Friday, December 31, 2010

Current Events December 31, 1942; PLANES, TROOPS ATTACK MUNDA & BUNA / RUSSIANS SCORESMASHING VICTORY / BIG NAVAL BATTLE IN NORTH SEA:

RUSSIAN “LIQUIDATE" NAZIS IN STALINGRAD; 95,000 ARE KILLED
The Bakersfield Californian
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1942

Yanks Rip Jap Barges in
Raids on Munda Base
Ally Pincer
Rolls Back
Foe at Buna
Planes, Troops
Join in Attack
on Solomon Nips
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31.
(U.P)—Navy announced
today that American aircraft
have carried out additional
attacks on enemy installations
in various parts of the
Solomons and that five enemy
barges were destroyed in one
attack on Vangunu island,
120 miles northwest of Guadalcanal.
The attack on Vangunu
was carried out during the early
hours of Wednesday, south Pacific
time, by a flight of "Airacobra"
and ."Wildcat" fighters.
Late in the same day, a navy
communique announced, "Dauntless"
dive bombers with "Wildcat" escorts
attacked enemy Installations
In the Rekata bay area of Santa Isabel
Island. Buildings on the cast
side of the bay were bombed and
strafed and three float-type planes
were strafed on the water, the navy
said. Rekata bay Is 115 miles
northwest of Guadalcanal.
Reds Score
Smashing
Victory
Bcseigcd City
Freed; Russians
Crush Nazi Line
MOSCOW, Dec. 31. UP)—A
special Soviet communique
said tonight that the German
army in Stalingrad "is
liquidated completely."
The communique added:
"Ninety-five thousand Germans
have been exterminated
and 72,000 captured as prisoners
of war.
"In the course of the battle our
troops completely destroyed the
f i f t h , sixth, ninth, thirteenth, four-
teenth and fifteenth Rumanian infantry
divisions."
Big Naval
Battle in
North Sea
LONDON, Dec. 31. (UP)— The Brit-
ish navy, in a sea battle that
is still continuing, has damaged
an enemy cruiser and destroyer in
northern waters, an admiralty communique
said tonight.
The destroyer was hit severely
was last was seen in a sinking
condition, the. communique said.
Tho communique gave no indication
of the size of the naval
units involved, nor did it give a
precise location for the scene of
the ..... engagement.
It was recalled that the powerful
German battleship Tirpitz has
been reported in Norwegian fjords
recently.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Current Events December 30, 1942; AMERICANS CAPTURE GUINEA TRIANGLE / CHINA MISSION TO LEAVE U. S. :

Reds Push Drive To ward Caucasus Gateway
The Port Arthur News
PORT ARTHUR. TEXAS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30. 1942.


Americans Capture
Triangle In Guinea
BUNA TRAP
CLOSING ON
JAPANESE
Bitter Defense Is Put
Up By Nips; Burma
Raided By RAF
By The Associated Frets
H a r d - fighting American
troops in New Guinea were of-
ficially credited today with the
capture of the "bloody: tri-
angle, a series of 13 fortified
bunkers bitterly defended by the
Japanese, while other Allied force
slowly closed a trap around the
enemy's narrow beach corridor at
Buna,
Front-line dispatches said the
Americans drove out th* Japanese
piecemeal and then inflicted heavy
casualties in beating off an enemy
counterattack,
One Jap On 8 Guns
The fierceness of the Japanese
defense was illustrated when
American soldiers mopping up on
sector found a single Japanese op
crating eight machine guns by
means of strings and' wires rigged
in a series.

CHINA MISSION
TO LEAVE U.S,
Military Group Expresses
Disappointment
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 (INS).—
China's military mission -to the
United' 'States today Is preparing
to return home to Chungking.
Not Expected To Return
One or two members of, the mission
may be left In Washington
as liaison officers, but most of the
group; headed by Gen. Haiung
Shlh-Fei, are going back to China,
and they are not expected to return
to the United-States.
Return of the mission to China
is due partly to reasons of a personal
nature and partly because
General Haiung and his associates
feel the United States is not paying
sufficient 'attention to China's
role in"the war.

