davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-03
Acct keows
Requiem

With U. S. Marines, Abemama,
Nov. q -CUP)- Marines from
bloody Tarawa-90 miles to the
north-today occupied this paradise
atoll called Land of Moonlight"
where only a lonely cat mewing
around the bodies remained alive at
the japanese garrison whose Is
men preferred mass suicide to .
final fight.
They were the only japanese on
the island.
Only fear could explain why some
shot themselves and others let their
commander blindfold them and put
a killing bullet In their hearts.
The enemy's only position was on
a single islet In the atau. It had
been attacked the night We hit
Tarawa.
1t was stout position, plentifully
supplied with food and ammunition.
But the japanese must have
thought the Jig was up. They all
were found dead, with the cat pac-
ing around the bodies.
Five hundred happy natives
cheered the announcement they
were free from japanese rule ana
grass-skirted girls all day broughe
Marines and Seabees precious gree
coconuts in exchange for freAA
water brought by the transports.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-03
WiIIkie Foe
To Tell Story

Washington, Dec. 3-(UP)-The
author of the most bitter attack so
far on Wendell L. Willkie as a po-
tential 1914 Republican presidential
nominee has been invited to come
here next Tuesday to tell his story
to a large group of COP congress-
men.
The speaker will be C. Nelson
Sparks, former mayor of Akron, O.,
who just has published book en-
titled "One Man-Wendell Will
kie." The book is in the formal of
WILKES Zone World. 1t charges
that international financial inter-
ests bankrolled WILKES 1910 cam
paign for the Republican presi-
edntial nomination and Unanswered
it to success.
Sparks was invited to address the
Seventy Eight Club" composed OF
Republicans elected to congress for
the first time in November of last
year. This weeks speaker was for
mer Gov. ALT M Landon, of Kan
sas, 1886 Republican presidential
nominee, generally regarded as mid
western leader of the anti-Willkie
forces. Willkie, himself, addressed
The freshmen earlier and told them
ne could have next years nomina-
ion If he wanetd 1t.
Off Record
The club steering committee was
tempting to determine whether
sparks appearance should be open
% the public. All speeches so far
aave been off the record But
Sparks wants his remarks reported,
An open meeting of the increasingly
important group Of freshman legis-
Continued on Page a
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-03
Chinese Hold
AtChangteh

Chunkging, Dec. 3.-(UP)-Chi-
nese troops, supported and supplied
by American warplanes, maintained
their grip on the Human Province
highway center of Changteh today,
although military spokesman ack-
nowledged that japanese forces still
retained foothold inside the
towns east gate.
The spokesman said the battle
for Changteh, which guards the
northwestern approaches to the big
Chinese base at Changsha, was de-
yeloping rapidly into one Of the
most important actions of the China
war.
A reinforcing Chinese column
broke through the japanese siege
lines south of ChaEgteh and made
contact with the Garrison on Dec. l.
he said, but fighting is continuing
with ferocity unequaled since the
great battle for Shanghai at the
beginning of the war.
American planes bombed and
strafed installations round the
town and attacked enemy position
along the Salween river In western
China and on the southeast China
coast. Other u. S. planes hit enemy
shipping on the Irrawaddy river.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-03
Glider Bomb
Hits Ship

Ottawa, Dec. 3-(UP)-A Nazi
aerial glider bomb, apparently div
ing under its own power, passed
through the Canadian destroyer
Athabaskan and exploded in the
water 20 feet clear of the ship, kill
ing five men and wounding IL,
Royal Canadian naval authorities
said today.
The Athabaskan was the senior
ship in a group operating In the
Bay of Biscay last August when the
bombing took place, the announce
ment said, adding that she had now
been repaired and was back at sea.
The glider bomb the navy said,
is of the type known among British
Seamen as a "chaSe me Charlie
because of their graceful maneuver-
ing.
Commander G. r. Miles said the
bomb was the third projected from
group of some 20 Nazi planes, es-
timated to have been 200 feet away
at an altitude of 5000 feet when
1t was launched.
1T proceeded ahead of the direc-
ton of flight of the aircraft for a
second, then banked gracefully and
came straight for the Athabaskan
in a glide at an alarming rate OF
speed" h esaid. 1T looked at first
as if it would pass overhead but in
the las tsplit second it dipped and
struck us. 1t seemed to be under
power up OF the moment of strik-
ing"
The bomb struck the port side,
passed under the pilot room,
through the chief petty officers mess
and came out the starboard side,
exploding In the water when 20 to
80 feet clear of the ship. ALI off,
GERS and men in the pilot room were
casualties.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-03

