The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-02-12
American Warships ProlUl
Central Pacific; AtoHs in
MarshaUs Being Softened
Situation IN
Italy Still
Tense

OBy international Newg ser,ic.l
American warships prowled The
waters OF the Central pacific today
and United States warplanes swept
the skies overhead. blasting enemy
held atoils In the Marshalls in
what some observers considered
"softenlng-up' operations preced.
ing invasion.
Admiral Chester W. Nlmltz,
whose daily communlques have told
OF additional surface and air fleet
blows al the enemy throughout un-
captured portions Of the Marshall
Islands. announced still further
punishment dealt the enemy. Army
bombers and fighters poured 100
tons o. high explosives upon un.
Identified enemy held Marshall
Island atolls" on Thursday. he said.
while warships sheiled IAN Import
ant atoll' without drawing return
fire from Jap emplacemeuts.
Wake Bombed
Wake Island. some GOO miles north
OF captured KwaIalein AtOll. was hit
for the second time In two daya
by Navy Coronado heavy bombers.
All American n.anes returned safe
ly. During initial phases OF tho
Marine and Army landings on Kwa-
jalein Wake was hammered from
the air In a dlyersiouary attack.
Preceding and simultaneous with
the landings. American warshlp.
trained their rifles on the Jap-held
atoll And the latest such comblna.
ton OF surface and air fleets an.
peared. OF much OF the same pat.
tern.
Two other Japanese strongholds
also were battered when strong
Allied bomber formations dropped
29s tons OF bombs on airdromes at
Rabnnl and Wewak. In hammerinR
Vunakanau and Tobera Airfields at
Rabaul. the raiders numbering
go bombers "of all categories" and
tighter escorts shot down az least
20 OF so would.be Jap interceptors,
and possibly destroyed seven 9th.
sTs. Only two American planes
failed TO return.
Drop Explosives
BY far the greater tonnage OF
bombs cascaded down upon We.
walks Boram airstrlp. where es..
corted heavy bombers dropped 200
tons OF high explosives. However,
the Rabaul raid was important IN
mat IL continued through the sixth
week a day-to-day air assault upon
that once-mlghty enemy strong
hold.
Madang. enemy base on north.
eastern New Guinea. was hit with
60 tons OF bombs. as its garrison
repeatedly was quitting their posi-.
lions under the threat presented by
American and Australian troops
which captured the entire Huon
eninsula. Gen Douglas MacAr.
thurs communique said that 200
OF tho nearly 1900 Japs nho died
in the latter campaign. fell victim
to starvation. disease. privation and
injury. IIe said this showed the
utter collapse which at the end
overwhelmed the trapped enemy"
Situation Tense"
In Italy. the situation remained
'tense" on the bcachhead below
Rome, but there were Indications
that the fury OF tho German coun.
ter-offensive against the dented Al.
lied positions might have spent t.
self at least for the time being.
After two days Of see.saw fight.
ing near Carroceto, at the north.
ern end OF the Anzio Nettuno
beachhead. British elements Of the
Fifth Army counterattacked and
carved out small gains. A power.
full assault by more than loo
massed Allied guns paved the way
for the tommies' drive.
West OF Cisterna. American