The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-05-17

Moline and Eder dams, two Of the
greatest water barriers In Ger
many, were preached" by bombers
sent over Germany last night by
Air Vice Marshal Sir Arthur Trsv-
ers Harris. chief Of the Royal Air
Force BON, er command. Air Sec
Rotary Sir Archibald Sinclair an
nouneed today.
London, May l7-UP- Reports
that King Victor Emmanuel I'll,
year.old nominal ruler OF Italy. had
abdlcated In favor OF his son. Crown
Prince Humbert. spread today amid
weller OF rumors OF an Italian
internal crisis arising from the de-
feat in Tunlsla and the danger Of
Invasion.
Entirely unconhrmed reports that
Victor Emmanuel had stepped
down from his throne after a fire.
qusntly tubulcnt reign OF almost AZ
years apparently originated In neu-
trail Switzerland and were aired by
the radio stations In Morocco, Al
giers and Dakar.
Diplomatic quarters in both Lon
don and Washington doubted that
the Italian monarch had abdicated.
Italian circles in Stockholm and
elsewhere likewise ridlculed the
rumors.
Range over Europe
The Allied nonstop aerial offen.
siye against Hitlers Europe enter
cd it's nth day today as tighter
nlspes RANGED aver the continent
In the wake OF large-scale night
operations which included q raid
on Berlin.
A Rome communlqus said Allied
planes also scared over the tia
liam capital last night 10 bomb
/ Ostia, IS TO 30 miles away, site OF
an Axis airport.
In London, the air ministry dis
| closed that last nights sweep, over
western Europe included bomber
attacks on the industrial Ruhr Val
| ley and the Rhineland in Germany
as we'll as on the capital OF the
Reich In addition, mines were laid
In enemy waters under cover OF
extensive Intruder operations by
British fighter planes.
London said nine bombers and
one fighter were missing from tho
nights activities. Details OF the
Ruhr and Rhineland assaults were
not available, but the Berlin raid
was said to have been compare.
| lively small.
Earl reports OF today's hghter-
plane sorties over the continent
said FIVE enemy planes were de-
stroyed in combat.
Nazis Realiate
German planes realiated during
the night with smsll-scale raids on
London, Essex and southeast Eng
land. Five OF the raiders were
shot down over London by anti-air-
craft fire and British night-hghter
planes.
Not more than 90 Nazl planes
were believed to have taken part.
in the raids on England. In Lon
don the frst OF three alerts was
preceded by loud explosion
heard all over the city. caused by a
bomb dropped by lone, low-fying
raider. Only three deaths were
reported in the English capital.
Damage and casualties elsewhere
in England we're small
Last nights and today's Allied
raids on the continent followed
wide sweeps yesterday In who's
railroad. shipping and other targets
we're blasted from Norway to
France.
"Holding Out"
The only news early today OF the
Lighting at Attn. Jap Aleutians out
post. whore American troops have
landed, came from the Tokyo radio.
which SAID the Nip garrison was
holding out despite reinforce
ments OF the attacking parties"
In the South Pacific. Allied
planes made wide sweeps over Jap
anese bases north OF Australia.
Three neayy aids battered the en-
envy airdrome at Lac. New Guinea.
where four fighter planes and six
bonnie on the ground were
strafed and numerous fires ignited.
other Allied bombers kindled fires
visible 50 miles at enemy -held Ken
drri. on the island OF Celebes.