Allied Troops Fight
ToGain I oughLine
Allied Headquarters, A

Allied Headquarters, Al
giers, December 3. - UP)-
Allied troops have pounded
out hard-won gains on both
flanks of the Italian front,
it was announced today, with
General Sir Bernard L. Mont
gomery's Eighth Army cap
turing the strOngly-fortified
town of CastelfrentanO in a
24-hour battle and lunging
on against bitter German
resistance.
Fighting savagely against Nazi
rear-guards on the main road up
the Adriatic coast, Montgomery's
men pushed within sight of San
Vito, six miles beyond their last
reported position.
On both sides of the front the
Germans put up the strongest oppo-
sition, strewing mine fields and
barbed wire across their path to pre-
vent further weakening of their
line protecting Rome-a r d y
smashed near the Adriatic.
At CaStelfrentano the British
beat off two counter attacks in
hand-to hand fighting and won po-
sitions giving them an advantage
in another bloody struggle for Lam
ciano, key town of 10000 four miles
northeast.
Bombing and fighting planes laid
down a continuous relay of attacks
on both the Eighth and fifth Army
fronts, enabling the Fifth's British
elements to hack out minor gains
near Calabritto, five miles southwest
of Migano, against stiff machine
gun and mortar fire.
Mitchells, Baltimores and Bostons
dumped big loads of high explosive
bombs on targets at San Giorgio,
Rocca and Cervano ahead of tfhe
Fifth Army. aiming at guns put in
strategic heights above the main
road to Rome from Capua.
Five separate German attempts
to strike back in the air were
smashed. Clearing weather permit
ted an increase in aerial fighting,
described in front dispatch as
the greatest of recent weeks.
Capture of San Vito and Lanciano
by she Eighth Army would permit
the British to swing southwest
along a lateral road to Castel di
Sangro, far inland, and either pinch
off y big German force in the noun
tains or force them to speed their
retirement northward
American heavy bombers ranging
far northward for the seventh
straight day of attacks in the Medi-
terranean--a record for the four
motored planes-probably knocked
out the main German supply line in
northern Italy with a raid on Boil
zano, south of the Bremen Pass.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-03
Senator Gives
Info On Meet

Fort Worth. Tex, Dec. 3-UP)
President Roosevelt and Prime
Minister Churchill carried their
war conference to Soviet Premier
Josef Stain because he is actively
directing his armies in the field"
Sen. Tom Connally, D., Tex, said
last night.
Connally is chairman of the Sen
ate Foreign relations committee.
Connally, who had stated earlier
in a radio address that meeting
of great Significance is reported
taking place in the Middle East"
was informed of approved dis
patches listing the conference site
as Tabriz, Iran.
The Senator admitted that he
had expected the sessions to be
held in Tehran, Iranian capital.
but presumed the altered plans
were made in order to make the
meetings more accessible to Stain.
"They carried the conference to
Stain because he Is actively direct
ing his armies in the field and it
was necessary to make 1t as handy
as possible to his headquarters"
Connally said.
In his radio address, Connally
said:
"As a result of these conferences,
the armies of Russia will be
strengthened, her campaign will be
buttressed and fortified and the
united resources of the Allies will
give added weight and strength to
the brave Russian people to expel
the invader the world is witnessing
a tremendous drama the global
STAGE"
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-03
Big Three Said To Be
Drafting Berlin Ultimatum

