French protectorate since 1881, lies just across the Med-
Africa to the Sahara desert. It is a narrow country about the size of Louisiana. Secretary of State Cordell Hull, meanwhile, formally announced today a breach in diplomatic relations with France and said the passport of Ambassador Gaston HenriHaye was being sent.to him at the French embassy. It was uncertain whether the break in relations would bring a declaration of war by Vichy against the United States. The Vichy French have been fighting the British intermittently, first at Oran and more recently in Madagascar, without a declaration of war against Britain, and that may be a precedent. The French cabinet council already has announced that the United States “by attacking France, broke off relations with France.” Vichy radio said the American charge d‘affaires, S. Pinkney Tuck, had been informed by Pierre Laval of the decision to break relations. The diplomatic break leaves the Fighting French delegation here as the sole tie between the American and French peoples. But it is doubtful that the representatives of Gen. Charles de Gaulle, Fighting French leader, would be offered diplomatic status. He might, however, be recognized as the representative (Continued on Page Four)
Late War Flashes
LONDON, Nov. 9 (U. P.).—The German radio reported late today that rioting broke out in Paris this afternoon after the radical pro-Nazi Jacques Doriot called on France to declare war on the United States.
VICHY, Nov. 9 (French Broadcast Recorded by U. P. at New York).—The French radio reported today that American landing atiempts hve been thwarted at Mogador, Mchdia and several other points in Morocco. The American landing at Safi, however, was said “to have succeeded.”
LONDON, Nov. 9 (U. P.).—The Vichy radio emphasized today that Gen. Maxine Weygand is still in France and has not gone to Africa, as the axis radio reported. :
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 9 (U. P.). ~~A Mexican high military official said teday that “the north Africa second front is the best news ‘Mexico has received since the war.” .
LONDON, Nov. 9 (U. P.).—The ch Havas news agency broadcast a report from La Linea, (Continued on Page Four)
asia regi “PRAISE THE LORD" DENVER, Colo, Nov. 9 (U. P.).
of Denver henceforth will end the Lord's Prayer with words, “Praise
in North Africa, it was reported to-
{Secretary of State Cordell Hull's
ashore at Algerian and Moroccan bridgeheads.
U. S. HDQS. IN N. AFRICA—Army spokesman reports campaign in Algeria and Morocco going “even better than expected” as troops close in on Oran and Casablanca after landing at numerous points.
VICHY —French radio reports Moroccan defenders have been reinfarced, but that situation’ is “grave”; French naval units reported to have suffered heavy losses in engagement with U, S. navy forces off Casablanca; French diplomatic relations with U. S. severed.
ROME—TItalian radio claims one allied cruiser sunk and several ships damaged off Algiers in air attack. .
{CAIRO—Rommel’s axis forces re“ported to Have reached Bardia, inside 'Libya, and still retreating. LONDON—RAF and U. 8. bombers continue aerial offensive with week-end raids on Genoa, Italy, and on Lille and Abbeville areas in north France.
MOSCOW — Germans halted at Stalingrad and Nalchik.
MacARTHUR’S HDQS.—Allied surprise offensive closes in on’ BunoGona area of New Guinea.
U. S. CONCEIVED. 20 FRONT BLOW
Believed Mediterranean ‘Needed Cleaning Up,
London Indicates.
. By EDWARD W. BEATTIE United Press Staff Correspondent LONDON, Nov. 9.—There is every indication here that the American offensive in French Africa was undertaken almost exclusively at the initiative of the United States, wellinformed circles said today.
According to these circles, the United States urged a 100 per cent housecleaning of the Mediterranean as the best possible first step toward an eventual all-out attack cn the axis. : This view was said to have been advanced by Washington shortly after the American entry into the war, soon after the initial impetus; of Japan had been slowed down in the Pacific. The American argument was said to have been that allied resources were limited and must be employed where they promised the greatest results and that control of the African north coast would open the! (Continued on Page Four) |
@
Be Closed Against Axis.
By C. R. CUNNINGHAM United Press Staff Correspondent
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NORTH AFRICA, Nov.. 9.—American forces fanned out over French Afri. ca at breakneck speed today, driving forward to mop up remaining resistance points and quickly develop a threat to Tunisia, the axis rear in Tri-
terranean islands.
a Central North African base and U. 8. and British reinforcements were streaming ashore. Already allied fighter planes were providing a cover for Americans from French
Vichy reported that new American landings were being made at Philippeville, only 100 miles west of the Tunisian frontier.
Sweep Rapidly Ahead
African coasts the Americans. ape
idly, U. S. troops were closing pincers on Oran and. Casablanca and landed fresh forces at half a dozen Moroccan points, including Agadir, Mogador and Mahdia.
described as. slight by an allied headquarters spokesman in London.
French resistance in Algeria, At most points the U. S. troops
desultory land resistance. Howe ever, French naval units battled the American and British fleets at some’ points, notably off Casablanca, and naval-manned shore batteries put up a fight.’
tar lightly during the night and were reported to have attacked the allied fleet at Algiers but apparently with small results.
Allied Losses Slight
Only allied naval losses revealed thus far were two light units sunie in Oran harbor and a transport damaged. The French fleet suffered
heavy losses in dive-bombing ate tacks at Casablanca. > There still was no indication that the main French naval forces at Toulon — three battleships, five
been ordered into action. : One report in London suggested that Admiral Jean Francois Darlan,
an offer to come over to the allied side. If Darlan switched his allegi=.
seek to use his influence with the French navy not to intervene in the battle. : ;
to report that as of this morning, the American advance was going even better than had been antice ipated, but reports still were too {Continued on Page Four)
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (U.P.).— After nearly 2% years of public criticism of its policy toward Vichy France, the state department is now able to explain that that policy was part of the preparation for military operations now in progress on the north coast of Africa. The state department’s policy has been denounced as “appeasement”;
resignation has been demanded by various groups of citizens on several occasions because of continuation of relations with Vichy, Mr. Hull, long the target of most of the criticism levelled at his department, called an extraordinary Sunday press conference yesterday afternoon and told the assembled correspondents that part of the
the Lord and Pass the Ammuni-
rs could now be told. |
Vichy Policy Paved Way for Africa Invasion, Hull Says
found that some 20. American reps
resentatives (the Nazis would call. them “tourists”) had done an exe cellent job of laying the foundation for the invasion of Africa last wee end by a powerful American army, Those men were sent to French Morocco to supervise the delivery of food to the natives.
promoted good will toward the unite ed nations and kept alive in French minds the freedoms which had been traditional under their governments before the fall of France.
Continuation of relations wi Vichy made it possible for those representatives to ‘carry on theif work. But now that the military phases of the situation have uns folded, informed persons © said,
Ee
Tripolitan Gate May,
politania and Italy’s Medi-
The Americans had won Algiers as
airdromes in the Algiers area and _
Along both the North -and West
peared to be sweeping ahead rape
American casualties thus far were, Oran seemed to be the center of
were said to have encountered only
Axis intervention was at a minis ii mum. Axis planes bombed Gibrale = *
cruisers and light escort ships—had =
French commander-in-chief, may be in allied hands and considering
ance, it was thought that he might
This correspondent was permitted :
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