War In Brief
WASHINGTON.—Navy communique
announces sinking of
two more Jap ships In the Solomons
as ground action Is resumed
on Guadalcanal.
RUSSIA. — Russians capture
key rail town near Stalingrad
and push on toward Rostov.
-NEW GUINEA.—Allies widen
wedge in Jap beach positions.
AFRICA.—French forces advance
in drive to cut coastal
road between Tripolitanla and
Tunisia

Current Events December 29, 192; RUSSIANS RETAKING KEY RAILROAD CENTERS / SOMOLILAND JOINS FIGHTING FREE FRENCH / BOMBS FALLING ON RABAUL AND FINSCH HAFEN:

San Mateo Times
SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1942

Russ Near Rostov;
Somaliland Ally
Soviets Within
80 Miles of
Caucasus Key
MOSCOW, Deo. 29.—(U.P)—A
special Soviet communique said
tonight that Russian troops had
taken Kotelnikovski, important
rail center southwest of Stalingrad.
MOSCOW, Dec.-29^—(UP)—
The Red army developed a pincer
movement against Rostov
today by driving southward
down the Voronezh railroad to
within less than 80 miles of the
city and breaking into the Rostov
administrative district from
the northeast.
Russian forces all but surrounded
Kotelnikovski, the princible
German base southwest of Stalingrad,
and swept 56 miles to the
south, entering the northeastern
tip of the Rostov administrative
district and reaching Kichkino on
the border of the Kalmyk republic.

Last of Vichy
Africa Domain
Quits Petain
LONDON, Dec. 29.—(UP)—
French Somaliland, last stronghold
of Vichy on the African
continent, has joined the Fighting
French, Gen. Charles De-
Gaulle headquarters announced
today.
The Cross of Lorraine, the
Fighting French flag, marking
the adhesion of French Somaliland
to the allied cause, was hoisted
last night over Djibouti, capital
of the territory and terminal of the
railroad to Addis Ababa, capital ol
Ethiopia, the communique said.
Agreement Signed

JAP CRUISER
IN HARBOR OF
RABAUL SUNK
GEN. MaeARTHUR'S HEADQUARTERS,
Australia, Dec. 29.—
(UP) — The Japanese have lost an-
ther cruiser to the allied air force
in New Guinea, and failed in an
attempt to shell Gen. Douglas Mac-
Arthur's ground forces out of Buna
village, it was revealed today.
While Liberator bombers of the
allied force were blasting the
cruiser in the harbor of Rabaul,
New Britain, and bombing Japanese
air bases at Finsch-Hafen, New
Guinea, and on Timor Island, Mac-
Arthur's ground forces deepened
heir wedge into the Japanese
beachhead below Buna.
A headquarters spokesman said
;hat in the beachhead fighting Sunday
night and yesterday, the Japanese
suffered "considerable casualties"
in their first attempt to
meet the allied forces outside prepared
positions since the siege
began.
Americans Shelled

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Current Events December 28, 1942: ENEMY DOCKS IN NORTH AFRICA BLASTED / GERMANS TRAPPED BETWEEN VOLGA AND THE DON:

San Mateo Times
SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA, MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1942

TUNIS AIR OFFENSIVE TIGHTENS
Russ Tighten Vise on Nazis

FLYING FORTS BLAST
ENEMY DOCKS. SHIPS
ON NO. AFRICA FRONT
LONDON, Dec. 28.—(U.P)—Flying fortresses and the newest,
deadliest American fighting planes were believed engaged
today in a supreme offensive to utterly wreck axis communication
lines and transport in Tunisia.
The German-controlled radio Vichy said there Lad been violent
fighting in Tunisia for the last 24 hours, particularly around
the important junction of Medjez-El-Bab, 27 miles southwest of
Tunis.
Allied North African headquarters .announced that United
States bombers and fighters resumed their smashing attacks
against the Port of Bizerte and
Sfax, on the Tunisian east coast,
Saturday.
Apparently there had been a
break in heavy winter rains, hold-

ing up the allies both in the air and
on land. ^
Flying fortresses sank two large
vessels and a small one, damaged
a medium sized ship, and scored
hits with heavy bombs on the docks
at Sfax.

