Milford chronicle., 1943-06-11
LAST WEEK IN THE WAR

tne ALLu campaign ldSJ week, Il
allied air power rained new an
increasingly severe blows at Italy
Germany and Japan.
Henry L. StimsOn. Secretary o
War, announced that the successful
completion of the three-week Att
campaign had placed American
forces within striking distance o
Japanese territory"
The Navy announced that tn,
Attu campaign cost the U. S. forces
1885 casualties including "a.
killed. This compared with Japan
ese losses of 1871 dead counted by
our forces and eleven prisoners
captured. The Japanese were re-
ported to have buried or cremated
many additional members of their
forces. The Toxic radio had placed
Japanese losses at 5000. Fifty
eight American soldiers are miss
ing in the action, the Navy an
nounced.
Earlier. the American forces end
ed organized Japanese resistance
by driving two deep wedges into
the enemy lines. isolating the en-
emy into small pockets which were
swiftly wiped up. The isolated
pockets" were scattered all over
the island. At the end of the week,
it was reported that a few isolated
small units were still hiding in
sections of the island.
Heavy bombardment of Germany
and Nazi-occupied territory con-
tinued all week, as the RAF and
American Army Air Force flyers
set new records in increasingly
severe aerial warfare.
American Air Force headquaI ters
I'M London announced that Ameri-
can Flying Fortresses and Liber-
ators reached new high by shoot
ing down "A enemy aircraft in
single days raids on May u in twin
attacks on the Nazi submarine
bases at Wilhelmshaven and En-
den.
The largest force of heavy bomb
ers ever employed by the Eighth U. ,
S. Air Force raided St. Nazaire, La
Pallice and Rennes in France,
dropping 1000 pound block busters
on Nazi submarine pens.
French Ships Join Allies
London announced last week
that the French fleet of nine war
ships which has been immobilized
at Alexandria since the start of the
war have joined the Allies. Naval
experts said the nine vessels, which
include the 22.1S9-ton battleship
Lorraine. three 10,OOO-ton eight-in.
gun cruisers and the 7.249-tOn six
inch gun criser Duquay-Trouin can
be made ready for combat in about
six months.
North African Action
Action on the North African front
last week was seen by large units
of Major General James II. Doolit-
ties strategic bombardment group
which kept up steady lombard
ment of Italian island outposts and
coastal areas. Allied destroyers :
sank two enemy supply ships and
a torpedo boat and drove an enemy
destroyer ashore in an attack on d I
convoy off the Southern tip of Sar-
dinia early in the week.
Powerful forces of American four
engined bombers lOosed a powerful I
assault on Italy inflicting great
damage" on the oil refinery and
shipyards at Leghorn, Italy's third !
largest port. Allied naval forces \
Dombarded the harbor and battery
area of Pantelleria in the Sicilian !
Narrows twice in twelve hours
Wednesday night and Thursday |
'
The Northwest African Air Forces
lropped total of 100000 pounds c
If bombs on Italy proper and Ital- v
an outposts during the week end |
ng May 2S, it was announced. In
laylight raids, the American forces I,
arried out heavy attacks at Naples
nd Foggia. destroying oil storage n
Iepots. grounded planes, and air. :
rome installations. y
Army Is Ready For New Tasks Il
General Eisenhower summed up G
fleets of the drive which wiped Il
he Axis out of North Africa last n
yeek. by declaring that the enemy's a
iorale has been 'jolted". The h
commander of Allied Forces in the II II
frican theater declared that his a
rmies are now ready to under CT
Ike any further task that our ii
1untries may choose to assign
s." G