The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-05-13
Strong Places
in Mountains
Also Fall

10y INV ANaut ldANu llNssl
The fun scale Allied push against
Southern Europe swooped up three
towns and numerous mountain
strongholds In Italy. Il was dis
closed today as American bombers
struck towards Berlin from the
west on the 29th day Of the pre-
invasion aerial offensive
The German radio said heavy air
battles were fought this afternoon
with strong l. 5 bomber forns-
tlous thrusting as deep as the Ber-
lin area The German high COM
mand for the first time acknow-
lodged the aerial assaults from
Britain as, preparatory to invA-
sion
Medium and light aircraft began
today'S operations with precision
attacks A. French railway centers.
The offensive In Italy was thu
first OF the grand assaults by ground
forces from all sides against Hit.
ler's Europe
Sea and air power supported the
new offensive which concentrated
Unprecedented hre power along "A
s5.mile front from Casino TO ths
Tyrrhenian Sea below Rome. Front
reports said assault forces OF tina
Firth and Eighth Armies broke into
German drfenses 10 depth OF Two
TO three miles at some points.
In Ftth Week
The inyasiun,eve aerial offensive
against western Europe Numbered
into the NTH wees as fresh streams
OF bombers crossed Dover Strait
follow Ing smash by Raj heavy
bombers last night against railroad
oeptcrs in belgium and other OH
iectives in France and northwest
Germany. Fourteen bombers fail
ed 10 return.
TWO thousand American bomb
ers and fighters rounded out tho
four week cycle or the offensiVs
Friday by blasting Ave synthetic
oil plants. Forty.two heavy bomb
ers and ten fighters were lost
while $50 OF Hitlers carefully
boarded fighters were shot down.
Headquarters In Naples an
nounced that IN support OF the Of
fenslye in Italy. British cruiser
escorted by T. $ destroycrs shell
ed the Appian Way In the Terra
Gina area and bombarded German
guns in the Gacta area
Aitdromes roads and eommuni-
cations throughout Italy we're ham
mered Friday throughout the first
day OF the offensive by Allied va
planes Eighteen planes failed 10
return from 1850 sorties
The capture OF Nentosa by Fifth
Army troops attacking through the
upper Garigltana disclosed that the
Americans had driven ahead ~
least one aud half miles in that
area. The Finh Army French
troops stormed the $3.50 foot crest
Of Monte Faito in close quarter
c, lbat
Take Bridaehead
British Eighth Army veterans
won 4 bridgehead over the Rapido
River and advanced I'm the Casino
area against determined resist
ance Germans in Casino Itself
were lefl unmolested as grim
struggle progressed north ard
south ~ the rubbed stronghold.
A Berl n broadcast that the Luft-
waite bad attacked airhelds on Al
lied.held Corsica reflected GER
man concern over fresh assaults
against Europes- southern de
lenses
ON the Russian front the Ger
mans hustled strong force against
the Soviet in an attempt 10 wipe
ont a hridgehead on the west bank
OF the Dnestr River The Russians
said the enemy failed 10 achieve
any success although suffering
heavy losses IN men"
Omirous in China
Japan's large-scole offensive in
China. turning ominously in the
direction OF Chunghing dwsrfed all
other operations in the Asiatic-
Pacific theater today saturday
Loyang. some 500 airline miles
northeast OF the wartime capital.
was bes.eged from three sides The
Japanese cut the Lunghai' railroad
As miles east OF Loyang. blocking
a main retreat route for thousands
OF Chinese defending the city
Another enemy force was within
five miles OF the north Honan
rail junction, which Is a gateway
toward the mountain passes
through which Chungking can be
reached A third force striking
from the east was about Is miles
away.
From the German radio came .
SO miles south OF Loyang, had been
occupied by the enemy. " true.
this advance would signify expan-