Evening star., 1944-08-13

dDOut Z,UUU american nedVy OOmDerS.
One force of bombers Monday, COM
ing from the Mediterranean COM
mand, blasted the third largest syn
thetic plant still in operation in
Germany when Blechhamer was hit
with excellent results. So successful
has been the campaign against these
fuel sources. 1t. Gen. Jimmy Ooo-
little was led to state that at least
% OF Hltler'S synthetic plants have
been knocked out or badly damaged
recently.
British planes smashed fuel tanks.
railroad functions, bridges and other
obJectiveS in France as the Amer
ican heavyweights were doing their
task
All week, also, bombers by the
hundreds pounded away at TIE
enemy positions on the battlefront
in France aiding the Allies in their
drive toward the French capital.
Throughout the week there were
rumorS and some evidence to give
the rumorS substantiation, that the
Nazis are preparing to abandon
Southwestern France and Southern
France also soon may be placed in
Jeopardy. The next few days will
determine whether the 100000 Ger
mans about to be entrapped in the
| Caen area can withdraw before the
plncerS close
Russians Hit Hard.
On the Italian front, action was
relatively light. The Nazis were
said to have shelled Florence, but
the Allies declined to make the city
a battle-ground in order to prevent
i destruction of its art Yesterday
morning the NaziS were reported to
nave abandoned the city completely,
Withdrawing to their powerful Arno
River line. which for a time has
Kept the Allied forces at bav.
In Russia, as in France, the Ger
mans started the week with a heavy
counterattack which the Russians
absorbed without serious difficulty.
In TACT, so powerful and numerous
are the Russian armies, fresh Of
fenslves were launched in other di-
rectlons as the drives on Warsaw
and toward Upper Silesia and East
Prussia were temporarily slowed
Most important at the moment is
an offensive launched from the
shores of Lake Peipus by Gen. Mas
lennikov's Sd Baltic Army. which
pushed to a point about lis miles
from the Gulf of Riga. The OBJ
Jectlve OF the present campaign is
to split the German forces. esti-
mated at 80 divisions. which are
already entrapped ,by the original
Russian drive across Latvia to the
gulf.
A powerful pronged drive
down through Lilthuania seeks TO
engulf Memel and Tilsit in East
Prussia and pave the way for an at
tack on koenigsberg. the capital A
plunge across the Narew River also
poses menace to the southern
boundary of the homeland of the
Junkers.
lhe Spearpoint which crossed the
border OF the Suwalki triangle which
Germany annexed to East Prussia
IN 1889 has moved forward a dis
tance OF miles Two hanking drives
are moving slightly beyond Warsaw
ana further to the southeast. an
other Russian Army has come with
IN 80 miles of Krakow last strong
point barring the way to Silesia.
Welcome News in Pacific.
! Over in the Pacific came the well
come news of the completion of the
campaign to retake Guam and al
most immediate evidences that the
Americans are ready to go on for
ward to new objectives followed.
President Roosevelt. it was re-
vealed, has completed visit to
Hawaii, where he conferred with
Admiral Nimitz and Gen. Macarthur
on future strategy in the Pacific.
| The electrifying announcement
came Monday that an American
task force had moved into the wat
ers OF the Bonin Islands and shelled
not only shore installations but also
convoy apparently seeking to re-
lntorce those vital islands which are
less than 600 miles from Tokyo. In
the attack, which lasted two davs.
an entire convoy of II ships. includ-
ing destroyers or destroyer escorts.
! was sunk and about 80 other vessels
OF various sizes were damaged. This
attack marks the first shelling of the
islands SO close to Japan. although
| they have been attacked by carrier
borne planes on several occasions.
Thursday it was stated that Amer
lean submarines have sunk Is more
japanese ships, bringing the total
claimed by the subs to 839 sunk or
damaged, nearly 700 being definitely
claimed as sunk.
Best news of the week. however,
came Friday when two large forces
OF Super Fortresses struck simul-
taneously at Nagasaki, important
port and industrial city on the home
island of Kyushu and at Palembang
IN Sumatra, the home of the refin-
cries turning out the greater part of
Japan's high-octane gasoline. The
raid on Palembang apparently took
the enemy by surprise, for resistance
was weak and the damage was very
heavy. Satisfactory fires were left
burning in Nagasaki, which is the
location of much of Japan's Ship
ping industry. The Super Forts
spent an hour and half over Nag
asaki. The raid on Sumatra in
volved a 3,500-mile round trip.
For three nights in row last
week. Davao on the Philippine Island
of Midanao was bombed and appar-
emily the first phases of preparation
for landings on that island were un-
der way. The pattern has usually
been a series of raids, close together,
then combined air and sea attack
with the actual landings following.
This, at least, is the line of reason
| ing of Tokyo which forecasts land.