Saturday, July 31, 2010

Current Events July 31, 1942: BATTLE FOR CAUCSUS RAGES ON:


            The Bakersfield Californian
                                BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA, FRIDAY, JULY 31, 1942
Do-or-Die Red Army Halts Nazis
Japs Mass 400,000 Troops to Strike at Siberia
Red Rally Wipes Out
Huns' Flying Wedge
But Soviet Faces Disaster in Bloody
Battle for Caucasus as Foes Advance
By ROGER D. GREENE
Associated Press War Editor RALLYING Soviet armies, fighting under the slogan, "die, but don't retreat," threw back the Germans in some sectors
of the Don river bend 80 miles northwest of Stalingrad
today, but in the Caucasus the situation grew ever more
critical. A bulletin from
Adolf Hitler's field headquarters
declared that German,
Rumanian and Slovak troops
driving toward the Caucasus oil
fields had already thrust spearheads
113 miles below the Don, and the
Russians acknowledged German advances
in this theater.
The Nazi command said that
fighting was in, progress for the
town of Salsk, a junction on the last
major rail line from tho Caucasus to
Stalingrad 100 miles southeast ot
Rostov, and that axis troops had
swept across the Don on a 150-mile
front.
German speed troops and advanced
infantry divisions were pictured by
tho Nazi command as closely pursuing
the Russians and preventing
further retreat at several points by
outstripping: the "disorganized fugitives."
Strong1 Soviet attacks were acknowledged
in tho north, around
Rzhev, 130 miles northwest of Moscow,
on tho Volkhov front and outside
Leningrad.
In the battle of (he Don river
bend, above Stalingrad, tho Red
armies reported they had turned a
novel "flying wedge" attack of
massed Germany infantry, walled by
tanks, into a death trap for the
Nazis.
British Predict
3 Nip Smashes
at Russia
Yanks Down 9 of.
49 Jap Raiders
at Darwin. By Associated Press
BRITISH military quarters
declared today that Japan had
massed nearly 400,000
troops in Manchukuo opposite
the 1000-mile Soviet frontier
and said "there is little
doubt they are planning to attack.
These quarters predicted that the
Japanese would make at least three
drives in an attempt to Isolate the
Siberian port of Vladivostok, which
lies only 700 miles across the Sea
of Japan from Tokyo.
"August and September are the
best months for campaigning in that
area," the source said, "and the Japanese
inactivity in all other.- spheres
except the north Pacific indicates
Siberia la their objective for the last
half of 1942."
Aside from aerial operations and
a minor Japanese land thrust toward
the allied outpost of Port Moresby,
in New Guinea, the whole far Pacific
theater has been ominously quiescent
for weeks.
In Australia, General MacArthnr's
headquarters reported the
biggest outburst of aerial warfare
since the Coral Sea battle, with
American airmen destroying 9 out
.of 49 Japanese raiders over Port
Darwin, setting another enemy
transport aflame off New Guinea
and shooting up the transport's destroyer
escort.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Current Events July 30, 1942; STALIN ORDERS RED SOLDIERS AND OFFICERS TO FIGHT TO THE DEATH:



