Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 10 July 1943 — Page 2
! ie i i 13
rt ————
CAMITDONAXY TIIr ar an
PAGE
- am
’ ALLIES ADVANCING IN SICILY 7 AS MORE BLOWS ARE HINTED
American.
British and Canadian Shock Troops Swarm
Ashore as Battle Proceeds According
To Eisenhower's Plan.
(Continued from Page One)
landings were preceded by allied air attacks.
Allied naval
forces escorted the assault forces and bombarded the coast
defenses during the assault.”
The crossing of the 90-mile “moat” from rugged island of Sicily, which once had 4.000,000 population, was made in all types of naval eraft, including special a landing barges brought under power from the United States to strike at Italy just three vears and one month Mussolini stabbed France in the back. (There was no mention of French troops taking part in the of Sicily) For two fleets based the Midd'e East had Sicily with thousands of tons of bombs, seeking to knock out axis air power, demolish
sty
own
after
IVEsIon
huge 1West Alrica an hammered at
weeks
&} mn nor:
ec. deON Ol 1aCl 1 and isolat h island Italian i For ¢ seven davs the air attack had t almost continuous, day and night Then the converted freighters, the big the
battleships, the fast destroyers heavily armed cruisers and tl new type landing bargesarmed and heavily protected sembled by the hundreds and put the African the barges and
'
“heavily AS out in darkness coast. Crouching in jammed aboard the transports were American troops that had practicing In saul weeks and were ready for the hardest oY tle ~¥ slap lives There were Canadian —the rough-and-ready soldier had been waiting (presumat recently in England to avenge their com! at Dieppe had promised the honor of s the invasion of Hitler fortress
ram
been
vasion troops
ades wh long
ana
Engineers Led Way
down shoulders turtlethe allied led bt ppers were off the the dark hour bethe Mediter-
troops engineers and sa Sicili fore dawn came over ranean
The engineers
jan coast in
given the toughest hazardous operat torpedoes — 2 long and nch pipe wire
fobs in on, carrie gadget encased in
ahout 15% feel
used t tack
entanglements in rder to blas path for the assault troops
Reserves Brought Up
open a
from Malta, only 60 were preinvasion island
Allied forces miles sumed units coast And the: darkness armada opened up. The gun
hess may have been the
> yon - soil away from Sicily,
to have joined the
somewhere off the
period of of the naval
the darkfirst sign se forces to knock
begun
the nervous axis defen ed the battle
out }
that
eee that Ttaly of the war had
Tunisia to the!
their
. manded an Lys front,
» been
But the enemy had been predicting the assault for days, reporting the massing of allied troops and barges and trying desperately to guess where the first blow would fall Although the steady pounding of allied airplanes had knocked out the main Sicilian harbors closest to Italy. there were late reports that
| with
TEE
OEE a REA
"THE INDIANAPOLIS "TIMES
[ITALY MAY BE
THE NEXT STOP
France Would Follow as
Allied Plan Begins to Shape Up. (Continued from Page One)
was tempered that
hut their the
joy knowledge
news,
| casualties must be expected during | this and coming phases of the Medi- |
terranean war,
The populace re-
called Prime Minister Winston
| Churchill's warnings that complex
{amphibious operations are
neces -
‘sarily hazardous.”
