Evening star., 1943-10-24

In the present fighting on the south
eastern front the situation appears to
be developing differently. Though the
German communiques refer to the pres
ent movement of the Nazi forces as an
energetic reversal of direction" the
fact remains that the reversal" is TAX
Ing place at rate which at the close
Of last week appeared to be bordering
on disordered flight in some sections
The most important action, at the mo-
ment is in the area around Meltopol
where the Germans hung on to the
outskirts of the city in an effort to give
their divisions now in the Crimea time
presently they find themselves trapped.
Only one rail line of escape remains in
the hands of the Nazis and that is under
air attack, the Nazis no longer having
sufficient fighter strength present to
interfere seriously with the Russian
bombers' capture of Melitopol, was
claimed by the Reds yesterday.
Action Less Spectacular.
On the rest of the fighting fronts,
the action was less spectacular, though
as the week came to close, Gen Mac
Arthurs headquarters announced that
the heaviest bombing raid of the South
west Pacific had practically wiped out
the main encampment of the japanese
seeking to fight their way to the coast
near Finschhafen in New Guinea.
In Italy the armies of 1t Gen. Mark
Clark and 1t. Gen. Montgomery moved
steadily forward, although there was
nothing of the spectacular about the
advance.
Here in Washington another drive on
oVeroptlmlsm was opened before Con-
gress, the accomplishments of which
were somewhat offset in the public mind
by statements issued by the Office of
War Information and the Navy Depart
ment.
secretary Of War Stimson, Gen Mar
shall and other high-ranking military
authorities appeared before the House
and the Senate in closed sessions and
took their hair down in an unusually
frank presentation of the war situation
as they see it and many members of
the Legislature came away from the ses-
slons feeling rather grim about condi-
tions
Little was permitted to leak out about
what they were told, which, of course, is
proper for security reasons, but it was
stated that many members believe as
one expressed it colorfully I'VE are GER
talnly in one hell of war" The mem
bers were told, for instance. that Japan
Is building planes faster than we are
destroying them and that Japan has not
reached the same straits in regard to
manpoWer as the United States because
many eligibles between the ages of II
and 20 have not been called to the coors.
Many Ship Sinkings.
Failure of Russia to permit the Amer
lean Army and Navy to have airbases
In the VladiVoStok area was explained in
part by the statement that the Japs have
about 100000 men poised to swing into
instant action along the borders near
Vladivostok. The bases, if given, would
be difficult to defend, and might shortly
become an asset to the enemy, it was
pointed out.
The Navy, making public new figures
on japanese ships sunk by American
submarines, revealed early in the week
that SO heretofore not reported had been
sent to the bottom, with others prob
ably sunk and as damaged. This brings
the total Of Japanese ships in all cate
gories lost since Pearl Harbor to 469
sunk, "a probably sunk and 319 damaged
In the latest were six large tankers
without which type of ships the oil of
the Dutch East Indies is of limited value
to the Japs. Other ships sunk included
II large cargo ships, As mediums sized
cargo boats, 3 large transports, 2
medium-siz tankers and 25 miscel-
laneous ships.
The Office of War Information an
nounced later that our flyers are shoot
ing down enemy planes on all fronts at
ratio of three or more of the enemy
for each American plane lost. The best
score of all was credited to the Flying
Tigers, who have a better than 9-to-1
advantage in air victories over the Japs.
While the announcement gave no figures
for the Navy, it was said that Navy flyers
have a better than 4-to-1 advantage
over the Japs in victories. Altogether
against all enemies the Army flyers were
credited with destroying $4,000 Axis