                         Oakland Tribune
            OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1942
Stop Retreat; Stalin Orders;
Saarbrucken Set Afire by RAF.
Germans Reported to Have
Landed on Taman Peninsula
In New Push Into Caucasus
MOSCOW. July 30.—(UP)—Premier Joseph Stalin ordered
the Red Army to halt its retreat today.
The, Army newspaper Red Star reported that Stalin had
ordered every soldier and officer to "stand and fight to the
death."
"Not one step back," Red Star quoted Stalin. "The execution
this task means the preservation of our country, the
destruction of the hated enemy
and a guarantee of victory."
LONDON, July 30.—(/P)—Reuters
said it had recorded a Vichy broadcast
in which the Vichy news agency
reported that German forces from
the Kerch Peninsula landed at
dawn today on the Taman Peninsula
of the Caucasus.
(The Taman Peninsula is separated
by the narrow Kerch Strait
from the Kerch Peninsula, the easternmost
extension of the Crimea. A
German l a n d i n g there would
gravely menace the flank and rear
of the Russian forces trying to
stem the Nazi drive southward from
Rostov.)
By EDDY GILMORE
MOSCOW, July 3Q.—(AP)—
Reinforced by divisions which the
Russians said were drawn from Finland
and France, Field Marshal
Fedor Von Bock's southern front
onslaught rolled deeper into the
Caucasus south of Rostov today and
pressed the Red Army back toward
the tip of the Don bend within 80
miles of Stalingrad.
Premier Joseph Stalin, for whom
the big town on the Volga was renamed
after the Russian revolution,
appealed directly to his Army to
lake inspiration from Russia's greatest
military heroes commanded
and defeated the Tartars, beat back
the Swedes, the Turks and the Teutonic
knights, and drove Napoleon
from Moscow.
'WE CANNOT RETREAT
The Communist Party newspaper
Pravda declared "it is necessary to
understand that we cannot retreat."
The Russians reported slashing
back fiercely at new German crossings
of the lower Don. and dispatches
which told of a stiffening
defense indicated that Marshal
Semeon Timoshenko was moving
reserves into the line.

Current Events July 29, 1942; RUSSIAN DEFENSE STIFFENING AS GERMAN ARMIY IS REINFORCED;


          THE CAPITAL TIMES
                           MADISON, WIS., WEDNESDAY, JULY 29,1942
Russians' Caucasus Defense Stiffens
Axis Drives
Are Aimed At
Rail Routes
German Armies Re-inforced,
Push Three
Spearheads
122 NAZI PLANES
SHOT DOWN, CLAIM
Rome Radio Say Big
Guns Shell Stalingrad
BY EDDY GILMORE
_MOSCOW— (AP) —The Russian
defense of the Caucasus
showed signs of stiffening
today as the steadily reinforced
German drive across
the lower Don shaped Into
spearheads toward Kushchevka,
Salsk and the Tikhoretsk-
Stalingrad railroad linking
the oil fields to central Russia.
A communique said the Red
army was "displaying stubborn resistance"
after being forced back
in the Bataisk area, 15 miles south
of Rostov along the main railway
to the oil port of Baku. Kuschevka
is a station on this line 45 miles
south of Rostov.
The Germans also were meeting
stiff resistance against • secondary
thrust developing down a spur line
angling southeast from Bataisk to
the junction with the Tikhoretsk-
Stalingrad railway at Salsk. 100
miles southeast of Rostov.
Farther up the Don, midway between
Rostov and Stalingrad, the
Germans battled fiercely under
shellfire and bombing in an attempt
to enlarge at least three
bridgeheads on the south bank of
th« river in the Taimlyansk area,
when the Don flows within J5
miles of the last rail line between
Riusu tnd tb« Caucasus.
paper, said Russian airmen, some
of them flying United States-made
Airacobra fighters, had shot down
122 German planes in aerial combat
over the north Caucasus and
Don bend battlefields.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Current Events July 29, 1942; ROSTOV REPORTED IN RUINS; CIVILLIANS SUFFER:


