Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 December 1944 — Page 17

5, 21,1044

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2 robes In tels. Sizes

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YP Fighting Back

; ; (Ernie Pyle Is \WITH THE U. 8. 1ST ARMY, Germany, Dec, 31.— They hadn’t“a chance and knew it, but war i “war and the men in the little American tanks saw the giant panzer Tiger rolling straight down the -road

toward them “and damn if we were going t0 run

without taking a potshot, anyway.” : The huge panzer, with its 7% inches of armor in front and long black 88-mm. gun smoking as it whistled shells into American positions, paid no attention to the American tank and its 57-mm. gun. It was shooting at more important game, The men in the American tank blazed away. Their shells went true but they bounced off the Tiger, like hailstones on a steel roof. Time after time, the Americans fired, with the same result: The Tiger paid not the slightest attention to them. x “We'll try to flank them,” said the tank commander. “This is wasting shells.” They moved off the road and started through a fleld. The long black muzzle of the German 88 swung slowly in an arc toward them and paused. There was a flash, the thunder of the gun and the little tank was crushed in the center of the field.

Rifle Fire Useless

THE BIG 88 swung back toward its objective houses in the village and along the roadside. And in the foxholes, as other big German armored guns moved with the slow and deadly weaving of caterpillar patterns across the muddy field, American doughboys sat and fought the Jerry infantry that eame in on the tanks or just behind them. Their rifle fire was useless against the giant steel hulks. They lay and fired with deadly aim when they could see a Jerry, and left the battlefields strewn with enemy, but the tanks rumbled up the roads. An army caught off balance is going to get hurt and no one is denying that the Americans weren't expecting this major offensive. I saw an engineer unit, crouched among the fallen walls of a German

Inside Indianapolis By Lowell Nussbaum

WINTER IS HERE, officially, today, and we're glad of it. For, if winter comes, can spring be far behind? The first moment of winter, meteorologically speaking, is- 6:15 o'clock this evening. Unofficially, it's felt like winter for several weeks. After today, the days will start getting longer. But the difference won't be noticeable for some time. Anyway, just the thought that the days are getting longer is cheering. Must be about time to get out the seed catalogs and start planning . . » Attention motorists: The city schools close this afternoon. That means something like 70,000 children are going to be vacationing for the next 10.days or so. A lot of them will be playing out of x doors and if you drivers aren't careful, some of the children may be maimed or killed. Drive carefully! Regrets are too late, after your car has run down a child.... Speaking of injuries, the flood of crutches for the war wounded at Billings hospital still i§ going strong. Impressed with the need for crutches at the hospital, folks out at the CurtissWright plant got busy and collected and bought a total of about 300 pairs. That makes a total of about 500 pairs received—just 10 times as many as were asked a week ago. With all these contributions, none of the convalescent soldiers should lose out on a holiday trip home. The Curtiss-Wright people contributed so much money for crutches that the town was cleaned out, and they had to send to Cincinnati to buy 100 pairs.

Results: Just Awful

A WOMAN phoned a local fur store the other day, we're told, and related a sad story. Seems she had tried laundering her fur coat and the results were “just awful.” The dark brown lining had faded all over the lighter-colored fur. “How did you wash it?” she was asked. “Oh,” she replied; “I just put it in

America Flies

A THREE-BILLION-DOLLAR GAMBLE today fis

. paying off in the Boeing B-29 Superfortress raids on

Tokyp. And the raids would not have been possible for another year had the B-29's development followed the conventional pattern, according to an announcement, issued from the Air Technical Service Command headquarters at Wright Field, Dayton, O. The answer is the great chain of modification centers, working in close co-operation with the aircraft industry, which enabled “by-pass-ing months of flight tests and refinements and sent the B-29 almost directly into quantity production from the drawing board.” The quotes are from Maj. Gen. : B. Wolfe, chief of engineering and procurement, ATSC, who supervised the B-29's development for the AAF. Gen. Wolfe commanded the first Superfortress which went into combat. This month marks the end of three years of the modification program operation. In the past three years these modification centers have adapted almost 50,000 airplanes of all types with last-minute changes to improve their combat efficiency, ATSC announced. They equipped our military airplanes with “hundreds of surprises for the enemy.”

