Friday, April 30, 2010

Current Events April 30, 1942: AIR FIGHT OVER FRANCE:


The Centralia Chronicle
Centralia, Washington, Thursday, April 30, 1942 

Burma's Defense Imperiled
Lashio's Fall
To Jap Forces
Acknowledged
Gateway to China Captured
From Allies — British and
Chinese Lost Contact Amid
Danger of Entrapment

Gigantic Air
Fight Staged
Over France
Battle Between British and
German Planes Follows
Raiding of Paris War Foundries
by RAF Bombers
By Associated Press
British and German warplanes
clashed in a gigantic air
battle 25,000 feet over the
German-occupied French "invasion
coast" today following
overnight assaults in which
RAF bombers violently attacked
German war foundries in
Paris.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Current Events April 29, 1942: MORE YANK TROOPS SENT TO AUSTRALIA;


                               The Charleston Daily Mail
C H A R L E S T O N , WEST V I R G I N I A , WEDNESDAY E V E N I N G , APRIL 2 9 , 1942

More Yank
Troops Sent
To Australia
Curtin Reveals
Offensive Now
Being Planned
CANBERRA, Australia, April
29 UP).—More American troops,
strong and well-equipped, have
arrived in Australia and an offensive
is being prepared in the
very face of an imminent Japanese
assault on this continent,
Prime Minister John Curtin an-
announced today.
While he was reporting this to
the house of representatives and
a steadily increasing flow of
planes, tanks and guns the
United States. Allied and Japanese
airmen continued the unending
battle of bombs in the northern
Islands which are the requisites to
attack by either side..

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Current Events April 28, 1942; VICHY FLEET TO MADAGASCAR:


     San Meteo Times
SAN MATEO, .CALIFORNIA, TUESDAY APRIL, 2S,-1942

F.D.R.OnRadio
Tonight toEnlist
Aid in War Plan
WASHINGTON, April 28c-(U,P).—President Roosevelt's
address tonight will stress to the American people the need for
a united effort" in the waging of "total war" the White House
said today. ----

Vichy Fleet on Way To Madagascar TOKYO,
 April 28-—(Japanes
broadcast recorded by United Press
San Francisco.)—A dispatch from
Rome stated today the Vichy govern-
ment has sent a "large force", of
the French navy to Madagascar to
effectively resist any "unlawful a
tempts" by the allies to seize the
island. .. :
(Melbourne radio, heard by CB
listening station in San Francisco
previously' reported a "radio mes
sage" that the Vichy fleet en route
to' Madagascar consisted of three
cruisers.-----

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Current Events April 27, 1942; HINTS OF TROUBLE IN GERMANY



MANSFIELD NEWS-JOURNAL
MANSFIELD, OHIO, MONDAY, APRIL 27, 1942
RAF BOMBS ON: FINNS CRUMBLING
Blasts Rostock For 4th Night; Soviets Score
Red Army Reports Victory In Far North
As British Airmen Keep Up Telling
Aerial Attack On Centers Of
Nazi Power On Continent.
(By Associated Press)
While the RAF cracked the whip ov.er western
Europe there were signs today on-the eastern front
that Russia had launched upon an offensive to knock
Finland out of the war and outflank the Germans
on their main northern anchors about Leningrad and
southward. >
ANXIETY: New Hitler Move
Hints Trouble In Germany
BULLETIN;
SanFRANCISCO— (UP)—The Khabarovsk radio, In eastern
Siberia, today reported widespread sabotage and revolt amonr
the people of Trandheim, Norway, and strong measures by the
German Gestapo to cope with the situation.
(B)i Associated Press)
LONDON—Adolf Hitler made himself the supreme master
of Germany yesterday with fiat power even above his
own Nazi law, and. his act roused the hopeful suspicion of
his enemies that Germany is in deep internal trouble after:
a winter of near-catastrophe. -

Monday, April 26, 2010

Current Events, April 26, 1942: YANKS IN NEW CALEDONIA TO ASSIST FREE FRENCH:


           The Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON. WEST V I R G I N I A . SUNDAY M O R N I N G , APRIL 26, 1942

Yanks in New Caledonia to Assist Defense
U. S. Sends Aid
To Free French
Strategic Possession 900 Miles
From East Coast of Australia
WASHINGTON, April 25 (UP).—American troops have
landed on the island of New Caledonia, strategic Free French
possession 900 miles east of Australia, the war department announced
today.
The American forces will assist the Free French in defending!
the island, it was stated. Recent reports have pointed to New
Caledonia as the possible scene of a new Japanese thrust aimed
at cutting the American supply line to the southwest Pacific
Japan also covets the war materials, including nickel, Which are available
on the French Island.-----

