Guinea gold [1945]

              BRITISH," INDIANS SEIZE  AKYAB UNOPPOSED-P 4
Vol. 3."  No. 50.
AMERICAN EDITION
Sunday, January 7, 1945
MONTGOMERY GIVEN IMPORTANT COMMAND
Churchill's Talks With Leaders;
British  2nd  Army's Offensive
Nazis Through  Maginot   Line
t the south side of the	
Patton has made further hard-
won gains in his drive north from
Bastogne, but the enemy is fighting strongly. A counter-attack a
few miles west of Bastogne has
gained some ground, but the US
flank  is  holding  firmly.
Further to the SE, the Germans have increased their pressure against the US "th Army in
their effort to drive through the
forests and valleys in north
Alsace and to reach the plains
leading to the positions held by
the US 3rd Army. One l^eavy
German onslaught yesterday
ried the enemy through a ""2
stretch  of the  Maginot Line,
In  south  Alsace,  other  German
formations ""  are ""  striki:
ROOSEVELT   TO
ADDRESS CONGRESS
WASHINGTON, Sat.—President
Roosevelt's message to Congress,
which he will deliver today, ls
Ilkely to be In the gravest terms
since  Pearl   '"arbour.
A Washington message forecasts that he will warn Americans
to expect a graver year of war.
which will call for even greater
efforts by the civilian population.
Formosa,"  Okinawa " Jima
Hit Again, Says Tokio
WASHINGTON, Bat—According to Tokio Radio, US bombers
have continued the assaults on
Formosa and Okinawa Jima. Both
Islands lie off the coast of  China.
Earlier, a Pearl Harbour communique stated that American
bombers had attacked Iwo Jima.
in the Bonln group—about 650
miles south of Tokio—for the 28th
successive day.
strength towards Strasbourg,	
are within 12_ miles of the city.
However, US and French forces
are holding the thrust.
South of the Strasbourg area,
the Germans yesterday succeeded
in making a crossing of the Rhine
near the Swiss border. Only a
comparatively small force of the
enemy has reached the French
side of the river, and is being
heavily attacked.
RAAF ACES NOW AT
SWPA   STATIONS
SYDNEY,"  Sat.—Most " of   Aqh-
with the RAAF at SWPA opec»-
t io mil bases.
The leading aces of the RAAF
are: Group-Captain Clive ("Killer") Caldwell, DSO. DFC and
bar, Polish Cross of Valour, with
a score of 27£ enemy planes;
Flight-Lieutenant A. P. Goldsmith. DFC, DM, 161. and
Squadron Leader J. E. Waddy,
DFC, with 15. kills.
CHAEF, Sat.—Field-Marshal Montgomery is in charge of all Allied forces on the
*** north side of the Nazi salient in Belgium, including the 9th and 1st US Armies.
He is also directing the British 2nd Army and forces of the 1st Canadian Army.
SHAEF revealed thU yesterday just before a No lO Downing Street announcement   that Mr. Churchill had been with Allied leaders in France.
REPORTS STATE THAT GENERAL EISENHOWER 'AGREED TO THE INVENTING OF
COMMAND IN FIELD-MARSHAL MONIOOMER Y IN THE NORTH ZOJ-B SOON AFTER THE
GERMAN OFFENSIVE BEGAN. |LIEIT.-GENERAL OMAR N. BRADLEY COMMANDS US FORCES
ON  THE  SOCTH  SIDE  OF THE SALIENT.
PRESIDENT   ROOSEV-EXT   said
yesterday that  the  change  in
command "  did "  not "  mean "" that
Montgomery "  had "  been "  made
General Elsenhower's deputy.
Despatches "  from "  the "  battle
sones   tell   of   heavy   fighting   in
sectors  from   central   Belgium   to
Alsace and a point near the Swiss
border," with   both   sides   making
gains. The British 2nd Army began its offensive yesterday between Marche and Stavelot on the
right flank of the US 9th and has
hammered   the   Germans   back   a
mile on a 12-miles front.
The main Allied objective here
is a major highway running eastwards from the west tip of the
German salient. Some US elements are within two and a half
miles of this objective. The
British are being strongly opposed
by Germans holding a high ridge,
just north of this highway.
Cor respondents emphasise that
speedy Allied progress can not be
expected. The Nazis are fighting
strongly and skilfully from well-
prepared defence points in th*
snow-covered hills and ravines,
and have sown huge minefields ir
the Allies' path.
Cheerful ") Givers
LONDON, Sat.— In a Joint
broadcast over Berlin Radio
yesterday, Himmler, Gestapo
Chief and Dr. Goebbels, propaganda  expert,  asked  the  Ger-
biankcts   to " equip " Germany's
new  divisions.
London comment on this extraordinary request says that
it reveals just how short Germany must be of certain
essential supplies.
RUSSIA  RECOGNISES
LUBLIN   GOVERNMENT
MOSCOW, Sat.— Russia will
recognise the Polish Committee at
Lublin as the Provisional Government of Poland, says Moscow.
Moscow will exchange diplomatic representatives with the
Lublin Committee. The Soviet
representative, M. Lebedeff, who
has held the post of Soviet Minister to the Czechoslovak!an Government in London since 1041 will
go  to  Lublin  as  ambassador.
