davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1945-04-01

ance from the front of the SIS divi-
sions. No front report has identi-
fed an SIS division in the western
fighting for weeks The Russians
have made little mention of SIS
troops. But there certainly are a
number of well-trained, full
SIS divisions available to the Ger
man high commander there were
just few months ago. Where ale
they? Have they been removed
from the immediate control of the
general staff and sent to the noun
tains to prepare the national cita-
del' in which Hitler and his gang
will ultimately take refuge-may
have already taken refuge? 1t
seems very likely; for if that is the
plan, it would be stupid to per-
NIT the fanatical IS troops on which
the whole plan depends to be deci-
mated and perhaps destroyed in a
futile effort to hold the Rhine and
the Oder lines.
Plan Checkable.
The defense of the Italian front
by at least Is German divisions is
another case in point. These troops
would have been invaluable in an
elastic defense of the German
homeland, but they were left in
Italy to contain Allied forces which
certainly would not have been Of
equal value in the Allied offensive
along the Rhine, especially consid-
ering the factors of time and supply.
Again the German orientation has
been toward the south-for some,
at least, of these troops may even
tually be withdrawn to the Alps
and form part of the inner defense
on which the Nazi leaders now base
their last hope for a prolongation
of their wretched lives.
It remains, of course, to be seen
whether they can get away with it.
There Is just the chance that the
Allied assault forces may be able to
break up and penetrate this inner
defensive area before the defending
forces can get themselves firmly
emplaced. If so, many months of
bitter fighting and thosuands of
lives may be saved.
tCopyright, 1945)
Evening star., 1945-04-01

mored "breakthrough" Division anc
the 9Th, hammering toward Berlin
so fast correspondents could not
keep abreast of their progress.
The 9Th Armored last was re.
ported hours ago only S miles from
Kassel, a city Of 2l7,000, and fielo
dispatch said by this time it un-
doubtedly was in or beyond it.
It had covered As miles Friday
with a speed almost matching the
1st Army's now famous armored
march that outfanked the Ruhr
The 4th Armored Division last was
reported near Lauterhausen, 81
miles southeast of Kassel
At that point the 4th was 16C
miles inside Germany and liz. miles
from the Czechoslovak frontier, was
more than halfway across the
Reich's waist and was probably les,
than 205 miles from the Russians
! Before these rampaging columns
the Germans were in flight and line
upon line of enemy conveys were
smeared by fighter -bombers. Gen
Pattons columns were being sup
piled with gasoline by big Army
transport planes, which were ahght-
ing on some fields east of the Rhine
Frankfurt Pocket Cleared.
The 11th Armored Division on
the south flank of this powerful
push cut loose with a 12-mile drive
that swept into Birstein, 20 miles
southwest of Fulda.
Behind these armored forces, in
fantry had cleared all the sprawline
pocket north of Frankfurt except
for scattered groups of the enemy
which were turning harassing fire
on Sd Army vehicles. An estimated
10000 prisoners were taken Friday
1t. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges rae
ing 1st Army tank columns paused
70 catch their breath at Paderborn
after an amazing drive of more
than 120 miles in six days during
which they broke the back of Ger
man resistance and cut of the
Ruhr from the east.
infantry divisions were rushing
up behind the srmor, consolidating
the gains and clearing out by-passed
resistance so swiftly that II POT pris-
oners were taken Friday.
Forced to Let Men Rest.
The enemy had nothing to do
with halting the drive. It simply
was necessary to give tankmen q
rest and let the infantry seal Oh
i the avenues of escape for battered
German armies of the Ruhr.
/ The Germans have yet been un.
able to form a line or organize q
j counterblow, although infantry well
to the west has run into enemy
opposition, a few tanks and anti
aircraft guns depressed for ground
fire.
/ The lighting 1st Infantry and the
10th Infantry Divisions were clos
Evening star., 1945-04-01
Landing in Glider in Germany
Is Grim Terrifying Exploit