                          Joplin Globe
         JOPLIN, MISSOURI, WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY 29, 19 42.
NAZIS PUSH ON FROM ROSTOV
ROSTOV IN RUINS;
HUNGRY CIVILIANS
SEARCH FOR FOOD
Smell of Death Heavy in City
That Was a Flourishing
Port Before Great
Battle.
TURNED INTO FORTRESS
BY RUSSIAN DEFENDERS
Street B a r r i c a d e s Were
Erected With Machine
Guns in Buildings
and Cellars.
B e r l i n ( F r o m German Broadcasts ) ,
J u l y 28.—(/P)—Rostov on the
Don is a heap of smoking ruins
w h e r e the smell of death is heavy,
w h e r e h u n g r y R u s s i a n civilians are
s c a v e n g i n g  for food,  a n d  w h e r e tat-
ered   s i g n s  still read " death to the
G e r m a n  o c c u p a t i o n  troops," Robert
Broese, a Nazi reporter, said ton-
ight in a d i s p a t c h dated at that
once f l o u r i s h i n g Caucasian port.
B r o e s e's r e p o r t as b r o a d c a s t by
t h e Berlin radio said:
" T h e city had been t u r n e d into
one g i g a n t i c s y s t em of small fortr-
esses. B a r r i c a d e s were e r e c t e d at
n e a r l y   all  s t r e e t  crossings. Some
of these were built with bricks.
T h e n  t h e r e  were small pillboxes
for m a c h i n e guns, and even regular
walls w e r e built as high as a man,
l e a v i n g only a small opening for
s t r e e t traffic.
Writer Tells of 72 Days
Spent in Japanese Prison
Morris J. Harris, Associated Press Correspondent, Forced to
Sleep on Bare Floor During Confinement—Food Consisted
of Cold Rice and Bread—All Prisoners, Including
Americans and Britons, Fared Alike.
(NOTE: Morris J. Harris, for 15 years chief of the bureau maintained by the Associated
Press In Shanghai until the outbreak of the Pacific war last December. Is a
native of Columbia, Mo., graduate of the University of Missouri and a former Kansas
City newspaperman. He worked on the Japan Advertiser and on the Manila Bulletin
before Joining the Associated Press. Following Is a delayed dispatch received from
him as the exchange liner Grlpsholm sailed for the United States late 'tuesday.)
By M O R R IS J . H A R R I S .
L o u r e n c o Marques, Portuguese
E a s t Africa, July 24.—(Delayed)—
(AP)—1 spent 72 d a y s in a J a p a n e se
m i l i t a r y prison.
The days of u n c e r t a i n t y followed
December 8, t h e d a y of the a t t a ck
on P e a r l H a r b o r a c c o r d i n g t o E a st
A s i a time, were climaxed before
dawn on March 5 w h e n a s q u a d of
J a p a n e s e gendarmes, the m i l i t a ry
s e c r e t police, banged on my door
w i t h pistol butts and demanded
t h a t I h u r r y out.
F o r the next two and a half
m o n t h s a r m e d g u a r d s w a t c h e d me
d a y and n i g h t. The cell was never
d a r k. Arc lights blazed t h r o u g h out
t h e n g h t s . There was no bed.
I slept on t h e b a r e cold floor.
B l a n k e t Vermin-Ridden.
My c a p t o r s supplied only a thin
v e r m i n - r i d d e n blanket which I
d r e a d e d to t o u c h despite my desp-
erate need for one.
E a c h m e a l t i m e I got one bowl of
cold rice or a chunk of bread.
T h e y were t h r u s t t h r o u g h my cell
door by a Chinese coolie t r u s t y.
D r i n k was a n i n f r e q u e n t gulp of a
d i s h - w a t e r y tea from a filthy batt-
ered bowl which a dozen coolies
u s e d w i t h o u t washing.
Bedbugs t h r i v e d w i t h i n t h e cell
a n d they waged a constant war-
fare. My toilet was a wooden
b u c k e t . I was p e r m i t t e d to wash
my face only once a day in a conc-
rete trough. The water was always
cold and only a few m i n u t es
w e r e allowed as the g u a r d s kept
u p  a  p e r s i s t e n t   g o a d i n g   to  h u r r y.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Current Events July 28, 1942; GRAVE MOMENTS FOR RUSSIA IN THE DON RIVER VALLEY


                     The Portsmouth Times
                 Portsmouth, Ohio, Tuesday July 28. 1942

REDS STRIVE DESPERATELY
TO STEM STALINGRAD PUSH
Russia Faces Its Most Serious
Threat As Nazis Hit Deeper
Over Don; Capture Admitted
Of Rostov, Novocherkassk
By ROGER D. GREENE
Associated Press War Editor
Adolph Hitler's field headquarters asserted today that Ger-
man troops, advancing within 50 miles at Stalingrad, had
"readied or crossed the lower Don at all points'' south of Ka-
lach. And Soviet dispatches frankly conceded that it was the
gravest moment of the entire war.

