The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1942-12-03
DIARY OF THE WAR

seized SIX more villages and took 12,-
600 more prisoners in battle to encir,
Gle 100000 Germans at Stalingrad
Reds struck new blows in Smolcnsk
area, only 1875 miles from Latvia.
British drove Nazis out of a strong
railroad junction in Tunisia. The Brit
iSh desert army was mastering men
and supplies for final blow at Rom
mel. Kurusu, Jap envoy to Washing
ton during Pearl Harbor, report to
japanese people laying responsibility
for war on United States. The Allied
! drive in New Guinea was slowed by
we'll placed defense positions of Japs.
RAF shot up ships and trains over
continent
SATURDAY - The French home
fleet of sixty ships at Toulon were
scuttled by their crews to prevent
their falling into the hands of Hitler
who tried to seize them. Allies
launched big offensive in Tunisia
against estimated 10000 Axis troops
there. Russians seized four more viii
lagos in the Stalingrad offensive that
claimed toll of more than 10000
Nazi dead and captured. German re-
sistancc stiffened. U. S. troops in
Solomons spent day hopping up iso-
lated Jap patrols. A Flying fortress
downed seven Nazi planes in II min
IuteS over Bay of Biscay.
SUNDAY-A Russian offensive on
the central front broke the German
lines in three places west of Rzhev
They also hurled Nazis back across
Don river west of Stalingrad. Snow
was fast piling up on stcppes of Rus
STA. The Red aim is to squeeze trapped
Nazi units quickly, numbering 100000.
Germans were blowing up bridges,
railroads and highways in effort to
stem the allied advance in Tunisia.
Raj fighters and bombers hit freight
trains and canal shipping on CONT
ncnt. A French sub escaping from
Toulon put into Barcelona. American
aircraft struck heavily at Jap bases
in northwestern Solomons laps were
still on defensive 1t was announced
the Free French might accept Darlan
as Africa's leader due to common
wrath against Hitler. British troops
landed on Reunion island 400 miles
east of Madagascar in Indian ocean.
MONDAY-Attu island in Aleu-
tians is still occupied by Japs, the
Navy disclosed. Four-ton bomb dashed
Turin in Italy as Churchill warned
Italy to seek peace or face ruin. The
Allied drive on Tunisia pressed closer
against Nazis. Russians widcned the
Eaps in German lines around Rzhev
and reported 100000 of enemy killed
in ten days. They smashed German
defense lines on the Don river. The
navy reported IL United Nations
merchant ships sunk in seven days.
Two Jap destroycrs off Buna in New
Guinea were believed sunk in bomb
ing attacks. American bombcrs sank
a Jap vessel and destroyed fighter
planes in raid upon Canton, China.
UESDAY-Allicd forces were only
" miles from Tunis. Bizcrte and
Tripoli and the capital of Tunisia
were heavily bombed. General Mont
gomcry was believed preparing to
finish Rommel at Ell Agheila. Reds
killed 1900 more Germans in Mos
COW area and advanced in twin Of
fcnsivc near Stalingrad. Allied fight
crs in New Guinea penetrated enemy
lines near Coma. Americans bombed
| Jap coal port in Indo-China. Two
French subs escaped from Toulon
harbor and reached Algicrs. 1t was
revealed that Germany demanded that
France declare war on Allies when
American forces landed in North
Africa but the French Cabinet by a
! vote of 8 to 6 refused. JapS were
thought to be seeking a central base
in the Georgia group of Solomons
WEDNESDAY-A fierce air bat
tie was raging over Tunisia with Al
lies also driving spcarhcads ON Ian,
to slice the Axis armies into three
pockets. Soviet airmcn bagged s.
Nazi transports as Reds continued
to advance in Stalingrad area, The
transports were trying to supply re
Inducements in that area. Allies
were cautioned against overconfidencc
as result Of African successes, Five