Flying Bomb   Hits   School
LONDON, Sat— Flying-bomb
attacks on south En si and have
been slightly heavier during the
past 48 hours.
A number of children were given
first aid in a dimly-lit church, after a bomb had fallen on their
school. Some of the children were
killed as they crowded in the library, and others were hit as they
walked home from school.
A German communique claims
that the rocket-bomb assault on
London  has  increased  in  force.
lOOO "Heavies"
Batter Hanover
LONDON, Sat.—In improved
weather, Allied air fleets resumed
their offensive against Germans
on the western front, and supply
and industrial centres in west
Germany. Chief attack was made
last night on Hanover by 1000
"heavies."
Swarms of all manner of planes
ranged over the battle zones in
daylight, striking heavily at concentrations of troops and armour
and at gun positions, convoys, and
other objectives. Most of the targets were clearly visible against
the  snow-covered  countryside.
US "heavies" directed their
assaults in daylight against 22
supply centres feeding the German armies. The night's operations also included two strikes on
much-bombed Berlin.
TITO CROSSES
INTO AUSTRIA
• Marshal
BELGRADE,
Tito's Partisan forces Have
crosHed the Austrian frontier at
a point between Maribor, in
Yugoslavia, and Graz, a railway
town in Austria. They are now
pushing forward towards the
key centre of Klagenfurt.
This new thrust brings the Partisans within 100 miles of Hitler's
mountain eyrie at Berchtesgaden,
and may present a serious threat
to the Germans near Vienna,
battling with Russian forces at
the approaches to Bratislava-
Alt ernativ el y, if Tito's forces
swing to the west, it may assume
the proportions of an attack
aimed at the Brenner Pass.
SUMATRA ATTACKED?
WASHINGTON, Sat. — Tokio
Radio reported today that a large
force of carrier-borne aircraft had
attacked  the  north-west  coast  of
Earlier, Tokio had broadcast a.""flash," stating that numerous
British warships were approaching Sumatra. Neither report has
been confirmed by Washington.
Budapest   Street   Battles
"Bloodiest Of The War"
MOSCOW. Sab The violent Nazi attempt to rescue
Germans trapped in Budapest has been halted by
Russian troops 14 miles NW of the capital. Moscow
describes the thrust as the most powerful German
counter-attack against Russian forces for a year,
of German infan-
thrown
Into the assanit, but were beaten
back by Red Army troops, who
knocked out 51 Panders. Soviet
bombers helped greatly to blunt
the attack, destroying 29 German
planes.
Inside Budapest, the Russians
continue to destroy the remaining
Germans in what Moscow describes as "the bloodiest street
battles of the war." Tens of
thousands of Germans are being
"cut to pieces" inside the city,
and the Russians have set Are
to sections which remain In
German hands. In yesterday's
fighting, Red Army troops captured more than 230 street blocks,
and took 2400 German and Hungarian prisoners.
AMERICANS SEIZE   MARINDUQUE   IS., 90
MILES   SOUTH-EAST   OF   MANILA
GHQ SWPA, Sat: Capture by US troops of the island of Marinduque, northeast of Mindoro, another air attack on Mindoro, and the destruction of 30
grounded enemy aircraft at much-battered Clark airfield, near Manila, are
highlights of today's GHQ communique.
doro, Jap planes dropped only a
few bombs, but caused some damage Fierce flak shot down four
of the raider.. Continuing the offensive against Jap airfields on
Luzon, heavy and medium bombers pounded Clark airfield. Besides destroying 30 parked aircraft, the attackers damaged
other enemy mac bine a. Smoke
rose 5,000 feet from the
TBE   Marinduque  landings
made with support from sen
and air units. They wer<
unopposed.
The communique points out that
its occupation enables US forces
' "  control  the  nearby  sea  routes
ul gives MacArthur contact with
the south coast of Luzon. Marinduque   is   about   90   miles   SE  of
In their night attack on " Min-
flres and explosions. On'y one Jap
fighter attempted Interception.
Other bombers attacked enemy
airfields on Negros and Panay
islands, central Philip* ine.. on
Mindanao, the Halmarcras and
Celebes. Several enemy plants
were damaged at Negros. and two
others were hit on Mindanao.
Strikes on Jap installations-, storage areas, encampments anl quo
positions also were made.
300,000 Japs To
Contest Opening Of
Burma - Ledo Road
CHUNGKING,"" Sat Only "  30
miles now separate two Chinese
columns, one moving lion north
Burma, and one driving through
south China. A juncUon betwnen
these two forces will permit the
opening of the Ledo-Bur ma Road.
A statement from Chungking
says that Chinese Army authorities estimate that 20 Japanese
divisions, totalling about 300,000
men. have been massed la this
area. It is expected that their
next important move will be an
attack on Chinese for iss holdinir
the main north west roadway to
Canton, on the coast of China.
MEETING THIS MONTH
WASHINGTON, Sat.—President
Roosevelt has announced that he
will meet Mr. Churchill and Marshal Stalin some time after January 20. The exact date and place
of the meeting cannot be
revealed.
LOAN " SUBSCRIPTIONS
MELBOURNE, Sat.—Subscriptions to the 3rd Victory Loan, including   three   applications  total*
linu- _2f>0,!)iM) h;ivr: already been
received. The loan will open in
March, but advance subscriptions
will commence to bear interest
from their date of lodgment.