Supervised by Wright Field

GEN. WOLFE'S RECOMMENDATIONS for changes on the B-29 did not go directly to the production lines, but to Wright Field which supervised the work of modification centers especially prepared for the B-29 assignment. Immediately after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt ordered that all airplanes being manufactured

in this country for foreign governments be taken °

“over shoulders; easy fo use.

By Jack Bell

on vacation) iN

® a

town, firing with desperate coolness and holding up a n tank thrust through the day.’ And at night they sent back the word, “Get some tank destroyers down here and we'll never let the Krauts in.” Never have I seen such a change in men as in the American soldiers. For weeks they had been struggling almost helplessly against Germans dug in deep; firing heavy stuff with deadly effect, because they had observation, and we hadn't; seeing their comrades killed and wounded, with results hardly worth mentioning.

Army Has Changed

OUR ARMY, in short, was weary, lonesome and tired.” It wanted to go home, and the reaction after the failure of the summer campaign to win the war

was evident from the trenches to the streets of Paris. . Overnight the army has changed. German planes are aloft; they are trying to shoot us down, yes, but every guncrew is alert now. Every gunner on moftorized detail is .alert, his eyes showing eagerness. The rifles of the back-area troops are cleaned and slung

Truck drivers, road crews, military police, sergeants and generals—they all move with feverish enthusiasm, for the army has been set back on its heeels, Everybody but the doughboy had become bored, and the doughboy had been taking an awful beating. Now tank destroyers roll forward; assault guns lumber toward the dance ahead; liaison planes dodge small-arms fire as they flow low to look at Jerry move-, ments. The sky is full of fighters and, well, the army is talking and thinking war again. So the combat units roll forward while the others retreat. For Red Cross unity, war correspondents, phychological warfare men, allied military government men, thousands of office men its into the back areas.

For the enemy is on- the march and the forward 3

areas must be left free for fighting units.

the washing machine.” . . . John Hillman solves the vodka problem for us. He says the reference to “1000 proof” vodka was in his column last New Year's day —not in this column. He says he meant it as a joke, but he has been hearing from it ever since. . . . A little belatedly we receive the second issue of the Ravenswood Clatter, published by some of the boys of Ravenswood. Wish we could get this eolumn as newsy as the boys get their Clatter. For instance: “Mrs. Mildred Clubs, 7240 Fitch ave. fell Thanksgiving day breaking her arm. The accident occurred about 5:25 p. m. Mrs, Club's brother with the help of Marshal Gordonier called an ambulance. She had been on crutches from a sprained ankle and slipped because she was not used to them.” Another item in the Clatter: “We notice that Mrs. Fowler hasn't a mail box yet. What's the matter Mrs. Fowler—can’t you find a bird house?” Keep us on the mailing list, boys.

First 40 Years Hardest

GOSH, WONDER how long it takes a fellow to get so well established on a newspaper that folks know where to write him. The reason we wonder is that this office received a greeting card addressed to “Paul Shideler, Indianapolis Times.” It was from a Massachusetts ave. firm dealing in camera supplies. Paul doesn’t work at The Times. He works at the News. Fact is, he observed his 40th consecutive year with the News last Nov. 16. He's one of the best known newspapermen around town, and a darned nice guy, along with it. We'll send the card on to him at the News. . . . Three cheers for the Chamber of Commerce! We notice they've taken steps to get the legislature to provide funds to light the Soldiers and Sailors’ monument every night of the year—just as

SECOND SECTION

Curt Riess, noted author and analyst, is oh assignment in Europe as international correspond. ent for NEA and The Indianapolis Times, Author of such bestsellers as “The Nazis Go Underground” and “Total Espionage,” Riess is recognized as an authority on German internal affairs. This exclusive story is his first dispatch since his arrival overseas. .

By .CURT RIESS JONDON (By Radio).— Countless indications justify the assumption that the Reich is preparing for a long, drawn-out war.