Nazis Ready On Channel
Coast Fortified Against Invasion
VICHY, April 25 (UP).—The
Germans have completely fortified the entire occupied European
coast and are ready to meet any invasion attempt; Premier Laval's
Newspaper reported today.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Current Events April 25, 1942: Chinese Stem Japanese in Burma; R. A. F. Bombs Smash Nazis:


Chinese Stem Japs in Burma
R. A. F. BOMBS SMASH NAZIS
The Bakersfield Californian
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA, SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1942


British and
Nazi Swap
Punches
Russians Launch Cossack Raids on Germans
LONDON, April 25. (A. P.)—The
air ministry announced tonight
that 15 R. A. F. fighters and one
bomber were missing and eight
Germans fighters destroyed during
British daylight attacks over
northern Franco today.
By ROGER D. GREENE
Associated Press War Editor
GERMANY'S greatest Heinkcl
aircraft works at Roslock
came under explosive
assault by R. A. F. bombers
last night for the second night
in a row, the London air ministry
announced today, and
British sources pictured, the
Baltic city as virtually left In ruins.

Keep Japs From Mandalay Base
Chinese Under Stillwell Block Thrust
by Tanks, Take Heavy Toll of Invaders
A MARKED Improvement In the
position of the allies' Chinese held
left flank In Burma was reported
today by Chinese headquarters,
which announced that troops
under tho command of Lieutenant
General Joseph W. Stillwell had
checked a tank-led enemy thrust
within 100 miles of the vital allied
supply base at Mandalay.
Tho Chinese took a heavy toll in
casualties and captured considerable
booty In carrying out their counteroffensive
about six miles east of
Taungy, in the mountainous Shan
states of eastern Burma.
In central and western Burma, according
to Chungking, tho parallel
enemy drives also appeared to have
been slowed up, for tho communique
labeled tho fighting there as indecisive.
Meanwhile, Bomb-jittery Japan
sent waves of planes to blast Chinese
air bases nearest to the island
empire.
A Tokyo broadcast said Japanese
naval and army bombers, successively
attacking the bases for the
past three days, destroyed planes
and hangars in western Chekiang
By Associated Press_

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Current Events April 24, 1942; GERMAN PORT BLASTED BY BRITISH RAIDERS:


              The Sheboygan Press
SHEBOYGAN, WIS., FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1942.
German Port On Baltic Raided By British
Great Fires Are Started At Rostock
Heinkel Aircraft Works
Included In Targets
Of British Raiders In
Night Attack
(By Associated Press)
British air raiders, systematically
blasting Germany's war nerve
centers, set great fires at the
German Baltic port of Rostock
last night and apparently inflicted
heavy damage, the London
air ministry announced today,
while Nazi warplanes stepped up
the tempo of their attacks on England.

U. S. Plane In Russia After Raid On Tokyo
Kuibyshev.—(AP)---Russia an-
nounced today that a United
States bomber which raided Japan
last Saturday and then lost its way
has been interned with its crew in
the Russian Maritime province on
the sea of Japan.
It appeared to be an already
completed test of the year-old Japanese-
Russian neutrality pact but
United States embassy officials
here said Ambassador Admiral
William H. Standley had asked
Washington for instructions."

Current Events April 23, 1942; FRENCH FLEET TAKEN OVER BY JAPANESE:


             Hope Star
HOPE, ARKANSAS, THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1942

French Ships to Japanese
Madagascar to
Go Next; Nazis - . . ; ^
Get Workmen
LONDON (AP)— A British spokes-,
man said Thursday "it is now re-
ported that 50,000 tons of French
shipping have been taken over
by Japan and these are almost all
certainly ocean going vessels."
He said it would not be in the
public interests to disclose what
information "we possess regard-
ing the present situation of these
ships."
A Free French authority said
Tuesday he heard the Vichy
government had turned over a number
of ships in Indo-China lo the
Japanese and that the Japanese,
were .negotiating for more.

1,900,000 Axis Troops Called Up By Hitler
By the Associated Press
Adolf Hitler who is believed to
be trying to fulfill his long-heralded
offensive has called up a total of
1,900,000 fresh reserves, official
Russian spokesmen said Thursday
as Stockholm dispatches reported
increasing German nervousness over
the prospect on an Allied invasion
of Europe.

Japanese Keep Up Fast Pace on Burma Front
CHUNGKING — (AP) — Japanese
troops driving up the Salweem river
valley in eastern Burma captured
the key town of Loikaw from
the Chinese defenders on Tuesday
evening, Chinese army command

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Current Events April 22, 1942; FRENCH REVOLT HELD POSSIBLE;


The Charleston Gazett
 Charleston, West Virginia, Wednesday Morning, April 22, 1942. 