NAZIS SET FIRES
IN INDUSTRY CITY
OF BIRMINGHAM
Fire Bombs Drop In Greater
London Area; 9 Raiders
Are Shot Down
By The Associated Press
LONDON, July .28—Birmingham,
big British industrial center
in the midlands, was bombed
last night in an attack which
cost the Germans eight out of 50
to 70 raiders, and incendiaries
fell in the greater London dist-
trict which had it's first night
alarm since June 3.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Currrent Events July 27. 1942: BRITISH RAID TOBRUK, DESERT BATTLE IN LULL:



THE CAPITAL TIMES
MADISON, WIS., MONDAY, JULY 27, 1942

Germans Hurl Weight
Of Reinforcements In
Battle for Caucasus

Fierce Tank, Plane
Blows Landed
on Reds
BY EDDY GILMORE
MOSCOW— (/P) —The Germans
hurled into battle
today the great weight of
reinforcements t h e y h a v e
massed for the campaigns
against the north Caucasus
and Stalingrad on the Volga,
sending tanks and planes in
a furious assault in an effort
to widen their footholds south
of the Don river near Tsimlyansk.
The Russian air force, using
some United States bombers and
fighters, pounded the moving columns
of German men and guns by
daylight and under the nearly full
moon by night.
The whole steppe land was eerie
with flames. Bombs burst over
great areas of the gentle, grassy
slopes and the plains waist-high
with grain.
The Russians reported they were
holding their positions against the
tremendous onslaught.
The Stalingrad-Tikhoretsk railway,
last rail link with the Caucasus,
undoubtedly has undergone
heavy bombings. There were, however,
no reports, suggesting, that
German land farces had reached
this line, which runs south of the
Don barely 50 miles from Tslmlyansk.

British Raid
Tobruk; Set
Many Fires
Ship in Harbor Hit, Is
Claim; Desert Fight
Still in Lull
CAIRO(AP)—A heavy force of
bombers blasted the Axis supply
port of Tobruk again Sunday night,
touching off fires and explosions
and scoring a direct hit on an enemy
ship, British headquarters announced
today.
The attack was the second in
two nights, following a heavy assault
Saturday in which United
States heavy bombers took a prom
inent part.
American airmen reported a big
area of Tobruk lit up by blazing
gasoline after the Saturday night
raid. They called this their most
successful operation of the African
campaign although thick layers of
cloud often prevented them from
seeing the target.
Lieut. Ernest Duckworth of
Providence, R. I., bombardier and
navigator of one of -the American
planes, said he dropped a string
of nine heavy bombs which touched
off fires along a pipe-line carrying
fuel from tankers to fuel
dumps.

600 RAF Planes Bomb
Hamburg; 29 Are Lost
U Boat Shipyards Are
Target of Largest
Raid in Month
LONDON—(AP)—A very heavy
force oft British bombers attacked
the German port of Hamburg Sunday
night, it was announced today.
Twenty-nine planes were reported
lost in the raid.
In addition to high explosives,
the RAF dropped more than
175,000 incendiary bombs, and Air
Chief Marshal Sir Arthur T. Harris,
chief of the bomber command,
called the raid "one of the outstangingly
successful attacks of the
whole war." the air ministry news
service reported.
Within 35 minutes "much of the
old town was on Alert," the service
said. There were fires burning
around Aussen Laster lake and
many in the dock area.
(On the basis of losses of slightly
under 5 per cent, which the
British have reported as the cost
of similar recent heavy raids, this
would suggest a striking force of
at least 600 planes.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Current Events July 26, 1942; RUSSIANS DESPARATELY HOLDING ON IN THE DON VALLEY:


