The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-03-18
Russians Near
Frontier of
Rumaniia
CBy international News ssrvieo

zen. DouElas MACARTHUR. his
communique made clear today. was
making good his pledge to return
to the Philippines"
The American generals dis
mounted cavalrymen. who captured
Los Negros Island In the Admiralty
group and invaded the larger en-.
emy-held island OF .Manus. were
well on their way 10 complete VIC
tory in that archipelago. having
wresied the important Lorengau
airdrome from the Japs in short
order, the Yanks maintained their
drive toward the enemy's largest
bastion in the area.
Tankpaced columns swept past
the 'drome 10 within 800 yards OF
Lorengau township. site OF the Japs'
strongest base In the entire Ad.
m4ralty group. This represented an
advance OF approximately 1000
yards beyond the captured alrstrip.
which was taken within "a hours
after the American troopers surged
ashore nearly two miles from ths
field.
Naval vessels which covered the
American landings, IN conjunction
with a heavy rocketartllery bar
rage from ueighboring isles. active
ly supported the drive 10 the air
drome American destroyers stand
Ing offshore trained their deck
guns on Jap defenses In the way OF
the two pronged Yank offensive.
Score Victory
Meanwhile. other OF Macarthur
ground forces scored an important
Victory. smashing completely a
week.long enemy counter-offensivs
against their positions at Empress
Augusta Bay on Bougainville.
when the last suicide charge by the
/ enemys Solomon Island garrison
was hurled back into the jungles,
more than / 100 Japanese dead re-
manned within the American lines:
many were strung up on the Y, 9.
! barbed-wire barricades, burned
/ crisp by flame-throwors.
In all their counter.thrusts this
Japs suffered iosses ,Snaay Gmss
Its LOO counted. In repellIng them.
the Americans suffered only "pro<
portlonately light" casualties.
Gen. MacArthurs airmen en-
banded their assaults against en-
envy positions in the Southwest Pa
I ifie. experimenting their daily
lacks upon Wewak and Rabaul with
telling raid against the soura.
baya naval base in the Neither
lands East indies. Flying 2,400
miles to and from their detectives.
the Allied raiders for 30 minutes
pounded newly-restored military.
naval and industrial installations
at the Java base.
Not a single American plane Was
lost In the three-way offensive
against the Nipponese
Strong Formations
over Europe. the air war contln-
ued when two strong formations OF
British night raiders swept toward
the continent In the wake OF yes
terday's raids which ranged from
northern France TO Vienna and
Sofia.
Shortly after the Raj forces left
their bases. the Frankfort and Lux
embourg radios, as we'll as several
transmitters in occupied France,
went off the air. indicating the pos
sible presence OF Allied raiders In
the vicinity.
In Italy. the Fifth Army's battle
10 Dust the Germans from bomb
devastated Casino on the main
highway to Rome entered It's final
stages, with tank and infantry
troops OF Lieut.. Gen. Mark W.
Clark's command COMPRISING the
remaining Nazis into a tiny pocket
In the south Western part OF ths
town. An official communlque
tersely described the fight as me
thodically reducing determined en-
envy resistance.
Supporting the ground troops
we're planes OF the Mediterranean
air force. which flew a total OF
1000 sorties yesterday, some OF the
Allied planes provided cover for
Fifth Army beachhead forces
which probed enemy positions
south OF Rome.
Rapid Advance
The Russian war was marked by
a rapid approach by powerful Soviet
tank columns TO the Dnlester River
boundary TO Romania. From posi-
lions less than ten miles distant.
the Red Army advanced al pace
that Moscow observers believed
would bring them to the frontier
before nightfall.
Far TO the northwest. new
Soviet push drove TO within 50
miles OF the vital five.way railroad
innctinn Of Iunm in old Poland.