The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1944-12-14
DIARY OF THE WAR

west coast, wiped out a 13-ship Nip
convoy and stopped an enemy para
troop threat. An amphibious force
landed on Leyte west coast three
miles south of Omoc. B-29's struck at
Mukden area and downed SO Jap
planes while bombing industrial tar
gets. A violent earthquake struck in
the vicinity of Japan marking ami
versary of Pearl Harbor. Third army
in France drove to Forbach in attempt
to take Saar factories. Other armies
in France pushed forward slowly.
Russian troops were nearing Austria
A warship joined the fight against the
Greek leftist group.
SATURDAY-Am were near
Saarland defenses and had captured
Forbach, just southwest of Saar-
brucken. The stel mills there were
declared destroyed by Allied artillery.
U. S. drove through Lorraine on 35-
mile front and were AZ miles from
German frontier Some 500 British
Lancasters bombed freight yards be-
hind German lines. Jap forces south
of Ormoc were compressed in five
square mile area. Ground forces were
in outskirts of Ormoc. B-29's bombed
Two Jima, midway between Saipan
and Tokyo. Sweeping gains were
made by Red forces around Budapest.
SUNDAY Army troops broke
through the Maginot line and joined
another division east of Saar river for
drive on Saarland from another di-
rection Other troops pressed deeper
into Siegfried line in western Saar
basin. Enemy counter blows were
beaten back. Reds had Budapest three
fourths encircled and had pushed to
within Is miles of last Nazi rail cs-
cape route from Hungarian capital.
Reds were advancing on 75-mile front
and had pushed to Czechosovakian
border, U. S. forces on Leyte were
concentrating on destruction of JapS
trapped south of Crmoc. Heavy artil-
lery was being brought up for knock
out blows. The order was given to
draft men 26 to 81 not in war work.
MONDAY - First army took Ger
man village, battled into four others
and hammered back Germans still
west of Roer river. Third army beat
off four attacks against Saar bridge
heads. Seventh fought into Haguenau,
German stronghold in France. Reds
advanced miles along Danube, TAX
ing 40 localities. Storm troops were
already inside Budapest. Greek civil
war continued. British planes blasted
ELIAS centers around Athens. Two
thousand warplanes poured 500 tons
of bombs on congested rail yards of
Coblenz and Bingen on the Rhine.
MacArthur's troops captured Ormoc
on Leytc. Blackouts in Tokyo were
forced by B-29 raids Admiral Fraser
was named as commander of British
Pacific fleet. France and Russia signed
a mutual assistance pact.
Y-Annihilation of entire
defending garrison at Ormoc and de-
struction of thousands of Japs trapped
in pocket to south were announced by
Macarthur. Great quantities of equip
ment and supplies were seized. Air
dromes in central Philippines were
bombed anew and Borneo oil fields
were hit The fall Of Budapest was
held imminent in Hungary as Reds
waged furious battle eight miles
away. Three American armies were
pounding Nazi lines and forcing Ger
mans to yield vital areas. As Amcri-
cans were piercing Maginot line to
Germans were working fcverishly to
strengthen Notifications in Siegfred
line. Record number of bombers hit
the Frankfurt area in Germany. Chi
nese drove all Japs from Kwcichow
province, easing China's perilous nil
tary situation temporarily.
WEDNESDAY-American LIST army
drove near Duren in a general adj
vance along east bank of Roer river,
20 miles from Cologne. Seventh drove
s miles northeast from captured
Haguenau and reached Seltz, Az
miles from German border Bombers
from Britain dropped 5000 tons of
bombs on German rail yards in Frank
furt area and Raj bombers hit indus
trial and rail city of Witten. Buda-
pest blazed from Russian lombard
ment and troops were attacking from
three sides. Fighting still ragged in
streets of Athens with ELIAS group,
but the latter had made a peace bid
Yanks wrecked another Jap troop con-
voy attempting to reach Lcytc; so
planes were bagged, four transports
and three destroyers; this was the
Sth Jap convoy to be intercepted and
smashed here. Japanese had started
evacuation of Tokyo civilians after
superforts had been over city four
times in one day.
TIL URSDAY-First army drove two
two miles deeper in Reich taking
,.;l1o~oc nro Il avn afNanca