top secret" He was the intelligence
man. You shook hands, wished each
other good luck, and glued your
eyes on the pilot, waiting for him
to push the lever which would cut
the glider loose from the towplane
Guns Open Up.
Bursts of rifle fire were accom-
panied now by the popping of ma
chine guns and the cultural
whoomph of 88-mm. hak shells. You
unconsciously lift off your seat ano
brace as if to meet hot metal sing
ing through the smoke. You find
yourself dodging and weaving from
something you can't even see.
Then the pilots hand goes ur
and forward.
Going down." he shouts, and the
nose pitches forward steeply. The
speed slackens and the roar of the
wind dies down and the battle
noises suddenly are magnified into
terrifying din.
Now" says the sergeant. 81,
when you pray"
The right wing tilts sharply a.
the shadow of another glider fit.
past. 1t almost hits us.
Smoke Is thick and acrid-almost
like you were inside burnin1
house. You can see half a dozer
buildings aflame on the ground
Dozens of gliders are parked a
crazy angles on every field. Ever,
one with weapon has it cockec
and across his lap.
Landing Is Swift.
Then, before you know it, The
ground is racing underneath. Yo,
are in a pasture, crashing through
fence, bounding across gulley
clipping tree with a wingtip
You've made it-landed and nobod,
hurt.
You relax for a moment, bu
realize split second later tina
that was a mistake. Bullets ar
ripping through the glider.
Get outta here! Get outta here!
some one shouts, and prayers Civ
way to curses as first one and thel
another kicks savagely at the door
Men spill onto the grass hap
hazardly and begin crawling to-
ward a ditch just beyond a barbec
wire fence. You're getting shot a
from house at the other end O
the meadow.
How lead whines overhead. Bull
lets uproot little cupfuls of mois
green turf around you until yo,
are digging your toes in and claw
ing the earth with your fingers t.
move forward. Your pack snags OF
the bottom strand Of the barbet
wire fence and it seems hours be
fore you're free.
Roll Into Ditch.
You roll into the shallow ditch
A foot OF red, Shiny water make
no difference. 1t actually feels goo,
trickling down the open throat o
your woolen shirt and filtering int
the toes of your boots, and your
tempted to drink 1t, for your moutl
is parched.
Every one is out of the glider
You check up and find that tw,
men are hit-both medics. On
has bullet through the top of tn,
head-it went in and out through
the top of his helmet-but he's still
conscious. The other was sho
through the calf of the leg.
You're fairly safe for the tim,
being unless another glider swoop
ing in lands on you. 1t shears of
the top of a nearby tree and make
neat landing 100 yards down tn,
field.
The firing slackens as minute
tick by and more gliders come in
Evening star., 1945-04-01
Total Nazi Captives
On East, West Fronts
Put al 1,142,224
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press. ...-
Allied Armies on the eastern and
western fronts have captured at
least 1,142,224 Germans since Field
Marshal Karl Won Rundstedt launch
ed his December 16 offensive against
Gen. Eisenhower's troops, q recapitu-
lation Of the latest of1icial figures
showed last night.
During the period, including the.
defensive battle of the bulge and
the subsequent smashing OF the
Nazis' Rhine line, Allied troops on
the western front up to Saturday
had taken 552,2 ,261 prisoners. Availa-
BILE official counts from the various
Russian fronts for the same gen.
eral period totalled 589,963.
Since the landings in Normandy,
American, British, Canadian and
French forces under Gen. Eisen-
hover have captured 1889 ,268 pris-
oners.
The latest official recapitulation
for the entire war, given by British
War Secretary Sir James Grigg in
the House of Commons March 20,
was 1,8O0 900 Germans captured by
the Allies, exclusive of Russia, since
September, 1899.
Russian announcements up to that
time total more than 10000
killed or captured with the number
of prisoners not specified.
1t. Gen. George S. Patton's Sd
Army has announced for the great
est bag on the western front since
December Is. Counting the $4,000
taken Friday the Sd Army has cap
tured a total of 224,450 during that
period.
Other totals for the same period
on the western front were: United
States list Army, 123, 1889; United
States 9th, 4o,553; United States 7th
96,933: Canadian 1st, 25,061: British
I'd, 23,783; French 1st, 1902, and
Allied 1st Air-borne, 1000.
Evening star., 1945-04-01
BY the Associated Press.