London, Dec. 3 - (U.PD - An
Istanbul dispatch passed by the
British censorship said today that
President Roosevelt, Prime Minis
ter Churchill and Premier Stain
in conference in Iran, were drafting
an ultimatum to Germany to sur
render Internationally or suffer to-
tai destruction by bombing.
The dispatch, bearing the censor
ship notation, passed for publica-
cation" was carried by the British
Exchange Telegraph agency and
said that, according to news from
Ankara, the big Three had be-
gun their historic conference at
Tabriz, $50 miles northwest OF
Tehran and only 60 miles south OF
the Russian Caucasian border.
A broadcast by the Nazi Vichy
begun at Tabriz and asserted that
Mr.. Roosevelt and Churchill were
accompanied by General Sir Ber-
nard l.. Montgomery, commander
of the British Eighth Army now in
Italy.
There has been widespread specu-
lation that the three heads of states
would discuss details of an Allied
squeeze on the Balkans with British
and possibly American troops hop
ping off from Italy, the Levant or
Africa and the Red Army thrusting
from the east. Montgomery's troops
now hold Bari and Brindisi, the
two main ports in southeastern
Italy from which Italy began her
invasions of Jugoslavia, Albania,
and Greece.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower,
supreme Allied commander in the
Mediterranean, presided over a
meeting of some of his Mediterran-
can staff in Egypt immediately fol-
lowing the Roosevelt Churchill
Chang conference, but there has
been no confirmation that Mont
gomery was present.
"Greater Echoes
A United Press dispatch from
Ankara said the newspaper illus,
organ of the Republican peoples
party, was specializing that the
(CoptinIed m pace A.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-03
Prof. Talks
On Education

Boston, Dec. 3.-(UP)-Dean E
George Payne of New York Univer-
sity's School of Education warned
today that educators must prepare
a Decentralization educational
program for all youths between 16
and Is.
Speaking before delegates at the
opening session of the 58th annual
meeting of the New England Asso-
citation of Colleges and Secondary
Schools, he said that education will
be the most fundamental factor and
significant source in determining the
effectiveness of democracy and the
social order in the future society.
1.-THE selection Of youth to partici-
pate in the sort of postwar educa-
ton available will not be based as
in the past upon ability to pay but
upon ability to profit by such tut
tion," DR.. Payne said. Each indi-
vidual will have the opportunity Of
developing his fullest potentialities,"
He said that America, with lead
ership developed during the war. is
ready to deal with and solve prob
lens resulting from such revolution
airy changes and social processes as
are implied in universal postwar
education.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-03
9Th Drives
Foe Back

Dec. 1 - (U.P) - Scared-look-
ing German stragglers, bedraggled,
cold and helpless. streamed in to-
day to surrender to the advancing
Eighth Army as the main Na1 force
retreated from its smashed lines
above the Sangro river.
Allied guns and bombs created
more wreckage than ever have
seen in battlefield or war torn
village and turned into a hopeless
task the enemy orders to hold their
main defensive ridge above the
Sangro at all costs.
General Sir Bernard l.. Mont
gomerys British forces caught the
enemy mapping.
Nothing could be more complete
than the devastation at FoSSacesia,
which was a pivotal point on the
German winter defense system. The
British have put their prisoners to
work clearing away the rubble while
villagers walk about with their
eyes haunted by the memory of the
war that has just passed through.
Overrun Is the word to describe
what happened to the Germans.
They were dug in deeply along the
main coastal road around FoSsace-
STA and Rocca San Giovanni. The
NaH line which I examined in
Guided we'll prepared trenches, COM
mand points overlooking the Sangro
Valley and defense posts.
When the guns and bombs got
through the Germans we're reduced
to a mass of helpless troops trying
to save themselves.
At FossaceSia, Major John Loft
ing, whose men were singing and
playing a piano in ruined house
while British guards with fixed bay
onets watched the working prison.
ers, told me how 1t went.
I'VE made q breach in the Nai
lines between this village and Santa
Maria" he said. Our attack was
led by a bulldozer. AS We came up
against the German main lines we
caught up with an engineer COM
pany smoothing the path over de-
molitions.
THE bulldozer was protecting us
from enemy fire. We advanced be-
hind him, then swung around to
Continued on Page A.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-03
Red Bases
ForAIIied
Flyers Is Talk

