The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-03-22
Leathenecks Land Under
HeauyAir Naval Barrage;
Military Stores Explode
Bases to
be $50 Miles
From Iruk
1Ry international New, s.ryie.l

WI ltphEAhs shdAsAi AAluI vas Az
other step closer today TO fulfilling
his promise 10 return 10 the Phil.
ippines, his marines having occu.
pied two more key Islands scarce
ly $50 miles from the main Japan.
csc naval base at Truk.
The leathernecks. including
many veterans OF the Solomons
campaigns. swarmed ashore on
Emirau and Elomusao Islands in
the St Matthias group under coy
er OF a devastating air and naval
bombardment simultaneously, an.
other smashing sky and sea bar.
rage poured into the enemy strong
hold OF Kavieng on New Ireland.
Only about 81 miles OF the Bis
marck sea separates the two bat
tered Jap positions.
Observers at Gen. MacArthu:'s
headquarters declared that the ma.
val armada which reduced KavienE
to rubble with 900 tons OF shells
included the mightiest force OF
battleships ever employed in the
Southwest Pacific. These dread.
naughts and their supporting com
ponents suffered no losses, while
destroying whole sections OF the
town.
Dumps Exploded
An official announcement reveal
ed that enemy ammunition dumps
were exploded and shore batteries
silenced Solomons based bomberE
added some 55 tons OF bombs to
the three and half hour naval
bombardment Abe airmen concent.
rated on the Panapal airdrome
Capture OF the two ST. Matthias
Islands completed isolation OF all
| Jap bases In the Bismarck archie
] pelago and gave the Allleg q plsc "a
10 construct a base from which to
prosecute two-way bombing &C
Truk. in conjunction with Eniwe.
tok 10 the east.
- Occupy Three States
German occupation OF three Ne
the Axis satellite Balkan states
hlghlighted European war develop
ments. Swift-moving Nazl panzer
and infantry regiments were re-
ported completing military occu.
patton OF Rumania as other Hitler
forces took over all communication
lines in Bulgaria.
These moves came within -
hours after German seizure OF Hun.
gary, and we're seen as frantic
bid by Hitler to bolster his buck
ling southeastern front and weld
all satellite states into one mill.
tary unit.
As the Nazis swept into his
homeland, Rumanian Premier Mar
shall Ion Antonescu was reported
10 have conferred with his military
and political aides secretly: the
possibility OF surrendering to the
Russians and abandoning the Ger.
mans were the topics OF discussion.
according to dispatches from neu-
trail Turkey.
Within Boundary
Russian forces we're already well
within the Dniester River boundary
of Rumania, and frontline dispatch
es said the Red army actually had
advanced to within % miles OF the
Pruth River. The latter stream ~
recognized by the USSR. as the
Rumanian frontier, and should be
crossed within a few days IL he
Soviets maintain their current
speed.
Retreating German forces en-
ployed large ground and air re-
serves. meanwhile, in a desperate
bid to stem the Russian advance
in pre-war Poland and in Bessara-
bian Rumania. The Soviets al
ready had cut the important Ger
napti-Balt escape railroad in the
Balkan country. and were within
IS miles OF the key Tarnopol-Lwow
line to the northwest
Draw on Reserves
In Poland, the Nazis we're draw
ing upon reserves newly-arrived
from Denmark. No sooner had the
reInforcements reached the front.
than they we're hurled into frantic
counter-attacks All the enemy
counter-thrusts we're repulsed by
the Red army which advanced 10
occupy more than 327 towns and
villages yesterday.
The fight for Casino, bomb-deN-
astated city blocking the via Cas-
lima route to Rome. continued with
reinforced enemy divisions retain
ing their grip on three small but
formidable strongpoints. Both
sides fought furiously, and Allied
and German artillery was active.
Allied units made slow but stea-
dy" progress in bitter hand 20
hand fighting. headquarters an
nounced.
In London. the air ministry re-
vealed that Canadian-piloted mos
quito bombers destroyed at least
90 German planes and gliders in
widespread attacks upon targets
/ in France and the Reich. At the
same time. nine other Mari planes
we're destroyed during a heavy
fire-bomb assault upon the British
capital and surrounding areas. A
I hHHW