BY the AsSoclhteo fress.
WITH THE 18th AIR-BORNE
DIVISION. Mar. "a Delayed -
"Now," said the sergeant, rs when
you pray"
Thirteen men in glider were
diving toward a smoky battlefield
TOO feet below.
The sergeant was well-meaning
but little bit tardy with his cue.
The sky had been full of praying
men ever since this glider and
hundreds like 1t scared of toward
its destination east of the Rhine.
You prayed from the moment the
silken rope stretched taut from the
tail of the twin-engine CAT up
ahead and the flimsy fabric craft
started breaking down the runway
And while you were praying you
heard tires singing over the con-
crete, reminding you there was no
engine in this contraption-that
it.swas just a big crate with wings
You felt something akin to horror
as you read the label on case
dashed by heavy rope to the floor
five antitank mines-flve" And you
wondered why they had to 60 in
this glider with a bunch of medics,
a radio operator, lineman, pho
tographer and war correspondent.
You wonder just how much of a
bump it would take to set them of
as the glider rocked and jerked and
swayed in the slipstream of the
powerful ship ahead. You thought
of landing and remembered pictures
of gliders in Normandy and Holland
all smashed and splintered-and you
prayed some more.
No Chutes Available.
You looked OF to the left and
watched the right wingtip Of a sis
ter glideD tied to the same CAT
swing perilously close. What would
it be like, you wondered, II the two
locked wings and you plummeted to
the green fields below? Why don't
they give you parachutes in Gid
ers? Or would it do any good?
You gritted your teeth and turned
your head away as a man across
the isle vomited into his helmet,
partly from the pitching of the
glider and partly from nausea in
duced by fear, which he admitted
unashamed.
The wings of the glider vibrated
violently-almost shook you out Of
your seat, and you knew something
was wrong when the pilot began
manuevering desperately to break
up a tail flutter," a malady that
shakes these things to pieces in a
matter of seconds. And you closed
your eyes and clenched your teeth
and prayed.
Man Is Injured.
Then. without an instants warn
ing, your seat dropped from under
you. Your helmet flew of and you
were on your knees on the floor
That's just the way a glider rides
The man next to you wasn't wear
ing helmet and blood is streaming
down his ashen face. Here he's a
casualty even before we've been
landed-his head Dashed against
the metal framework.
For three agonizing hours it went
on this way. You'd watched the
Seine and Mas Rivers slide past
and knew the next big stream would
be the Rhine. Before you were
ready, 1t looked below, shaking
broadly across the shell-pocked
plain.
Things began happening fast
too fast. Above the sustained roar
of wind ripping past cloth-covered
ribs of the glider, you began to hear
crack! pop! snap!
ut wouldn't last long" said the
sergeant. And in the same breath
"If anything happens to me, will
you take these papers out Of my
pocket and DESTROY them? Theyre
Evening star., 1945-04-01

according to any well-regulated
plan. Maybe the days of good
weather which we enjoyed at the
outset of our offensive enabled the
Allied air forces to paralyze the
movements which might otherwise
have brought about different
scheme of German defense. But it
is at least interesting to observe
that both on the east and on the
west the real fighting has developed
as Allied forces approach the limits
of the southern citadel-the noun
tains and forests of southwestern
Germany, Austria and Bohemia.
AS already noted in these articles,
there is another suspicious circum-
stance which points in this same
general direction: The disappear
Evening star., 1945-04-01

Soon you muster enough courage
to crawl out of the water-it's get
ting cold and uncomfortable by
now-and take a cautious look
around.
You hnd the area cleared and
shooting over, at least in this pas
ture.
Some one gets jeep to take the
wounded to an aid station and the
rest of the party strikes out for the
regimental command post.
And you pray prayer Of thanks
giving and tell yourself-if you are
common, ordinary flat-footed re-
porter-that you've had your first
and only glider ride.
Evening star., 1945-04-01
Noz Strategy Points Death Stand in Southern Stronqhod
BY MAI. GEO. FIELDING ELIOT.

A certain amount of light as to
the future plans of the German
leaders can be gained from watch
ing their military acts.
1t is particularly notable that
whenever choice has to be made,
as between resistance on a north
ern or a southern sector of either
front. the south gets the break.
Thus on the eastern front, we
have watched the Russian Armies
roll forward over East Prussia, Po-
land, Pomerania, the eastern part
of Brandenburg and most of Silesia
not unchecked, certainly, but not
successfully checked either. Mean
while, such forces as the Germans
possessed for counterattack pur-
poses were being used in Hungary,
on the Danube Valley approaches
to the mountainous area where the
Nazi last stand may be planned. 1t
seems fantastic that the Germans
should be fighting so desperately for
Vienna when the enemy was but
so miles from Berlin-yet so it has
been. The Nazi bosses were more
concerned about their central
stronghold than about the safety
of the Reich capital-which lies in
plain and is not particularly de-
fensible save at great expenditure
of manpower.
Follows Same Pattern.
On the western front we are now
noting the same phenomenon. Run
over the reports of the past few
days and see where the really hard
lighting has been encountered. The
British and the United States 9th
Army have broken through all
along the Rhine front north of the
Ruhr, even the industrial area it
self is reported as being pene-
trated. The British tanks are run
ming loose in the Westphalian
Plain. In the center, Gen. Brad
ley's 18th Army Group has driven
deep, against scattered and inef-
fective resistance, and may by this
time be on the Weser. 1t Is curv-
ing north to meet the British In
the area between Paderborn and
Munster. The massed armor of the
lst Army, the spreading armored
spearheads of the Sd are not finding
the way hotly contested by any con-
siderable German forces.
But on the south, the United
States 7th Army is running into
heavy fighting The Germans made
a very poor fight for the Rhine
crossings; they do not appear to
have left enough troops in their
principal industrial district to hold
it very long; but the approaches
to the Black Forest they seem to
regard in a different light. There
they have put enough troops to
Evening star., 1945-04-01
Eisenhower Decorotes
British Gen. Morqun.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the ASSoclateu Press.
PARIS, Mar. 31-Gen. Eisenhowel
awarded the Legion of Merit!
highest degree of command toda!
to 1t. Gen Sir Frederick E. Morgan
deputy chief of staff, for exception.
ally meritorious conduct in pre-.
pairing the groundwork for tn,
western front invasion.
From March, 1943, until January
1914, the 50-year-old British genera
was chief of staff of Cossac, al
organization established to prepar,
plans for the invasion. He becam.
deputy chief of stan of supreme
headquarters five months befor.
D day.
Evening star., 1945-04-01