Washington, Dec. 3-UP)-Ar-
rangements for American and Bri-
fish bomber fleets to use bases in
the Soviet Union for their steady
blasting of Nazi targets may be one
of the first concrete developments
of the recent Moscow conference
and the current Roosevelt-Chur-
Stain meeting, Some obserV-
ers believed today.
The western Allies, with air bases
in Britain and Italy, now are
closer to most of the important
German and satellite targets than
is Russia. But the Red armies are
surging closer to the boundaries OF
the Reich and the time is not far
off when Adolf Hitler's so-called
European fortress whose glarlng
weakness has been described as the
lack of bomb-proof roof will be
more easily accessible from Russian
or Russian-held territory, 1t was
said.
The advantage that Russian
bases would give to future opera
tons of American and British
bombers Is well-known to Allied
military experts and no doubt was
a topic at the Moscow conference
or is one now at the meeting OF
President Roosevelt, Prime Minister
winston Churchill and Premier
Stain.
Anglo American air operations
from Russian soil assume an ever
greater significance in view of the
fact there is, at present at least,
little opportunity or need for Rus
sian and Anglo-American land
armies to join forces. Russia has
given ample proof she has suffi-
Giant strength in eastern Europe
and the western Allies now are as
sembling their own forces for an
attack on western Europe.
American bombers, specializing
in daylight bombing at pinpoint
accuracy, would derive the greater
advantage from use of Russian
bases, which would greatly reduce
hazards by making shuttle bombing
possible. If American daylight
raiders have the alternative of re-
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-03
War Effort In
New Phase

Canberra, Dec. U.P0 -
Prime Minister John Curtin an
nounced today that he just had
completed an important confer
ence" with General Douglas Mac
Arthur at which southwest Pacific
strategy presumably was discussed
in the light of the crush Japan
decision at Cairo.
Curtin indicated that new Allied
offensive blows keynoted the con-
ference, which was held at Mac
Arthur's Headquarters somewhere
in Australia"
1.-THE war effort of Australia Is
now entering upon a new phase,
Curtin said in a statement on his
return to Canberra. The defensive
stage has passed and the initiative
has been gained from the enemy.
Il have assured General Mac
Arthur that Australia's war effort
will be the maximum of which
Australia is capable the Cairo
declaration tells the Australian peo-
pie quite clearly that there is no
short cut to victory in the Pacific"
Macarthur, as we'll as Admiral
Chester w. Nimitz, American COM
mander in the Pacific, was con-
spicuously absent from the Cairo
conference, though both he and
Nimitz presumably will play lead
ing roles in the smashing of jap
ans empire.
MacArthur'S next amphibious
lunge may be against New Britain
and Rabaul, the Pearl Harbor' OF
the southwest Pacific.
Curtin's statement recalled that
the government recently decided to
balance Australia's entire war
effort to prepare for the offensive
period and to remove some of the
stresses and strains with dire nee
eSSity imposed"
Those decisions centered on
manpower and material resources
and covered the while field of the
war effort" Curtin said. They
dealt primarily with the strength
of the Navy, Army and Air Force
and munitions, supplies, works pro-
jects and fod production
Curtin said Macarthur expressed
full agreement which the general
principles laid down by the govern
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-03
Reds Storm
Suburbs Of
znomenko

Moscow, Dec. 3.-UP)-The Rus
slams have smashed into the north
eastern suburbs of Znamenka, Stra-
tegic railway hub controlling one of
the main Germany escape routes
from the Dnieper bend, front reports
said today.
Stepping up their attacks south
west of Kremenchug with a slight
improvement in the weather, Gen
Rodion Malinovsky's forces seized
Dmitrovka, six miles north of Una
menka, and six other towns and vii
lagos and pressed on toward the
big junction itself.
The advance was supported by
Red Air Force bombers and at
tack planes, which swarmed int
the air for the first time in recen'
days as ground foes lifted and rains
ceased at least temporarily.
The fall of Znamenka, As miles
southwest of Kremenchug, would
leave tens, perhaps hundreds, OF
thousands of German troops in
the Dnieper bend only round
about railway far to the south over
which to escape any new Russian
offensive.
At Dmitrovka, the Russians cap
tured larg eamounts of booty, in
Guiding Is armored caterpillar
trucks. A column of trucks loaded
with infantry was destroyed and 400
Germans killed. A number of prls-
oners were taken.
Far to the north, the 'Soviets over
ran more than 80 additional vii
lagos on the arc before the White
Russian stronghold of zhlobin de-
spite fierce enemy resistance and
driving rains, mud, slush and fogs.
One column driving up the Co.
mel highway captured Merkulovichi,
26 miles east Of zhobin and the
same distance southeast of the rail-
way town of Rogachev Fifteen
hundred Germans were killed and
26 tanks destroyed in fighting
around the Zhlobin arc.
In the Pripet marshes, the So
VETS beat off German counterr-at-
tacks and, slogging ahead, seized
eight localities. Nearly 1000 Ger
mans were killed.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-03
ps Lose
18 Planes In
MorshoIIs