Intelligence issuing from the Reich supporting such a belief is shared by some military experts here, but is reluctantly shared by the public. Perhaps the projected meeting of the Big §f 3 may have + something to do with the new German plans to fight on—as grimly exemplified in the current Nazi counter -- offensive —in the desperate hope that time and V-bombs will turn the tide of war in favor of Hitler. Some time ago four British secret agents parachuted to Germany near the Baltic coast and posed as foreign workers. Found

Curt Riess

Jpolitically reliable” by the Nazi

authorities, they were assigned to different working camps, then finally to one V-plant. o ” ” BEFORE THE Gestapo .got got wise, they~managed to return to England. This one example-of many shows that British Intelligence knows everything there is to know about the V-danger. Constant bombings of plants and launching platforms as well as railways leading to them hamper the German V-bomb effort. This is done not ‘with an eye on past and present random V=bombings without military value, but- to forestall the possibility of a militarily effective use of new type V-bombs on the front. » » » IN SOME degree, V-1 already is used on the Belgian front, but according to experts, the future may bring new models, employed

* THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1944

’

Thrown into the breach as the German high command seeks to delay the allied advance are burghers enlisted in the “Volksturm,” the German home army.

THE STORY BEHIND THE GERMAN COUNTER-OFFENSIVE—

‘Nazis Fight for Time to Use

Big

Many

had never handled a gun and had to be given specific instruction.

as quasi-artillery, creating a quasi-no man’s land between our lines and the Nazi fronts. There is good reason for the belief that the Nazis are prepar-ing-a V-3 to be launched from mountain tops in Norway. Intelligence says they will prove hardly more accurate than their predecessors. But less accuracy is needed if they are directed against crowded front lines inStead of the hinterland. Whatever the military value, such plans indicate the decision of the Nazis to fight on, and probably will cause a long delay to the end of the war. ” 8 ‘ THERE ARE OTHER indications that the Nazis are preparing a war of attrition, The allies have discovered that the Ger-

mans have formed new spy schools behind the Italian front, whose purpose is training spies in crossing allied lines with refugees and returning with information. Several were caught and executed. The assumption is permissible that similar aetivities are going on at the Western front. Obviously such an arrangement

would be senseless if the Nazis were resigned to fighting a retreating battle from now on.

Another indication that the Nazis have a more positive plan is German leadership. Von Rundstedt, greatest German strategist, hardly would have retaken command if he believed the situation utterly hopeless. ’ ~ ” . FOR THE SAME reason, even more symptomatic is the report from Zurich that Hitler is again about to take over the high command. Hitler will do everything he can to disconnect himself and the party from final defeat. Therefore he would leave military leadership to others if he were convinced that everything is lost. Everything indicates that the Germans fight for time. In this connection it is interesting that they are preparing a new phase of air war, according to excellent information. The Nazis are supposed to be converting bombers into gas carriers filled with inflammable gas in order to start fires in and around strategic objectives. Here again the effect would be gelaying. It seems in the realm of possibilities that the Nazis might

send such bombers with suicide (alone is reason for a speedy meet

teal —%

The Indianapolis Times

| V-Bombs

" 4 of the recruits, like those above,

ANOTHER DELAYING weapon will be the return of the U-boat The experiments took place in the Baltic. The Germans failed in their most important objective of increasing underwater speed. However, Germany still possesses around 400 U-boats ready for battle. She possesses excellent bases near Bergen, Norway, blasted out of the mountains, well protected by concrete, and far superior to other bases in France. » » » FURTHERMORE, THE morale of most of the crews still is exceedingly high and the Germans treat and feed them supremely to retain it. Experience shows that while the U-boat is an immense nuisance and thus a delaying factor, it has no strategic value. Summarizing, everything points to the Nazi wish to delay us. Their spy schools and the fact that U-boats are not yet employed indicate their belief that they have much time left. Most experts believe that the main incentive for delaying tactics is the German hope that the allies may quarrel. If there is a new German plan which may change the face of the war, this

“Ing; of the Big 3.

we suggested a few weeks ago. The C. of C. is asking various business, civic, labor and women’s organizations to support the proposal by adopting resolutions, Come on, folks; let's reslove! . . . That reminds us: Wonder when Parks Superintendent Paul Brown is going to get those pigeon traps built and in operation?

