The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-09-19
Resistance Stiffening But
-Four German 7olUns Taken
as First Army Advances
CIn1axNe
in Pacific
Landings
BY Dwight PItkin

ASSOCIATED Press War EDITOR
Troops OF the first Allied air.
borne army have consolidated and
strengthened positions won In the
sky invasion OF Holland and link.
ed up with ground forces OF the
British Second Army, Allied Head.
quarters announced today.
The oommunIque said that Amer.
lean First Army forces battling
farther south on German soil to-
ward the Rhineland "are meeting
stiffening resistance and increasing
artillery fire" IL was announced
however. that four German towns
had been taken.
Stronger German resistance IN
the air also was indicated Allied
planes destroyed 80 enemy air.
craft In yesterday overall air
operation at IA cost OF 30 Allied
fighters missing.
Battle Toward Plain
Storming across and atop the
maze OF canals In the Netherlands
Allied forces were battling toward
the Hanover plain which leads di-
rectly to Berlin, and threatening
the great Dutch ports or Amster.
dam and Rotterdam.
Berlin acknowledged that Ameri
can airborne troops had entered
the rail center OF Elndhoven. some
10 miles inside the Netherlands
border. Berlin reports put the
Allies 10 miles north OF Nijmegen
across Formidable water barriers
to the vicinity OF Anthem. which IL
$40 miles west Of Berlin.
Great Success
Troops OF the American Fifth
Army I'm northern Italy won what
was officially described as gre at
success" They broke through
strong defenses and captured three
heights In the Gothic line 90 miles
northeast OF Florence.
British troops Of the Eighth Army
I fought their way into the little re-
| public OF San Marine on the Adria-
tic coast
Signs Armistiee
Finland. virtually in an undeclar-
cd state OF war with the Germans.
signed an armistice with Russia
and Britain. Moscow announced.
The Russians were reported
tightening n stronghold on the Ger.
mans mid-Baltlc communications
| In a flaming five-day battle Mos
cow said this may be another ful-
fillment Of Marshal Stains strate-
XIV OF surround and destroy. The
German northern army group was
estimated at more than 20 divisions.
upwards OF 100000 troops. Its
| fate rested on the Germans efforts
to keep open the lifeline from east
Prussia through the Jelgava area
TO the forces In eastern Latvia
and Estonia.
Red Army artillery heavily she'll
ed German strongpoints In Warsaw.
| but Official silence screened details
OF the Soviet.Polish operations IN
that area.
Near Climax
American ground forces. fighting
/ over some OF the toughest terrain
OF the Pacific war, drove today to-
ward the climatic battles for two
islands in the strategic Palau group
as Tokyo radio indicated L. S. war
| planes may already be operating
against the Philippines from a third
island invaded only last week.
War correspondents reported
from PelelIu Island on southern Pa
lau that First Division Marines had
| knocked out all OF the japanese
| tanks and most OF their harassing
artillery. Nearly $500 enemy dead.
more than half the estimated gar
rison, were killed in the first four
days.
The principal town. Asias. two
villages, and the adjacent islet OF
Ngarmoked were captured as the
| Jaapnese steadily retreated over
the coral ridges, honeycombed with
defensive points in which some
Japanese soldiers were chained TO
| their posts.
Infantrymen Of the Army's slst
division, filtering through a maze
OF vines and tropical underbrush.
occupied the northern half OF lit
tie Angaur Island. killing less than
100 OF the elusive defenders on the
way. A large phosphate refinery,
important TO Japan's munitions in
ustry: he town OF Saipan. and
a large railway yard were among
fhafr nrfzae