Pearl Harbor, Dec. 3.-UP)-Of-
fetal reports showing the Japan
ese lost 10 planes destroyed or dam
aged this week in action around
the Gilbert and Marshall islands
indicated today the enemy was
trying to recover from the shock Of
the powerful American attack
through the central Pacific.
All except five of the enemy air
craft were credited to Liberator
bombers carrying out continuous
attacks on the Japanese strong
holds in the Marshalls, north of the
captured Gilberts.
Three were shot down and two
more probably destroyed by two
u. S. destroyers which beat off a
half-hour attack by japanese tor
pedo planes in the Gilberts Monday
evening.
Unprotected by planes, the ships
guns won the conflict and neither
vessel was damaged. The presence
of the warshipS near the con-
quered islands showed Admiral
SliCoLC4 w. 4NAAAACA, hSAAAS AASSe
commander, was guarding carefully
against any possible enemy attempt
to retake the GilbertS.
Opposition to seventh U. S. Air
Force LiberatorS and a Navy Lib
orator operating over the Marshalls
Tuesday and Wednesday showed the
japanese had rushed In fighter
to protect the islands.
Tuesday Liberator force raided
the Taroa airstrip, on Maloelap Atoll
500 miles north of Tarawa in the
Gilberts, putting at least 80 per
cent of their bombs squarely on
the target.
Thiry-five Japanese zeros fought
them. Seven cor more" were shot
down. Nirnitz announced, and at
least four others were damaged. All
the u. S. planes returned but sew
eral we're damaged and two flyers
were injured.
The same day the Navy Liberia
tor searching through Mill Atoll
shot down one Zero and probably
destroyed second, returning un-
damaged.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-03

Gets In War

With U. S. Marines, TaraWa, Gill
berts, Nov. 27-(UP)-With three
dead Marines beside him, Gilbert
Bundy, American illustrator, spent
an entire day in damaged land
ing boat on a reef off Tarawa and
then was rescued after swimming
five hours in hark-infested waters.
E:&ncs, Nhe WIS commissioned to
SKeIcn ana pant the war, reluctant
" told of his experiences today. He
had been listed as dead for three
days after the assault on TaraWa.
Bundy approached the beach with
the regimental commander, Col
David Shoup, and Lieut.. Col. Evan
S. Carlson, but a few hundred yards
from shore he transferred to q
second boat under a captain going
ashore with 10 Marines.
About 200 feet from the beach
the boat was hit twice directly by
three inch Shells" the New York
and Connecticut illustrator, whose
specially is water-color, said. Il
was standing in the rear starboard
behind three Marines, all of whom
were killed outright and blown over
me, pinning me in the wreckage at
the bottom of the boat alongside a
Marine private who was wounded
in the arm.
Five others standing on the port
side went off into the water, be-
lieving Bundy and the private dead.
THE dead Marines were hor-
ribly mangled,' Bundy said. Il was
drenched with blood but able to
disengage one arm, open a first aid
kit and apply sulfa to the arm Of
the wounded private.
1.-THE water came up around us
but it was shallow only a foot
or So"
He wriggled for two hours before
freeing himself and moved into the
shattered cabin on the vessel
from which he could see the figh'
on the beaches-"a real ringside'
he said. The wounded Marine join
ed him and they watched for houl
after hour.
I'VE could see Marines falling be-
fore japanese machine-gun fire
CONTINUED on PAGE A.