stand and slug it out. They have
even made co.nterattack in some
force, which appears for time to
have regained the main river town
of Aschaffenburg. This is the first
counterattack of any consequence
since the Allied forces first crossed
the Rhine.
Crack Troops Missing.
All of this may merely be the
result of chance. Maybe the Ger
mans have fought where they could
and given way where they had to
Maybe the losses they sustained in
the battles west OF the Rhine-whicf
from the German viewpoint should
never have been fought-have de-
prived them of the power to resist
Evening star., 1945-04-01
Gerow's 18Th Army
Now Holding Part
Of Western Front
BY TOM YARBROUGH.

hssoclhIeu fress war correspondent.
TWELFTH ARMY GROUP HEAD
QUARTERS, Mar. 31.-The United
States 18th Army, commanded by
1t. Gen. Leonard T. Gerow, has
moved into action and now is hold
ing part of the front line, it was
announced tonight. 1t is the fifth
american army now engaged on the
western front.
Censorship prohibited the dis
closure of the 18th Army's precise
role. Although relatively new the
18th is known to include some of
the most experienced divisions on
the western front - veteran units
switched to it from other armies.
Gen. Gerow, 56-year-o1d native
of Petersburg, Va. formerly COM
manded United States Army ground
forces in Britain and at one time
was chief Of the War Departments
War Plans Division. He was COM
mander of the 5th Corps in the
United States lst Army at the time
of the Normandy campaign when
the 1st Army was under Gen. Omar
N Bradley, now 18th Army Group
commander.
Gen Gerow, like Chief of Staff
Gen. George C. Marshall, graduated
from Virginia Military Institute. He
has record of service on the Mexi-
can border, in the World War, in
the Philippines and China as well
as at various Army posts through
out the United States He served
as chief of the War Departments
war plans division from before Pearl
Harbor until February, 1912, post
in which he was succeeded by Gen.
Eisenhower. AS commander of Army
ground forces in Britain he trained
American troops for the Normandy
invasion.
Gen. Gerow is widely known in
Washington. His wife lives at 3051
Idaho avenue NV. A brother, Brig
Gen. Lee S. Gerow, maintains a
home at the Kennedy Warren
Apartments.
From 1921 to 1923 Gen. Leonard
T. Gerow was in the Office of the
Chief of Infantry He returned to
Washington in 1926 as assistant
executive to the Assistant Secretary
of War From 1885 to 1899 he was
assigned to the War Plans Division
of the Army General Staff.
Before going to Europe he was
commander of the 29th Infantry
Division at Fort George G. Meade,
Md. The division was composed of
the District of Columbia, Virginia
and Maryland National Guards.
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-06-28