         Cumberland Sunday Times
     CUMBERLAND, MARYLAND, SUNDAY, JULY 26, 1942

Russia Says Battle For Rostov
Roaring In Outskirts; Germany
Reserves Thrown Into Struggle
REDS BATTLING
DESPERATELY
TO RETAIN CITY
Enemy, Taking Advantage
of Overwhelming Numerical
Superiority, Continuously
Storm Forts
BREAKING THROUGH
SOME RED POSITIONS
Moscow Says Germans Are
Still Being Pushed Back
in Voronezh Area; Battles
Bloodiest Ever
By EDDY GILMORE
Moscow, Sunday. July 2 (AP)
German troops augmented by a.
steady flow of reserves to take the
place of fallen thousands have
smashed their way into the outskirts
of Rostov, the Russians acknowledged
early today.
Heavy fighting rolled all along the
lower Don river to Tsimlyarwk. 320
miles to the east, where the NAOS
were reported also suffering enormous
lasses in constant attempt* to
penetrate Soviet, defense* on the
south bank of the river.
The Germans have succeeded in
reaching the outskirts ol the town
(Rostov)," the midnight communique
said. The Germans are being forced
to throw reserves In heavy
fighting which continues In the Ros-
tov area.

Five Japanese Vessels,
Including A Destroyer,
Sunk by American Subs
SIXTH DAMAGED
AND POSSIBLY
SENT TO BOTTOM
Besides Modern Destroyer,
One Medium-Sized .Tanker,
and Three Cargo
Ships Are Victims
RAISES JAP TOLL OF
SUB ATTACKS TO 55
Fifteen Others Probably
Sunk, and Fourteen
Others Damaged Since
Pearl Harbor
Washington, July 25 (AP) The
Navy announced today that That Uhited
States submarines operating in,the
western Pacific had reported sink-
Ing five Japanese snips, including
one modern destroyer, and damaging
and possibly sinking a sixth
Washington, July 25--- (AP) — The
Navy announced today that the United
States submarines operating in,the
western Pacific ~had reported sink-
Ing five Japanese snips,"including
one modern destroyer, and damaging
and possibly sinking a. another
vessel
The submarine activities were reported
in navy department communique
No. 100, which said:
far east:
United State Submarines have report-
the following results of operations
in Far Eastern waters:

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Current Events July 25, 1942: RUSSIAN DEFENSE OF CAUCASUS DESPARATE:



     THE CAPITAL TIMES
            MADISON, WIS., SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1942

U. S. Bombers Aid Desperate Reds
Russia Says
Rostov Is Still
Held by Them
Vast Air Battles On; Nazis
Approach
Stalingrad
RIVER DON FLOWS
RED WITH BLOOD
Germans Rush Muni-
tions to Front Line
In Big Planes
BY EDDY GILMORE
MOSCOW — (/P) — united
States bombers took part
In the desperate Russian defense
of the Caucasus today
as the Germans drove dangerous
wedges into the forests
guarding Rostov and struck
ever nearer vital Stalingrad in
an offensive that reached the
middle Don.

E. T.' s note: Reporting of actions in the Pacific War zone his been limited.
See “Between The Lines “ editorial by Tex Reynolds. Posted to this blog July 24.


Jap Destroyer, Four
Other Ships Sunk By
U. S. Subs, Navy Says

Sixth Vessel Struck, Believed Sunk
WASHINGTON— (/P)—The
navy announced today
that United States submarines
operating in the western Pacific
had reported sinking five
Japanese ships, including one ,
modern destroyer, and dam- |
aging and possibly sinking a
sixth vessel.
The submarine activities were
reported in navy department communique
No. 100, which said:
"FAR EAST—U. S. Submarines
have reported the following
results of operations in
Far Eastern waters:
"One modern Japanese destroyer
sunk.
"One medium sized tanker
sunk.
"Three cargo ships sunk,
"One medium sized cargo
ship damaged and believed
sunk.
"These actions have not been
announced in any previous
navy department communique.