By Max B. Cook

nations. Fighters and bombers needed increased range to patrol our coastal waters. Wright Field was given the assignment. Commercial airline maintenance depots were called on to do the job. The airlines had trained men and the right kind of equipment. These airline depots became the first modification centers. Later the AAFP added 15 huge centers of its own,

Three General Types

THREE GENERAL types of modification are performed. First, modifications for a special theater, suchas installing special radio and “winterizing” planes for cold climates. Second, modifications to take advantage of technical improvements in instruments, radio, armament, armor, propellers, or other equipment. Third, centers instal} items not available for manufacturing sources in sufficient quantities to fill up the production sub-assembly “pipe-lines.” a Thus, steady flow of fighter planes and bombers from the nation’s production lines was not slowed up. The planes, off the lines, were flown to the ROMER centers instead and the changes made ere. The first airline "depots hurriedly cleared for modification work were American, New York; Chicago & Southern Memphis: Continental, Denver, Delta Atlanta; Northwest, St. Paul; Pan-American, Brownsville, and United, Cheyenne. All but three—Continental, Northwest and United -—have been returned to airline service again, One, at Birmingham, is AAF-owned and operated, and the AAF has authority to order planes into seven others operated by manufacturers—Bell at Niagara Falls; Consolidated-Vultee, Louisville; Douglas, Tulsa; Lockheed, Dallas; Martin, Omaha; North American, Kansas City, and Boeing, which used Continental's depot at Denver. ' North American operates its own centers at Dallas

Up Fron¥ With Mauldin"

. .

J i %)

- | “ -

“Do retreatin’ blisters hurt as much as advancin’ blisters?”

. crews to America. |Burned 'Santd’

Of Plasma in Fight for Life

Burned when his Santa Claus suit caught fire, a 21-year-old embalmer is fighting for his life at Methodist hospital today.

Illinois st. Mr. Barrett was burned Monday when he struck a match to illuminate a closet at the Shirley Brothers funeral home where he is employed. Cotton on thé Santa suit 'ignited, burning about 56 per cent of his body. | Mr. Barrett's bride of a month, {wilma Jean Findley Barrett, chief fof surgery nurses at Methodist hos« pital, explained her husband was to have played Santa Claus at a party at their home for the surgery nurses. “He hadn't met many of them... and I thought it would be a good way to introduce him to them,” Mrs. Barrett declared. ° She said Mr. Barrett was ready to leave the funeral home when he went to the closet to get his hat. Rushed to the hospital, physiclans immediately began administering plasma into the veins in his feet—the only part of his body not covered by bandages. So far he has had about, 17 pints of plasma, which Mrs. Barrett said | will have to be replaced at the rate of four donors for each pint used.

‘Lonely Hearts’ Pursue Recluse

CAROLS TO RING OUT

Attendants at the hospital this morning said Mr, Barrett's condition was slightly better, but still critical. At his bedside is Mrs.

He is Baker Barrett of 1220 N.

Barrett,

Gets 17 Pints

isi

Baker Barrett

of Moline, Ill, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Barrett,

Winslow.

PAGE 17

Labo Discord Is Music to

Ears of Lewis

By FRED W. PERKINS

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21.—Discord in the “House of Labor,” as sounded in sharp notes this week between Philip Murray, president of the C.I.0., and William Green, president of the A.F. of L., is music to the ears : of John L. Lewis, head of the United Mine Workers. The trouble is that nobody is .satisfied. + Particularly Bill, who writes to Phil, “There is room for only one united labor move-~ ment in this country. The ine evitable shock of post-war ecoe nomic readjustment will make this clear.”

WHAT BILL is thinking about is that after the war there may be a bear market so far as labor is concerned. War production will stop and the soldiers will be coming back. Unless Mr, Roosevelt comes through with the 60,000,000 jobs he promised, and of which the union. organizations remind him frequently, there may be an oversupply of labor. Wages may go down, and in that kind of a market, labor unions are always at a disadvantage.

THE UNIONS, or many of them, fear that in a falling labor market their membership will slip away and they will lose much of the power that is now represented in the highest enrollments in history. Some authorities think the C.LO. is particularly vulnerable because its biggest unions are now almost completely in war production, . The A. F. of L.,- jealous of the credit the C.I.0. has been get"ting in Mr. Roosevelt's fourth _ election, fearful of the influence its rival may exert in legislative as well as administrative circles, is becoming more and more agreeable to making the compromises that would bring John L. back into the fold—the idea being that he is the fellow to crack the C.I1.O. and produce a united labor movement in this country after a strange cycle of smashups.

