davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1943-03-07

saw relatively little air action during our
travels on either front.
It was emphasized, however, that
Soviet air reconnaissance had done a
magnificent job in supplying photographs
and detailed information on enemy po-
sitions to the Red ground troops. At
Kletzkaya, we were told that the Russian
artillery knew the position Of every Axis
gun on the Don River heights and that
the benefits Of this knowledge were evi-
dent In the quick rout Of the enemy
batteries.
Surprise Element.
Conversely, the Soviet commanders
told us that the surprise element had
been complete in the preparation and
launching Of their offensive-largely be-
cause their fighters had driven of vir-
tually every Axis reconnaissance plane
before it could complete its mission. We
saw numerous instances OF this alertness
by the Red flyers as they patrolled the
skies over the combat sector.
Apparently outnumbered and aware
of 1t, the Axis air force showed itself
hardly at all except for somewhat
desperate attempts to move supplies
across the Russian ring into the area
held by the encircled Axis divisions.
Several times we saw flights of Junkers
transports moving through cloud banks
and overcast toward this destination.
Red anti-aircraft batteries nearest the
front were charging modest price for
admission
At the farthest point OF our own ad-
vance we were stationed with the divi-
sion that had effected the junction be-
tween the north and south Red forces
and had then wheeled eastward 10
hammer at the entrapped Axis forces.
Veterans OF Is months Of steady fight-
Ing, for IL days and nights in the FORE
front Of this offensive, this division typi-
fed the best that could have been found
in any army. Their morale was high.
The men were getting two hot meals
daily and third hot or cold.
On the crests looking toward Axis
positions they had dug = new line OF
trenches, deep and heated with open
fires.
Their commander. 4 bullet chested
Georgian only - years old. hed Just
Evening star., 1943-03-07

The major strategy Of the fighting over
Western Europe now is becoming clear,
an Raj spokesman explained. Germany
has between so and 60 industrial cities
with populations Of $4,000 or over. With
in these is concentrated the major part
OF the Reich's industry, both military
and civilian. They can. experience al
ready has shown, be so crippled by air
raids that production drops close to zero
for weeks. In any case, it is badly dis
organized after a successful raid
The ideal would be to knock out every
one OF these cities and keep 1t knocked
Evening star., 1943-03-07

ton, they were military reconnaissances
IN which every pertinent fact was laid
out by the commanding generals of a
great offensive operation for the critical
scrutiny of the officers of an Allied army.
The cooperation in this respect could
not have been more complete If we had
been observers with our own forces.
The campaign which we reviewed In
the Stalingrad sector was painstakingly
planned. Tactics which had worked well
for the enemy were reviewed and trans
posed with notifications or improve
ments into the Soviet battle plan. Great
dumps Of supplies were established at
the safest convenient points
Every facility for transport of the day.
to-day needs Of an attacking army were
pressed into service-aircraft, railroads.
motor trucks, oxcarts and even sleighs,
Manpower was assembled in generous
quantities and the responsibility for
leadership and execution placed in the
hands of young officers whose knowledge
OF war had been gained in the field since
June, 1941.
Veil Is Lifted.
For obvious reasons much that we saw
and heard in this campaign must not
be told publicly at this time. On the
other hand, previous Soviet policy of
permitting no foreign observers either
Allied or neutral, has created great
mystery around actual front-line oper-
ations OF the Red Army. The lifting of
this veil In the case of the Don -Stalin-
grad offensive was substantial gesture
toward more complete American Soviet
cooperation and coordination OF effort.
Briefly, the Soviet battle plan called
for the drive of spearhead army due
southwest from Seraf1movich on the
bank of the Don with a pivot at Kletz-
kaya and further advance southeastward
to another crossing of the winding
river. In the vicinity of the railroad
line between Stalingrad and Kalach,
junction was to be effected with two
armies that had started westward from
just south Of Stalingrad and wheeled in
northerly direction for the closing of
the pincers.
Protecting the spearhead army from
the north was another army on its west
nank, employing the River CHR as its
front against the Axis forces, and still
Evening star., 1943-03-07