Mr.. and Mrs. Cargo, Worthwhile,
have moved into the Roberts
apartment.
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Burke,
Seven Mile Rd., spent Sunday af-
ternoon at the home of Mr.. and
Mrs. Raymond Lewis.
Mrs. MeTtie Murray, Plymouth.
is spending the week at the George
Roberts home.
Knowles and George Buers were
in Detroit on business Monday.
Miss Janice Lyke spent two
days last week with her grandmoth.
err. Mrs. opal Lyke, Plymouth.
Mrs. Kenneth Easlick, Ann Ar
Dor. spent Thursday afternoon with
Mr.. and Mrs. A. b. Van AIKEN.
Mrs. James Dickie, South Lyon,
and Miss COLLEEN Foreman. Huston,
Texas, were Sunday afternoon call
ers at the A. B. Van AIKEN home.
Mr.. and Mrs. Herman Gale are
spending a week at Holton Lake.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ronald Lyke visit
ed the Eber Baker and Rex Sheuart
families near Howell, and on the
way home called at Mellus Hospi-
tai at Brighton to see Mrs. Forest
Roberts who is a patient there.
Mrs. Georgia Traver, East Green
bush, n. Y, is spending the week
at the Myron Atchison home.
Mr.. and Mrs. William Martin,
Base Line Rd., were Sunday callers
at the A. c. Wheeler home.
Mrs. Arthur Varaili. Detroit,
spent the week end with her par
ents. Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Stacey.
Rev. c. w. Lewis, who has been
quite i'll. is better at this writing
The Federated Ladies' Aid met
at the Ray Pennell home Thurs
dav with potluck dinner at noon.
Mr.. and Mrs. Howard Shipley,
Plymouth, were Sunday afternoon
visiting at the George Bennett
home.
Mr.. and Mrs. Robert Mckee. Mr..
and Mrs. Elmer Mclean, Newburg.
and Henry Long. Hand Station,
spent Sunday afternoon with Mr.
and Mrs. Fred Rider.
Mr.. and Mrs. George Buers and
child, Wayne, and David Fryman,
Jr., Berrien Springs, spent the week
with Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Buers.
Sgt. Ray Clark. Jr.. who has
been home on two weeks furlough.
left Sunday for his base, Grand
Island. Nebr.
David Rathbon, Plymouth, spent
last week with his grandparents,
the Frank McFarlanes.
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-06-28
Prompt Service
Given by USES
to War Veterans


An expanded job placement serv.
ice for veterans was announced
here today by Gordon Packard.
manager OF the Ypsilanti office OF
the United States Employment
Service.
Stepped-up procedure in the re-
ception. interviewing, job counsel
ing and referral OF veterans will be
set up in the USES office, in order
to give the returning veteran the
best possible service.
I'VE believe we can give the vet.
eran better service by handling
veterans placement through our
regular office with these new spe-
cial services" Mr.. Packard said.
owe are stepping up our veterans
placement activities and cutting
down the time which veteran
spends in the USES office.
I'VE have a veterans represent.
alive who is charged with this re-
sponsibility and we will attempt to
assign as many individuals as nee
essary to the work OF interviewing
and referring veterans to jobs.
The first principle Of the USES
is TO refer the best qualified men
on employers orders. The second
principle is this: II veterans are
not placed because we do not have
suitable orders. the USES respon-
sibility is TO develop Job openings.
In this we seek the cooperation Of
all employers"
Veterans placements In Ypsilanti
during the first five months OF this
year totaled 124. Veteran place
ments for all of last year were 57S
and for the year before, 1,406.
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-06-28

with the natives of shangri-la, hosts
TO the Army WAC and Il compat.
riots stranded for the moment in
that hidden. mountain-girt valley Of
New Guinea.
Mai. Sir George Greathead, ad.
ministrator Of Australian inundated
New Guinea, presented the shells
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-06-28

to Air Force officers and said they
were 70 be dropped 10 WAC Cpl
Margaret Hastings. Of Owego, y. Y,
and her companions.
Meanwhile. expert glider person
mel and new equipment arrived on
Biak Island, where final tests will
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-06-28

New Guinea's wilds- and out drip.
ped 40 pounds Of sea shells, first.
rate currency in these. innocent
parts.
The 4O-pouud bag OF sea shells
was the gift of the commonwealth
Of Australia. which Thought they
might come in handy in dealing
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-06-28

be made tomorrow on the use Of
elders for oXtricating the Hastings
party from tho difficult valley.
II successful glider will be
dropped into the hidden valley
this afternoon. and the survivors
will be tOwed out by an Army
Transport plane the following dav.
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-06-28
SON cHRIsTENED

Salem, Mich.-Mr. and Mrs. Cast
mir Bielejiski and daughter Doro-
thy were dinner guests Of Mr.. and
Mrs. Robert Beale Sunday after
noon at which time the Beales' son,
Nlncen James, was chr.stened.
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-06-28
Netus From, Salem
Ivan Packard Dies

Word has been received here that
Ivan Packard, California, died very
suddenly Sunday. Mr.. Packard
was the only son OF Mr.. and Mrs.
+. |. Packard, who formerly lived
in Salem and was we'll known here.
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-06-28
Son Dedicated

Mr.. and Mrs. William Schllef
Frances Dunn, Ypsilanti, brought
their small son, Stuart =, TO the
Federated Church, Sunday. for dedi-
cation by Rev. Cora Pennell.
The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-06-28
Plano Recital

Mr.. and Mrs. Ronald Lyke and
children attended the piano re-
cital given by Mrs. Crandan,
Worthwhile, in the Methodist
Church, Plymouth, Tuesday eve