—We, the W | WAC and ATS J Resent British Press Report

By RUTH MILLETT

MEMBERS of the American WACS and the British ATS are burned up over a press agency report from the headquarters of Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery that women of the two services _would be sent into Germany “mainly to prevent men of the two armies from fraternizing with German women.” The majority of the American women in uniform went

HANNAH:

bn ~ wo tm on [+1] 0 McClure Mow, $yndreate

in because they d had been sold on the idea tha by taking over routine jobs they could relieve much-needed men for combat. » » » MANY of them are girls and women with husbands, sons, brothers, flances in service. Some of them joined after a loved one had given his life. Most of them took their training period so seriously that they sur-

prised old-time army officers with their enthusiasm, their willingness to work, and their capability, And once they were put in jobs they did those jobs well No wonder they are insulted by a news story saying they are bes ing sent into enemy country as

IN CITY HALL LOBBY,

over by the AAF. Before our airmen could use the and Inglewood; Bell at Marietta; Consolida

her sister, Mrs. Walter. Faternburg women—rather than as members

planes many changes were necessary. Our guns had to replace guns of different caliber used by other , Ld

My Day

NEW YORK, Wednesday—As I sat alone in the pew behind Mrs. Stanley Mortimer’s children ‘yesterday morning, and looked at the beautiful flowers which her relatives and friends had sent in a last gesture of affection, I heard the choir singing “Angels of Jesus, Angels of Light, Singing to Welcome the -Pligrims of the Night.” Aater in the service they sang

Light,” and “Abide With Me.” 1 do not think I heard my aunt of those hymns for many

tpd-Vultee at Tucson; Curtiss-Wright at Buffalo; Douglas at Oklahoma City, and Lockheed at Burbank,

By Eleanor Roosevelt

Warm Springs, Ga., had given him much enjoyment, as well as time to think over the world and its affairs. Even if you are always at the end of a telephone wire, and if dispatches and pouches continue to come, still, the change of scenery, the concerns of a different community, and the satisfaction of seeing something which long ago you had a hand in starting. do something to one's mind and spirit, The War Springs experiment, which started in such a small way and in such very run-down, shabby surroundings, has now blossomed into a very modern plant where much has been done for many people afflicted with “polio.” i Much has been learned about this dréad disease, all the reseach and attention lavished on it

3g fe.

BE -E 8

ST. LOUIS, Dec. 21 (U, P.)~ Helmuth C. Setz, millionaire, who for six years remained in seclusion in his hotel room, has received

scores of letters seeking financial aid and even proposing marriage since his self-imprisonment . became known, it was revealed today. Most of the letters are in women's handwriting, and many expressed concern over Setz’ manner of living. " Word that the recluse had remained alone in his room since 1939 “to think and study” leaked out last week and Setz fled the hotel to the privacy of a friend's home,

Traditional Christmas carols will be sung at 10:30 a. m. Saturday in the city hall. City employees and others will group around a 26-foot tree in the first-floor lobby to hear the program. Planned by Miss Ruth Smith, park department music director, the program will’ include selections by an ensemble composed of Charlene Clore, Jo Ellen Burroughs, Mary Louise Clodfelder, Phyllis Hollar, Jane Click and Caroline Denny, Violet Marie Hadden and Gladys Hollowell will sing. , A reading will be given by Robert G. Smith and the Boy Scout brass choir will play. William Ham-

ilton will be master of ceremonies.

K-9 Corps Gets

~ New Footgear

MYITKYINA, Dec. 20 (Delayed) U.P.). — Thanks to Sgt. Clifton Holland of Ross, Tex., part of a jungle-trained K-9 corps was able to proceed on a 200-mile march today after the remainder of the dogs were evacuated by air because the rocky trails cut their feet.

Holland, a saddler with a Mars. |

task force, fitted the remaining dogs with soft leather which they wore dutifully but without enthusiasm.

shoes, |

of the army, needed to perform responsible jobs, » » » IF IT 1S true, they have been gypped, misled, and their patri-

otism has been wasted. If it is

not true, they have still been insulted—as there are many peo= ple in the world ready to believe such a story—the people: who from the beginning have. been against women's being taken into the services. Asked how she felt about the report one WAC officer salds “Strong. Y'd like to meet the guy who wrote that story.” And that's not a bad Idea, . Maybe a WAC could meet hime

THE SPIRIT

T CAN UP BEFORE RISTMAS!

HAS LEFT THE AKEN TOYS TO PICK

just as she went in to take over his desk job.

Y. W. C. A. SCHEDULES "HOLLY HOP TONIGHT,

Miss June Phillips is general chairman of the formal Holly Hop for servicemen and women at 3 o'clock tonight in the ¥. W. C. A. Miss Phillips, a lieutenant in U,