and reand air-
The capture of Sicily habilitation of its ports
| fields is however the most important
Nazi and Fascist reserves had been &
rushed to the island and there was little question that the struggle for the mountainous stronghold would be a and probably a long one. Preliminary reports indicated
costly
_ that the axis resistance was fierce
and that the enemy airplanes were attacking desperately, often diving through their own anti-aircraft fire in their efforts to get at allied bombers Field Marshal Albert Kesserling, the Nazi air expert who had comair fleet on the Russian reported directing the defenses with the aid Wolfram von Richtofen, had been on the eastern
was axis aerial of Ba) who also
front
on
the battle front tages were meager, said that issued as
Reports from in the early but allied headquarters information would be regularly es possible. The axis reaction bv radio also was slow. The Rome radio had warning the Italian people that a desperate defense must be made of the island, repeatedly emphasizing Mussolini's warning that peace at this time meant dishonor and disaster. The first great against the European fortress was started after a coldly, scientific day and night aerial bombardment that accelerated steadily for two weeks. The allied attacks met steadily decreasing axis aerial opposition but it was uncertain whether the enemy was holding back his main strength despite the allied efforts to force him to fight in the air. As the aerial assault reached a crescendo, fighters and fighterbombers in large numbers joined in the attack to shoot up axis trucks and railroad equipment in order to hinder or halt movement of forces the Invasion
allied assault
the enemy when began Meantime been
theater
Canadian forces had moved inte the Mediterranean They included infantrymen and tank crews which had been training in England. United Press Correspondent William Wilson. who accompanied the Canadians to this theater. the speech of a brigadier as men prepared for their big test. “Youre the equal of any troops in the world in training and equipment.” the brigadier told one tank regiment. “But theres one thing we dont know a damn about— what it's like to be on the actual battlefield. That's what we've got to experience. Use your heads!” (Radio Algiers, broadcasting Italy, said that “the battle Africa is ended and the battle of Europe has begun. The warnings of President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill have come true. Italy, dragged by Mussolini into Hitler's war. has become a battlefield. The German rearguard action is being fought on Italy's soil.)
to of
described | the |
Marshal Albert Kesselring . . . heads Luftwaffe in defense of Sicily,
NEED SICILY FO CONTROL OF SE
U: S Military Expert Says Fall of Isle Necessary Achievement.
WASHINGTON, July 10 (UP). ~Allied capture of Sicily would give the united nations undisputed control of the Mediterranean sea, according to Col. Conrad H. Lanza, U. S. army. retired. Lanza is considered one of the best informed military writers in this country. He is the owner of a valuable military tributes regulariy journals, Writing in the current issue of the Field Artillery Journal on “the routes to Europe: the islands of the western Mediterranean,” Lanza emphasizes the importance of Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, asserting that their “relative ease capture is probably in the order named.” {
All Thice
and conthe military
library
to
of
Need
| | equipped Greek
main
step in extending bombardment to the Italian mainland, it is believed here, and must be carried out at once, since the allies are determined to knock italy out of the war and no longer believe that Italians will
heavy |
give in without putting up a fight |
But the invasion there does not exclude the possibility of other amphibious operations being laurched elsewhere,
Sardinia, Corsica Vital
That it is important for allies to establish themselves | Sardinia and Corsica as stepping] | stones toward France and north! | Italy, seems militarily obvious. and important is the liberaof Greece to give Britain a Yoothold in southeastern Europe, a liberation which would be facilitat-
the
in|
ed by the 30000 well organized and,
guerrillas awaiting action in that country. But for the present Sicily is the issue and the difficulties of
now |
conquering this island are sharp-|
ened for Britons by the commando raid made last summer upcn Dieppe which showed British and American troops that
memories of |
| i
‘opposed landing” must always be|
the costliest form of military operation. Germany
also learned this hard
fact of war when it attacked Crete
in 1241. Indeed it is now known
that the
Nazis would have aban-/
doned that attempt if the defend-| ers could have held on a few days]
longer,
Defenders Have Advantage For the defense of Crete Britain
|
i
had to bring supplies and reinforce- |
ments 400 miles across the sea ! while Sicily adjoins the Italian mainland, which gives its defenders a big advantage. Meanwhile, in the Middle east, th» i Turks seem to pe getting more and
{more nervous and more and mors]
“The fall of one will facilitate the fall of the others.” he said. “The capture of thes=> tivree islands would seem to be requisite before an invasion of the mainland can be undertaken.” Lanza said that Sicily would serve as an excellent base for operations against either Italy or Greece “After its harbors and airfields were reconditioned.” he said. “verv large forces could be baged on this | island.
i
Sicily Is Separator
“Sicily separates the Mediterranean into its west and east sections . . . with certain islets whic 1 naturally belong to it, Sicily in] enemy possession is a major obstacle to control of the Mediterranean—much more so than enemyheld Tunisia. “From airfields in Sicily the seas can be covered in all four directions, | and from its ports submarines and light naval forces raid the sea lanes.” Lanza speculated that the enemy might elect to make his main defense in the center of the island, but added that “no matter where; invaders may land they will have to ght an up-hill battle.”