Jap Cruiser Probably Sunk
By Two U. S. T orpedo Boats;
Allies Hold New Burma Line
Bulkeley Leads
Attack at Cebu
Speedy But Tiny Craft Hit
Big Enemy Ship in Midst
Of Squadron of Five,
Navy Reports
Defenders Hammered
Back on Panay Isle
Two National Guard Units
Among Those Captured
In Bataan Loss
WASHINGTON, April 21. —
(INS)—Two American torpedo
boats probably sank a Japanese
cruiser when they tackled five
much larger enemy warships In
night battle at sea off Cebu
Island in the Philippines, the
navy announced tonight.
First Victory
Spurs Troops
Front Now Is Stretched
From Irrawaddy River
East to Towering
Mt. Popa
Yenanyaung Triumph
Frees 7,000 British
Position Is Temporarily
Bettered—Main English
Force Moves North
NEW DELHI, India, April 21.
(AP)—Heartened by the first Allied
victory of the Burma campaign—
recapture of the desolated
oil center of Yenanyaung
and rescue of 7,000 encircled
British troops — Chinese and
British forces held firmly today
to a line running westward
from the 3,000-foot heights of
Mt. Popa to the broad Irrawaddy
river.
A British communique confirmed
that the Chinese under American
Lt.-Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell had
joined British armored forces in an
attack which drove the Japanese
back southward from Yenanyaung,
where the British had destroyed 6,-
000 oil wells last week to keep
them from the hands of the invaders.

French Revolt
Held Possible
Hull Questions if Public
Supinely Accepts Laval
Collaboration Plans
WASHINGTON, April 21.—(INS)
Secretary of State Hull today seriously
questioned whether the
French people will supinely accept
Pierre Laval's commitments for
all-out collaboration with Nazi
Germany.
As Vichy reports spoke of a rising
wave of terrorism sweeping over
France. Hull intimated that the future
of French-American relations
will be determined in large part by
the reaction of the people of France
to the new pro-German collaborationist
regime.
The United States, the secretary
made clear, is on the alert. American
policy is being kept abreast of
French events, but it still remains
to -be seen whether the French people
will fall in line with the Laval-
Darlan combine.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Current Events April 21, 1942; AIR ALARMS SOUNDING IN JAPAN:


                                Indiana Evening Gazette
          INDIANA, PENNSYLVANIA, TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 19427

Japs Wheel Up Heaviest Artillery
In Desperate Bid For Corregidor
Hostilities Grow,
Says MacArthur
Communique
WASHINGTON, April 21.
(AP)—Heavy enemy attacks
have forced the American-
Filipino defenders to
withdraw from two positions
in the Province of Antique on
the West coast of the island
of Panay, the War Department
reported today.

Air Alarms Sounding in Japan
Nippon Still Tries to Explain First ' Attack
BURMA CRIS1S
AEF Planes to Join RAF in Enemy Offensive
By The Associated Press •
Japan launched an ap-
parent "peace offensive'*,
today as new air-raid
alarms were reported to
have sounded in central
and western Japan and the
Japanese cabinet received
details on the damage in-
flicted by American bombers
in Saturday's historic
assaults on Tokyo, Yokohama,
Nagoya and Kobe.
While warning of the
propaganda danger, American
officials have already
discounted such an Axis
peace drive with the
declaration that the Rome-
Berlin-Tokyo bloc could
not be trusted in a negotiated
peace.

Rely on Me” Say Darlan
Admiral's Order Underscores
Break of Military, Civil
VICHY, Unoccupied France, April


  1. (AP) —Admiral Jean Darlan,
commander of all o£ France's armed
forces, promised his fighting men
today that ::You can rely on me as
rely on you to proceed further
along the path of honor and defend
the empire."

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Current Events April 20, 1942; MACARTHUR ASSUMED POWER OF ALL UNIITED NATION FORCES IN SOUTHWEST PACIFIC;


                                 The Charleston Gazette
                 Charleston, West Virginia. Monday Morning, April 20, 1942.
Luftwaffe Hurls Mass Attacks on Red Army;Soviets Widen Breach Airmen Cover Tank Assault
Russians Fight Fiercely
Through Big Minefield
To Break Karelian
Isthmus lane
Finn Counter Blows
Reported Beaten Off
Germans Launch Heaviest
Raids of Year to Blast
Stations, Airdromes
KUIBYSHEV, April 19.—
German planes made mass attacks
on the Red army today in
the heaviest raids of the year,
while the Soviets widened a
breach In the Finnish lines
above Leningrad after fighting
fiercely through enormous minefields.
As many as 50 German
planes assaulted single objectives
alone the thawing, 2,000 mile
battle front.