been decorated and made major gen
eral. The division had been designated
Guard Division, for its outstanding
achievements. The staf averaged under
80 and their reception to Gen. Hurley
was on most friendly and cooperative
man-to-man. basis. They were proud
Of their handiwork and eager to display
its every, detail to us.
Violent Conflict.
In the path OF this army that had
carried the brunt Of the offensive SOUTH
ward and eastward We found all the
vestiges of violent conflict, Of death
with suffering, Of defeat and victory.
Numerous trophy dumps were piled
high with rifles, bayonets, boots, helmets.
Dispersed in parks were captured artil-
lery pieces, much Of it modern Axis
made ordnance, tanks and tank destroy
ers. At two captured airfields were
wrecks Of some 60 Axis planes Focke-
Wulfs, Heinkels, Junkers and an occa-
sional MeSSerSchmitt.
At one Of the fields. everything had
been caught on the ground by dawn
attack Of Red infantry, tanks and light
artillery. Nearly q dozen Of the Axis
planes were taken undamased. we were
told. and major Of the Red air corps,
wearing the insignia Of q hero Of the.
Soviet Union,t described with evident
pleasure how he had flown one Of the
Focke-Wulfs over Rumanian positions
for reconnaissance.
A great air battle evidently had taken
place above the second field and for
miles around were scattered the re-
mains Of fighters, most Of them marked
with the swastika.
Already in operation under Russian
hands were dozens Of sturdy Axis
trucks. most Of them almost new. Also
salvaged were numerous mobile ma
chine shops, ambulances and radio
trucks.
During the second half Of our re-
connaissance-that ON the Caucasus
front-testimony to the effectiveness Of
the soviet's defending air strength was
given US willingly BY half -doaen young
Axis air force ofacers IN 1 prison camp
up the caucaN,s vallsy.
Evening star., 1943-03-07

the wherewithAl with which to fight.
For the past six months there has been
increasing evidence, they say, that Ger
many is conserving her air power to the
utmost and this Is interpreted Is mean
Ing that her ability to replace craft has
fallen rapidly. II this is true, they point
out, it is essential to keep the German
planes in the air as much as possible.
Round-the-C Clock Bombing.
This calls, they say, for round the
clock bombing. There must be constant
raids by day as well IS night--a job for
which the RAF experts believe the new
heavily armored American Flying
Fortresses are extremely well adapted.
Plenty Of actual damage is done on these
day raids. But even II none was done
they would be more than justified by
forcing the Germans to keep their light
ers In the air.
Even aside from losses in combat, they
point out accidents are bound to happen
Evening star., 1943-03-07
Men Of the Gernan safety servce putting ne starts
oy tncend'ary bombs dropped building during AZ raid
Berlin 4..s s.as .
a. P. wirephoto.
world rhote

ss.sss ~ 81 = - -.
in take-ons. and landings. Every such
accident diminishes the German air force
while the Allied force Is growing. And
planes in constant use wear out rapidly.
1.-THE one place where plane is safe, y
one spokesman said, is in hangar and
you may be sure that is where the Ger
mans would like to keep Is many Is
they can"
There is. OF course. certain amount
OF new plane production In Germany.
but the RAJ experts are convinced that
this has reached the point where, at the
best, 1t is barely able to replace losses.
1t may be falling little behind with
the steady devastation OF production
centers and the losses Of skilled workers.
And they are convinced that when
Hitler has lost this air battle Of Germany
he will have lost. irretrievably, the land
battle Of Europe and this whole phase
OF the war will be close to an end.
Much work has been done toward re-
storing Cologne. worst battered city in
Evening star., 1943-03-07
BY Maj. John C.. Henry.

BY Maj. John c. Henry.
Three American Army officers have
been the first foreign observers to witness
actual combat operations of the Soviet
army.
The group, headed by Brig. Gen.
Patrick Hurley, former Secretary of War,
visited the desperately contested Dom
Stalingrad front early in December,
travelling close behind fast-moving Red
Army as it sliced its way southwark
Later the same official group went into
the Caucasus to another sector of this
gigantic winter offensive operation.
1t Col. Richard Park, jr, assistant
U. S. military attache at Moscow, was
the second member of the American
party I was the third. Gen. Hurley,
visiting Moscow on special assignment
for President Roosevelt, arranged the
trip to the fronts during a conference
with Premier Stain at the Kremlin.
For the actual entry into Soviet air,
the Russian government added to our
American crew a navigator and radio
operator from their own air corps-es-
sential assistance for the Jump over the
rugged Elburz Mountains and across the
Caspian into territory where foreign
planes without certain identification are
shot down first and questions asked
second.
And when it came time for us to leave
Moscow for the journey into combat
areas we transferred into a Russian
built plane piloted by 27-year-old cap
tain wearing two Red Army decorations
for bomber and parachute service earlier
iE the war. Around US throughout our
travels in the combat zones were fighter
escorts, usually eight in number, and our
altitude seldom exceeded 300 feet More
often it was 100 feet as we hedge
hoped over houses, haystacks and great
forests of white birches that break the
snow covered steppes.
Neither section OF our trip up to the
nghting lines was sightseeing expedi-
Evening star., 1943-03-07
Az. v,rspAs,s.
4. u 1WnsDAste.

