The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1945-01-04
DIARY OF THE WAR

! FRIDAY - American Third Army
went against southern flank of Ger
man offensive on a 35-mile front in
Belgium and Luxembourg and drove
l6 miles in six days, rescuing beseiged
| Yank garrison of Bastogne. Germans
had been stalled for AZ hours. Jap
bombers hit airfields on Saipan and
| Tinian. Mindoro Island was made free
of Jap sea and air attacks for the
time being. American cleanup of Ley
tie Island proceeded. Russians cap
tured twelve more suburbs of Buda-
pest and swept westward toward Wen
ma, along Danube. Heavy bombers hit
railway targets in Germany.
SATURDAY - Liberators struck
Two Jima. There was heavy antiair-
craft fire. Japs reported American
convoy of 80 transports in Mindanao
sea as under air attack. Superfortres-
SEES hit Tokyo Yokohama and Kobe
Osaka industrial areas under frequent
air alarm. Indian troops took three
Jap villages in north Burma and con-
tinued advance east. Chinese forces
still hammered at Jap defenses around
Hochih in Kwangsi province. German
bulge was narrowed to Is miles as
Third Army drove north Of Bastogne.
Reds were annihilating Germans trap
ped in Budapest. German attacks in
North Italy were believed checked.
Russia for first time reported condi-
lions as bad inside Japan with raids
on Tokyo by Americans weakening
the morale.
UNDAY-Rundstcd put three new
Nazi divisions into Bastogne salient
in an atfort to drive back American
armor there. American couiterbloWs
had re-won nearly one-third of the
territory overrun in Germany's sur
prise commemorative. King Of Greece
announced appointment of regent in
effort to end civil war in that coun-
try. Germans were shifting troops in
Italy Reds fighting from east and
west in Budapest joined forces and
Germans received ultimatum to sur
render Nimitz warned Japanese peo-
pie that the war would reach the very
vitals of their country. Japs were
yielding key Burma areas, and it was
apparent they planned to retreat to
Mandalay.
MONDAY-A full scale offensive
was launched by Patton northeast of
Bastogne where some progress was
noted, narrowing the neck of the Ger
man offensive. Fifth Army troops in
Italy re-occuped Barga, which Nazis
had taken week previous. Hitler told
Garman people in radio address that
Germany would never capitulate. The
former Associated Press Bureau chief
in Berlin said he doubted that Hitler
made the speech. Jap raids on Min
doro cost enemy IA more planes. Am
orleans made air attacks from Min |
doro and Leyte against Jap-held Lu-
zon airfelds. Reds smashed main Ger
man fertilization line in Budapest.
TUESDAY-Germans made success
sion of sharp attacks on 10-mile front |
against Seventh Army east of Bitche,
near German border, and also against |
50-mile front held by French troops. |
The Belgian bulge area remained sta
tionary. Germans lost at least 241
planes in one day, POS of them in at
tempt to bomb and strafe Allied air
fields. 1t failed to check momentum of
Allied aerial offensive of 5000 planes.
Hitler declared that German defeat
lists would be destroyed and that the
end of the war would not come before
1916 unless by German victory. AM
orleans hit Jap shipping in Lingayen
Gulf, $50 miles northwest of Manila
and sank eight ships, including two
destroyers. Other planes gave Luzon
territory a thorough going over. Japs
raded Mindoro. Two Jima was also
hammered for oath consecutive day.
WEDNESDAY-The Third Army
troops gained two miles against cor
ncr Of Belgian salient and Patton's
forces rccaptured numerous towns.
Germans made attacks on Seventh
Army front south of Bitche and pen
etratcd line on fve-mic front. Ger
mans gained some ground between
Saarbrucken and Saarlautern. Ger
mans were withdrawing in Belgium.
American flyers hit two enemy col
umns moving eastward. For the 18th
straight day heavy bombers hit the
cncmy's rear and Raj carried the
campaign into the night. Reds had
900 city blocks of Budapest wrested
from Germans. laps raided Saipan
and Yanks raided Two lima. Navy re-
ported loss of another sub. Nazis in
north Italy were repulsed.
THURSDAY-Germans were rein