McArthur Power Assured,
Ordered to Take Offensive
Charter of Four Governments Makes Bataan Hero
Commander-in-Chief in Southwest Pacific;
Powers Cover Land, Sea, and Air
MELBOURNE, April 19.—(INS)—Gen. Douglas MacArthur today
formally assumed clear-cut supreme command of all United Nations
forces in the southwest Pacific—land, sea and air—with
specific Instructions to "prepare to take the offensive.

RAF Blasts 5 Big Jap Seaplanes at Enemy's Main Bengal Bay Base
Port Blair Hit Smashing Blow
Two Four-Engined Flying
Boats Wrecked, Three
Injured in Andaman
Island Harbor
Stilwell Stages New
Mandalay Withdrawal
Beats Off Flank Attack'
Chinese Move Soldiers
Into Irrawaddy Line
NEW~DELHI, April 19.—(INS)' ;
A smashing new air blow by
the RAF that knocked out five
big Japanese flying boats at .
Port Blair in the Andaman
islands, seat of enemy forces in
the Bay of Bengal, was announced
tonight as British imperial
and Chinese troops waged ,
bitter rear-guard battles in central
Burma.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Current Events April 19, 1942; AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES (AEF) TRAINED FOR INVSION:


The Charleston Gazette
Charleston, West Virginia, Sunday Morning, April 19, 1942.
AEF to Join Commandos in Assaults On Enemy Territory, Marshall Says;Fliers to Bomb Germany Soon
General Reviews Soldiers
In N. Ireland, Reports
Two Corps Trained
For Invasion
Army There Growing
Steadily, He Avows
Hopkins Says Production
Battle Virtually Won,
Sees Hard Fight
WITH UNITED STATES
TROOPS IN NORTHERN IRELAND,
April 19.—(Sunday)—
(INS)—Two whole American
army corps already have been
specially trained and equipped
to stage commando assaults Into
enemy territory, George
C. Marshall, American chief of
staff, revealed at the close of a
two-day Inspection of United
States forces In Northern Ireland.

Raiders Bear U. S. Insignia Bombs Leave Fires in 4 Jap Cities
Nipponese Indignant, Call
First Mainland Assault
'Inhuman,' Declare
Damage Slight
Washington Refuses
To Confirm or Deny
Alarms Shriek Throughout
Empire Seven Hours;
Foe Caught Napping
By International News Service
Japan suffered air attacks for
the first time in history Saturday
when bombers, identified as
American, struck----

City of Cebu Falls.
Island Fight Raging
Small American-Filipino
Force Resists Attempts
To Penetrate Interior
Of Historic Isle
Corregidor Silences
More Guns on Bataan
Hits Also Scored on Roads
And Bridges—Air Raids
On Forts Continue
WASHINGTON, April 18. —
(INS)—The historic city of Cebu,
second largest in the Philippines,
has fallen in flames to the
Japanese, but heavily outnumbered
American-Filipino troops
are still fiercely resisting the enemy's
attack.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Current Events April 18, 1942; U. S. STRIKES BACK; JAPANESE WAR INDUSTRY BLASTED


                                              Oakland Tribune
                OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1942

U.S. BOMBS TOKYO, 3 OTHER CITIES
Kobe and Nagoya Set Afire;
War Industry Area Blasted
Raids Herald Big Offensive Say Leaders
House Military and
Naval Chairmen
Predict New Attacks
WASHINGTON, April 18.
(A.P.)— Chairman of the
House Military and Naval
committees maintained today
that the bombing of
Japanese cities, as described
by Tokyo, meant the start of
an offensive war "by the United
Nations in the Far Pacific.
"It is the beginning of a general
offensive," asserted Representative
May (D., Ky.),
chairman of the Military Committee.
"Although it is hard for me to
believe anything Japan says, this
bears out my prediction o£ 10 days
ago that Tokyo would be bombed
shortly."
"It is the beginning of a general
offensive," asserted Representative
May (D., Ky.),
chairman of the Military Committee.
"Although it is hard for me to
believe anything Japan says, this
bears out my prediction of 10 days
ago that Tokyo would be bombed
shortly."

Yokohama Hit; '9 Planes Down'
7-Hour Alarm Sweeps 1000-Mile Course "
On Three Islands; Raiders Believed Based
On Carriers or on Aleutians or China
TOKYO (from Japanese broadcasts), April 18.—(A.P.)
The Japanese command announced that hostile warplanes
bombed Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya and Kobe today
and caused air raid alarms to run through three of the four
main islands of Japan. Observers said the raiders over
Tokyo bore the insignia of the United States Air Force.
These were the first air raids in Japan's experience.

Laval Forms His Pro-Axis Government
New Chief Retains
Three Key Posts,
Leaves Out Dorian
VICHY, April 18.—(AP)—Pro-Axis
Pierre Laval formed a new government
aimed toward Increased
collaboration with Germany today
and kept three key posts—foreign
affairs, interior and information—
for himself.