Raj pictures, 70 rs6tore the moro than
20,000 dwelling houses which were de-,
stroyed In the raid. Even tls latesS
photos show the same lines of telltal6.
little stars caused by the sgm aiming
through glassless windows 6 roof1esa
houses and falling on the normally
shaded street below.
The primary reason for this excep.s
tional restoration, experts who are
studying the pictures believe, Is for. the
sake Of morale Z son to the highly In
dustrialized and far from completely
Nazided Rhinelanders. Cologne, they
point out, was not only great industrial
city. butsa show place. perhaps the sec-
ond best-kn0wn city IN Germany, and
dear to the hearts ot III Rhinelanders.
The restoration s partly for the sake Of
their vanity. partly N attempt to deceive
them about the, ability of the Reich to
make good the mounting bomb destrue-
ton.
In addition. Of course. Cologne was
an important industrial city. But BY no
means the same effort, 30 far Is can b
learned, has been devoted to other dey.
astated Industrial areas Of equal Inn
portance. z
Industrially Crippled. ss
Even II al the important factories
were restored, which Is far from the
case. Cologne would remain industrialiy
crippled, for It's workers, the RAJ assess-
ors OF the damage say, are without
shelter nearby and have been forced to
move IS or 80 miles into the country.
This means that the work day has been
substantially shortened.
They compare the extent Of the dam.
age In Cologne, even as It appears from
the present photographs. with that saf-
fered by the City Of London, the badly
devastated financial district, from 10
heavy raids and more than l25 bcmbins
attacks. THE City" covers about ca.
acres. The area Of devastation = ah6uf
40 acres. But the damage + no exeaaer
than that suffered By Cologne from g.
single 1,oo0-plane raid.
Another simnarity shown by tn
photographs IS that in both cases 5 grsat
cathedral remains intact-so far . can
be seen, that at Cologne was not injured
at all, although windows probably wsre
broken-in tho midst Of the WORST
bombed sections.
Cologne today. they believe, Is n about
the same condition - WAS San Fran
cisco q few months after the great dre-
. closely comparable disaster. IA the
California city . total Of $4,000 houses
were destroyed. In Cologne the total
as far as It can be estimated hy the air
photographs, remains at about 9o00o,
but for every house that was guttsd
or knocked down 1t Is believed thes Of
least two others were 30 badly damaged
that they are hardly inhabitahls.
These facts were revealed n ansWR
to rumors that Cologne had hnen alnegt
perfectly restored. II would have hoan.
uttEly impossible, nv tts RAP spokoo-
mou. ID
Evening star., 1943-03-07
BY Thomas r. Henry.
Star Stat Correspondent.

wa NA"N--N"" NA 'oA.e
~ nomnings
's offensive which month arrived At b
+ IS nas iu o. acres Ct densely populated
y dtacu IS nea.ty qua after
damage of
dsto c ct smoke o. burning buildings likely highly
some repair work may have taken
49,. now certain that literally residential
IN cities
~~'NAN A"1o1
mere the picture from Raj
At 200
OF tnls
buildings include @ ~ ~ VAC A""o A"e oes3oyeo
1nn city the
n OLD
Evening star., 1943-03-07

the worlds history, after the RAFs 1000
plane raid on the night Of May 81, 1912.
This Is shown by the most recent RAJ
reconnaissance photos Of the devastated
Rhineland metropolis. Germany has
done far more work on Cologne than on
any other Of her bombed cities. Some
OF the restoration seems, at first glance,
rather extravagant. considering its prac-
tical utility and the immense amount Of
badly needed labor required.
For example, an amount Of rubble
Evening star., 1943-03-07