Hoosier Heroes
Lt. Robert Allen McConnell | Dies in Oklahoma Air Crash
(Cantinved from Page One)
Pvt. Joe Edward Fislar is reported to have been killeg in North Africa May 18 the war department has notified his father. Ralph Fislar, 4712 W. Vermont st. Pvt. Fislar,
infantry
stritctor at the Altus field at the
time of hic death Lt. McConnell lebanon. He h anapolis most of his was a Lodge,
employee
ras a native of
ad lived Indiand
Center
life member of the F. A&M He Stone, Stafford & before he
with regiment, enlisted the army Dec. 16, 1941. and received basic training at Camp San Luis Obispo, Cal. He was born in Indianapolis Dec. 15, 1023. and attended the Garden
was an who is an
of in
Stone, insurance firm enlisted. Survivors are his wife, Anita McConnell of Clayton
the parents
N
Murs. and
Prepare for Winter
NOW
* If you are going to insulate or weatherstrip your property. install storm sash and doors, or convert your heating plant, don’t wait until fall when there may be scarcity of materials and labor. Conserving fuel is patriotic. Increase your comfort and reduce heating cost.
New F H A loan terms are temporarily available. Arrange for a loan now. Monthly payments on loans made before September 1 may begin at any time up to November 1. Loans are for periods up to 3 years. Call of Main Office or Any Branch
Fletcher Trust Company
N. W. Cor. Pennsylvanic end Market Sts, 12 CITY-WIDE BRANCHES 1125 S. Meridian Street 500 E. Washington Street 2122 Eost Tenth Street 474 W. Wetshington Street 5501 E. Wothington Street 2600 W. Michigan Street 2506 E. Wethington Street 1233 Oliver Avenve
706 E. Sixty. Third Street 3001 N. Minois Street 154) N liinois Street 1532 Reereve!t Avenve
City school 8 and Ben high school. Surviving besides the father are his stepmother. Mrs. Sadie Fislar; a sister, Mrs. Thelma Hutchinson, and a brother, Max
Fislar, all of Indianapolis. | Fg & 4
Davis | {
Lt. Hal Godfrey Plummer, son | of Lt. Col. and Mrs. Thomas H. lummer, formerly of this eity, | lost his life while on patrol duty July 8 when his pursuit plane | crashed in San Francisco Bay, | Cal
Although search is being continued, neither the plane nor his body have been recovered, according to a telegram received by his parents, A graduate of Shortridge high school in 1940 and a former student at Butler university, Lt. Plummer left school in April, 1942 to enlist in the army air forces. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. Called to active duty last July. he attended flying schools at Kelly field, Tex.: Santa Ana, Tulare and kemoore, Cal, and Luke field, Ariz, where he received his wings and commission May 2¢C He was attached to a fighter squadron of the army air force at Haywood, Cai. at the time of his death, Survivors, besides his parents who are in Marysville, Cal. are a sister, Patricia Ann Plummer; two grandmothers, Mrs. Minnie E. Plummer and Mrs. Wilson W. Godfrey, and two uncles, Clifford R. Plummer and Culver C. Godfrey, all of Indianapolis. £ & 4 Prisoners PVTS. HAROLD H. Gibson, Elkhart, and Larry W. Wozniak, South Bend, are reported to be held as prisoners of war by Japan. Their names were released with
those of 336 additional men held | prisoner.
CITES SUPPORT OF CHINA AD | CHUNGKING, July 10 (U. P).— Madame Chiang Kai-shek, at her first press conference since her re-| {turn from the United States, de | | clared today that all American peo: | ple—even the so-called isolationists | grarpor the program of alging China. 4
»
(compelled to couch their |in firmest terms.
determined to preserve their
to Turkey,
’
neu- | trality as war's shadow draws nearer | despite the great extent)
i
of military equipment handed over)
to them by the allies in recent months. If the allies ultimately expect to use Turkish bases and air-| fields, it now seems they will be demands But that moment {has not quite vet arrived.
