The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-02-19
Supports
Troops Near
Rome

Powerful forces OF American Ma
rines and Army troops ba,tled the
enemy on strategic Eniwetok Atoil
In the northwest Marshalls today
in strong bid TO seize that island
guarding the eastern approaches 10
the key Jap bastion OF Truk.
The Yank amphiblous troops
stormed ashore on the westernfnoss
OF the Marshall group under cover
OF a mighty naval bombardmert,
and after many carrier-based
planes had raked the Atolfs mill.
tary Installations.
While the huge naval armada
was providing substantial support
for the Eniwetok operation. anotb-
or mighty task force OF the fless
was believed still hammering fruk
Itself No further details were
available OF the operation which
Admiral Chester W. Nimltz sad
commenced" at dawn Wednesday,
but the Tokyo radio has maintain.
ed that American troops attempted
TO land on Truk
This enemy claim was believed
unfounded, but the several hum
dred" carrier-based planes which
attacked Truk were thought to be
stlll battering that base TO keep
the Japs from trying TO suppors
Enlwetok, 40 miles to the north.
east
Enlwctok Is the site OF large
enemy air base. from which a re.
cent Jap attack against ne"ly.csp-
tured Kwajalein htoll may have
been launched. AZ any rate. cap
ture OF this 30-isle atoll would pro-
vide tho Americans with a posi-.
ton all but thanking the JapS
mighticst Pacific bastion al Truk.
Catch Convoy
While tho fleet rocked the enemy
back on his heels with these two
massive blows In the Central Pa.
oifc. Gen. Douglas Macarthur an
men scored an impressive victory
over Jap shipping in the south.
west In a twoday running fight.
the Allied filters dealt the enemy
his most serious loss since the his
toric battle OF the Bismarck Sea.
Catching a l7.ship convoy north
west OF New Ireland bent on rein.
forcing or supplying boslcged Jap
garrisons In the Bismarck archi-
,etago. the United Nations nlers
attacked and sent 10 the bottom ~
enemy vessels. Huge Liberators.
Navy Catalina flying boats aud
twIn.engined Mitchell bombsrs
sank IL merchant vessels and three
escortlng warships--a total OF &c.
500 tons Of shipping
Although they ran into heavy.
curtain OF anti-aircratt fire. ths
convoy raiders met no fighter OPP
position. This no doubt was dus
TO the fact that other Allied planes
raided Raball and Kayieng. Jap
strongholds on New Britain and
New Ireland, from which the ships
might have obtained air support.
Naval support
Allied naval vessels were active
also in the Tyrrhenian Sea, sup
porting the Anglo-American forces
on the Anzio beachhead below
Rome. Gen. Sir Henry Maitland
Wilson's headquarters reported
that the Fifth Army's lines there
held intact against strong German
counter-attacks.
Further to the south. other Fifth
Army troops captured two strong
ly.held crests from the enemy west
OF Mount Casino. Two-thirds OF
the town OF Casino was still in
Nazi hands, but the American
Doughboys we're edging forward
from house toulouse in grim bat
ties
Heavy" losses were suffered by
the Germans at the Anzio front.
where the most concentrated enc
my attacks were launched along
the Aprilia-Anzio highway, Brit
lsh infantry, tanks and guns, with
support OF swarms OF Allied planes.
beat back a violent tank-paced
Nazi assault.
Positions Deteriorste
In Russia. the German positions
further deteriorated. Russian dive
bombers pounded retreating Nazi
columns as they fled toward the
Baltic states after being forced
out OF Staraya Rus. 4 and ShimsS.
key enemy bastlons in the Lake
linen sector h Id b. the Nazis for
two and one-half years.
The German radi said eight So
Wet divisions had launched a ma
jor assault" against the large enc
my-held iron ore center OF Kriyoi
Rog, in the Dnieper Bend.
The air war over western Europe
marked by an Raj night assault
upon Nazi bases in northern France
and Belgium after the German air
force made or OF its most determ-
lned thrusts against London since
the "Blitz" OF 1910 and 1871. Brit
ish Intruder" planes struck at
the continental targets after the
Nazis failed to set the English ca
piial ablaze with many incendi-