This daOelling in Hamburg
1oas damaged by a British
bomb during an air raid.
A. p. wirephoto
QUITO deliver crushing blow on . city
one night and couple OF weeks later,
while the inhabitants were still doing
little except clean up debris, come back
with another raid which would undo ali
the work they had done.
Bombing Reception.
A fair approach to this idea has been
made, during the past year when q Of
the industrial cities have been bombed,
some Of them as many as eight times,
and In most cases with devastating re-
suits. Full realization may not be as far
of as it seems, the Raj spokesmen ex-
plain. 1t depends on gaining practically
unopposed freedom Of the air over West
ern Europe.
This will require more and more
planes. bombers and fighters, mostly
from the factories Of the United States,
while. with the devastation OF the pro-
duction centers and the necessary losses
IN combat, accident, and through wear
and tear, the German force becomes less
and less. The day will come when one
OF two things must happen. The Ger
mans may be forced to shorten their air
defense lines, in which case American
and British planes can slip around the
ends unopposed.
The other alternative is that they must
stretch the line SO thin that many vital
spots must necessarily be left unde-
Tended. Once either of these ends is
accomplished, the air force officers be-
ieve. the great land push from the west
can be made a relatively bloodless affair
because Germany simply will not have
Evening star., 1943-03-07

estimated at more than $4,000 tons
has been removed from the streets and
the streetcsr lines appear to be running
as usual. The gutted factories have been
rooted over and many Of them appear to
be In production again. The photos,
taken at intervals. show some surprising
sequences in the order In which these
factories, the prewar output Of which
Is known, have been restored.
Apparently very little has been done,
80 far as can be determined from the
Evening star., 1943-03-07
American Observer Describes Great Russian Offensive

Editors note: Here's the first &C.
count OF Official American obserpn-
tions on the Russian front, ,pritten by
Maj. John c. Henry of the Air Trans
port Command for Air Force, official
SerUice journal. Maj. Henry 1Dds tor-
merly White House correspondent for
The STAR
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-11-18
Market Opens
Irregular in z"
Light Trade

NEW YORK, Nov 1S up
Stocks opened narrowly irregular
in light dealings today while
bonds were firm Cotton futures
gained 3 to 5 points
International Nickel made a
new low at 25i2. Oft =. on the
first sale. Minor losses also were
noted in Loew'S. General Motors
New York Central, North Ameri-
can. Allis-Chalmers. International
Harvester and Pepsi-Cola.
Union Carbide rose y 10 rs and
United Aircraft made a similar
gain 10 IS. Smaller advances
we're registered in Westinghouse
Electric. Montgomery Ward. Cen
eral Electric. Standard Oh of
California. Santa Re, Console
dated-Vultee Aircraft. American
Smelling and Chesapeake e. Ohio
American Distilling sold at
93ia. up 2iz points, the widest
mover at the outset. Trading con-
tinued light in the early dealings
with prices steady around the
opening levels. u. S. Steel sold
ex-dividend at sou, off q, on
: 500 shares.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-11-18
Sept. Building
Shows Decline

WASHINGTON. Nov rs CUP)
The War Production Board to-
day announced that total vol
ume Of construction in the United
states in September was $500
5o2. 600. drop NJ 13 per cent
from the August level and 81 per
cent below that OF Sept 1912
At the same time. the board
disclosed preliminary estimates
for 1874 of approximately 81, 900
GOO 600. This would he 81 per
cent NJ the estimated 1913 activity
and % per cent OF construction
in 1912
Military construction declined
II per cent IN September.
Privately financed housing
showed a moderate increase and
industrial expansion activity de-
clined m all categories except
plants 10 manufacture 100-octane
gasoline and machinery and ma
chine tools.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-11-18
Flour
Subsidy
Plan Set

WASHINGTON. Nov. Is (UP)
A 100000. 00O-a-year -four sub
sidy program, designed to avoid
an increase OF from lac to &c
"A loaf in the price Of bread. has
been worked out by Economic
Sterilization Director Fred NJ
VinSon and other federal agencies
and is expected 10 be announced
soon. it was reported today.
The subsidy plan. IL was under
stood. calls also for the establish
ment OF a price ceiling on hard
wheat which is milled into -four.
Under the Emergency Price Con-
troll Act tis ceiling price cannot
be fixed ~ levels lower than lOO
per cent OF parity.
The program was developed by
VlnSon. the Office Of Price Ad-
ministration and fhe War Food
Administration. II is intended "a
relieve the squeeze on bakers
who are caught between steadily
increasing wheat prices and fixed
retail prices OF bread based ON
lower wheat costs.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-11-18
Livestock Markets
III TROLL