INVASION BARGES STREAMED TO SHORE
(Continued from Page One)
into the shore and then away. It was a damn good show.
| The invasion barges kept coming in a never-encing stream.
(several hours it was
“About 6:30 a m. after the invasion began) easy
island. For our curtain of coast.”
Bleile's comrades listened exciteadly as he told the first bird'seve story of the greatest sea invasion of history. “I suppose this was your most ex-
30 minutes,
fire searing the
{
| | |
swung |
to sppreciate that a tremen-| |dous battle was in progress on the! I watched!
|
i
i {
= : as
‘ ro.
WASHINGTON
A Weekly Sizeup by the Washington Staff of the Scripps-Howard Newspapers
(Continued from Page One)
Gen. Eisenhower in Tunisia, Gen. Giraud says German troops are well trained and disciplined, morale is good. And in 1918 he recalls. Germans fought well up to the last minute of the last day. In Tunisia they quit only after they had been out-generaled. outmaneuvered, out-fought, and overwhelmed with equipment. Giraud corollary, therefore, is that the allies must not count on an easy victory; must count on winning only by making ourselves superior to the enemv on the fighting front, the home front, production line, communications, and in soldier and civilian morale. = = = ” ” » PRESIDENT IS quietly probing Jesse Jones-Henry Wallace controversy. but it is not likely he will rebuke either one. If anv action is taken, some reorganization, shifting of powers, is more in the Roosevelt tradition. NOTE: Cancellation of a luncheon probably cost support of the Texas congressional delegation in his Wallace. Delegation usually lunches en masse on Wednesdays and Jones showed up at the Capitol expecting to attend. But the luncheon had been called off, due to rush of last minute business. = = = ” =” ” ANTI-ADMINISTRATION revolt in congress went far bevond bounds expected by president. He looked for some trouble but not the all-out variety he got. President's attention was concentrated on the war; minds home front was uppermost.
Jones formal fight against
in legislators’
Urge Byrnes to Build Staff
INSIDE ADVISERS urge a more effective staff organization for Jimmy Byrnes’ OWM. At present, they say, it's only “putting out fires.” Thev want it to stop them before they start. Byrnes is being urged to build a staff like that Lloyd George used during the other war, It was a staff of competent, trusted, personal friends. Each member was assigned to watch one segment of the war effort constantly. Llovd George met this staff at breaks fast each day, got reports from them of what was going on everywhere. Same staff acted as his liaison with the war cabinet, ats tended all sessions of that body. = » = ” ” ” NAZI INABILITY to use women workers effectively is given here ac one reason for falling off in German output of munitions and planes; they've hammered home idea, for years, that women should concentrate on kitchens and children. Americans and British, in contrast, can credit much of their swelling production to women in war industry. Nazis are learning, too, that shooting and hanging don’t get much work out of laborers from conguered countries, ” = = » » ” THE 300000 SOLDIERS France will put into the field all must have American equipment. Gen. Giraud says. Of these, 125000 will be Europeans, 50,000 Sengalese, 50.000 Moroccans, and the rest Alger fans and Tunisians. ® ” v ” = ” ADD PHONY RUMORS: That one about the army's glider program being abandoned. It's not true. Glider program, instead, is picking up new steam. One of the latest wrinkles developed is a method by which a flying plane can pick up a glider. Previously, both had to start on the ground. Army will unveil to the public some of its glider tricks within 30 days. = = ” = » ”
Higher Taxes Are in Order