CATTLE-700 slaughter steers sud
hcifcrs slow. few garry sales. medium and
good grades steady hut mo- Improvement
IN outlet for lower rrafinc kinds liberal
supply cutter and common liFht grass
Eteers and heifsrs without bids. cows
barely steady At the weeks 81 p Use down.
turn. medium and s'of bulls opened
steady lower grades duN. weak 10 fully
25c lower, little or no inquiry f0r re-
placement cattle load good ioff 10
shoritcd steers $3.50 Nth = Cnedium
grass and shortfed steers IN less thsn
ioAdlo's Si2 Is 50. half load a32-lb
Kentucky grassers. xl2 as liberal supply
low grade grass steers and heifers Seiabie
Ss1e. few common and medium beef
cows. gTHs.50. Gamers and cutters, 81 so
U 1918. medium and good bulls, kloM
Il; few light cutter bulls 50 50aT.
CALNEs-35O. about steady. early tor
and bulk good and choice vealers SIS 81;
medium srades, si3a IS, Gull apd com
HOGS ; 600; psrke, steady except =
dime higher on $50 200 10. butchers. bulk
is0-30O-lb. averages. x13 400 10 20, few
COO 23O.lb. 20 small killers SASS most
light lights mainly, xli 30 ~ around
l60,iT5.lb averages, St225al3 %, bulk
sows 81 758i225
SHEEP 600. early sales good 70
choice wooded native lambs, ~ q ioc lower
than best time Tuesday. no'hink done on
lower Grades sheer steady A. the week ;
sharp decline. early hulk good ~ choice
native wooded lsmhs Si2 30 With bucks
out a. 81 less package largely choice
lambs Si275. common 20 choice siaushter
ewes, 81 50U5,
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-11-18
Hudson
Division
Praised

Workers in the aviation division
of The Hudson Motor Car Co. have
won for the second time the Army
Navy Production Award for neTi-
torious services on the production
front. they were informed yester-
day m a letter received from
Robert = Patterson. undersecre-
tsTy Of war
The citation also Says
"YOu have continued To main
tain the high standard that YOU
set far yourselves and which
Won VOL distinction more than
SiN months ago. You may well he
proud Of your achievement. The
White Star. which the renewal
adds "a YOUR Army-Nayy Pro-
ductiun Award flag. il the sym
bol OF appreciation from the
armed forces for your continued
and d to nm ined effort and
patriotism"
Among war materials made BY
Hudson are wings for the CurtlsS-
Wright HelldlNer plane. fuselage
sections for Marauder hombers.
cabins for Bell Aircobra. important
components for Wright Cyclone
engines. Hudson Invader engines
mine anchors and parts for tanks
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-11-18
Sees Crude Oil
Shortage Eased
By Price Boost

WASHINGTON. Nov. Is (UP)
The petroleum industry has
asked Congress 10 bypass a re-
cent adverse ruling of Economic
Sterilization Director Vinson on
a requested increase IN crude oil
prices. charging that refusal 10
raise the price "disregards the
military and civilian welfare Of
the nation.
The industry claims that higher
crude oil prices would alleviate
the current shortage OF crude. In
kilograms 10 each member OF
Congress the petroleum industry
war council said that OPA and
economic sterilization officers
must assume the chief response
bility for the shortage i'm petro-
leum supplies and the consequent
aggravatIon OF the rationing Of
gasoline and fuel oil "
The industry also informed Con-
gress and the petroleum admins
istrator for war that IL is OPP
posed 10 any Substitute--subsi-
dies-for a general. overall price
increase because such plan
would result in decentralization Of
normal economic processes and
the loistiDg on the petroleum IN
duStry, the government and the
public Of a vast. expensive bu-
rcaucracy
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-11-18
Iq|eheart New
OF President

NEW YORK. Nov. 1s-Austin
s. Igleheart. executive vice presi-
dent Of General Foods Corp. was
elected president. IN one of =
series OF executive personnel
changes designed 10 prepare the
concern for the postwar period.
lcleheart succeeds Clarence
Francis. who was elected chair
man of tho board. who in turn
succeeds Z NJ. Chester. CHAIRMAN
of the executive committee,
newly-created post.
Charles w. Metcalf. vice presi-
dent in charge Of purchasing,
becomes the new executive vice
president.
The board elected five addi-
tional vice presidents. They are:
Thomas G.. Spates, director OF
industrial relations: Arthur c.
Schier, general traffic manager;
Thomas NJ. Rector. manager re-
search and development; Charles
G.. Mortimer Jr, vice president,
General Foods Sales Co. and
general advertising manager. and
Curtis n eager president OF
Walter Baker e. Co.