HIGHER TAXES in virtually all categories are in program the treasury expects to have ready for congress in September. Present prospects are that treasury will renew its fight for the spending tax: will recommend increasing corporation taxes from 40 per cent te 50-55 per cent, increasing personal income taxes, particularly in lower and middle brackets; will ask for higher excises on liquor, tobacco, where last increases didn't halt buying. = ” ” ” ” ” NEW DEAL fourth term promoters aren't overlooking the south, whence have come rumbles of discontent with the administration. David K. Niles, right-hand lieutenant to Harry L. Hopkins, recently journeved to Louisiana to examine into threats of revolt made by Governor Sam Jones, Regular politicians don't expect a southern bolt at the '44 convention, but New Dealers are taking no chances. ” » ” » ” ” CONGRESS SURRENDER to Mr. Roosevelt on rollback subsidies is only a recess truce. Anti-subsidy bloc purposely limited life of commodity credit corporation to Dec. 31. will reopen the battle in September unless what members learn at home changes their minds. President will have something to say about this soon. = ” ” ” 2 2 OPA ANTICIPATES little difficulty with so-called “anti-professor” provision in its appropriation. Original clause approved by house called for dismissal of price-policy officials lacking five years’ business experience. Final compromise leaves discretion with administrator, specifies merely that executives must be qualified, in his judgment, by experience in business, industry or commerce. » = ” ” ” ” HEARINGS BEFORE Cox committee investigating federal communications commission will be Capitol Hill's biggest—and probably longest sustained—show during the recess. Biggest Flop—Dies committee “expose” of Jap resettiement policies and subversive influence in Detroit race riots, (Riot investigation has been abandoned completely.) ” = 2 ”
MeNUTT FOR THE SENATE? Indiana politicoes point out that
| county
more and better |
‘as he kicked off his fur-lined boots. |
! more exciting. 1
sland I saw smoke curling and min- |
citing operation,” I said to Bleile| the backing Senator VanNuys is getting from McNutt organization is intended to deadlock the state convention, stop Governor Henry F. He grinned ant said: Schricker, who may seek the senatorial nomination. And then they was only my second operation.” see McNutt emerge as compromise candidate. “Were you disappointed with — What you saw?’ | SUNMAN POSTMASTER DIES ye ie Yo Jee aVININE] BATESVILLE. July 16 (U. P)— the coastline for Harry Behlmer, 59, postmaster at BVervWhere Over ° {Sunman for the past six years, died a at a hospital yesterday after a three-month illness. Surviving are a son and a daughter.
“Well, this!
i
25 vears, in the building on the died Fri-
librarian for Union Mr. Alexander
} sity Memorial ‘ campus. island and dav.
minutes. the
STRAW mr SALE VALUES UP $7.45 TO $2.85 HARRY W. KRAUSE CO.
34 N. PENNA. ST.
gling with the early morning haze | as the battle roared.” |
“ANGUS TO SPEAK ALEXANDER RITES TODAY
D. J. Angus of the Scientech club! BLOOMINGTON, July 10 (U, P). | will speak at the noon meeting of —Services will be held today for | the club Monday in the Y. W.C. A. "William Alexander, Indiana univer-
OPEN TONIGHT #% UNTIL O'CLOCK
®* Two Free Parking Lots
ITNT TA TTR
ALABAMA AT VERMONT ST.
Urge Requests For Gas Books
MOTORISTS’ applications for their A gasoline books should be mailed now, Alex L. Taggart, rationing administrator, urged today. “Any motorist who
does not
have his application in by July 15 | | may have to wait a long time for | his book,” Mr.
Taggart said. Application should be made out
| on OPA form 570, and mailed with
the tire inspection record of the applicant and the back cover of the old A book to the local ration= ing board or plant transportation |
| committee,
SATURDAY, JULY 10, 1943
BALL TO TRAIN CADETS
MUNCIE, July 10 (U. P).—Ball
State college officials said today
that a contract had been signed
establishing an army specialized [training program at the school. |The first battalion of cadets was |expected to arrive within the next | few weeks.
DIES IN CYCLE CRASH
LOGANSPORT, July 10 (U. P)) = Marjorie Jones, 12, was Killed last ‘night and her aunt, Mrs. Mary (Pherson, ser jously injured when the | motorey cle they were riding collided with a semi-trailer truck a mile west of here.
= If it is not really urgent, perhaps you
can avoid using the over-burdened
Long Distance lines.
= Give calls of the government, the
armed forces and
right-of-way.
war industries the
— The one call you do not make may help
clear the wires for a vital war message.
~ Do your bit by cutting down on Long
Distance calls, particularly to far.
away points outside the state.
Were (ots. Come Foe?!