Second Ring
Thrown Around
Trapped Foe
Six Offensive-Actions Under
Way by Soviets
On East Front
MOSCOW, Dec. 28.---(UP)—.
Russian forces narrowed .the
gap today in a second ring around
22 German divisions all-
ready, trapped, between^the Volga
and the Don, and a Soviet
communique reported new Red
Army gains on five other sectors
from Ezhev to the Caucuses
Front dispatches , said Soviet;
troops had occupied the strategic
towns of Solonetzky,'76 miles west
of Stalingrad, and Brukov, several
miles .to the south, .'strengthening
the pocket in which upward of 300,-
000 axis troops-were penned.
In a night of bitter fighting, the
Russians had pressed ahead on all
sectors, battling in snow with temperatures
ranging far below zero.
North :of Railroad

Monday, December 27, 2010

Current Events December 27, 1942: DARLAN'S KILLER EXECUTED / RUSSIANS GAINING IN MIDDLE DON:

           The Charleston Gazette
Charleston, West Virginia. Sunday Morning, December 27, 1942.

Imperial Council Studies Successor
To Darlan As Assassin Is Executed}
Reds Capture 300 Nazi Planes Intact

'Full Confession'
, Made by Slayer;
French! Officials Silent'
On .Reason Given
For Shooting
Funeral Services Held
For High Commissioner
Gen. Eisenhower Believed
Advising on Selection
Of New Leader
ALGIERS, Dec. 26.— (INS)-
The vital task of selecting a new
high commissioner for French
North and West Africa was
tackled tonight by high-ranking
leaders of France's empire after
the young assassin of Adm. Jean
Francois Darlan was understood
to have paid for his crime with,
his life.

13-Mile Gain Made
Along Middle Don
Great Quantities of War
Materials Abandoned
By Germans
Nazis Being Dislodged
From Stalingrad Hold
Soviets Threaten lo Break
Enemy's Long Siege
Of Town
MOSCOW, Dec. 27.—'Sunday)
-(INS)—The Russian offensive
on the middle Don front rolled
ahead another 13 miles, it was
.announced late last night in a
s p e c i a 1 Soviet communique
which listed 3.000 more Axis
troops killed.
Announcing the rapture of .still
more inhabited places, the Rus-
sians saiid that their forces had
seized 300 German plane in work-
ing order on an airdrome at Katsynska-
ia when that town was occupied.
The enemy was retreating
so rapidly that he was abandoning
great quantities of war material intact.

Pincers Are Closing
On Axis in Africa

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Current Events December 25, 1942: DARLAN ASSINATED / NEW DRIVE IN CAUCASUS / GREETINGS AND BEST WISHES TO ALL ALLIED FORCES FROM FDR:

The Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, WEST VI RGINIA , FRIDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 25, 1542


ADM. DARLAN ASSASSINATED
Fourth Red Winter Offensive Hits Reeling Germans
North Africa Chief
Victim of Gunman;
Slayer Is Arrested
French Chief Attacked iii Algeria:
Succumbs During Ride to Hospital;
Killer Reported Seized 'on Spot*
By Phil Ault
ALGIERS, Dee. 24 {UP).—Adm, Jean Francois Darlan, Allied sponsored
high commissioner of French Africa, was assassinated
this afternoon less than two months after he abandoned collabo-
ration with Germany to aid the United Nations.
Darlan, 61, a grandson and great-grandson of French sailors,
was attacked while en route to his offices here. He died shortly;
afterward while being: transported to a hospital, said a communi-
que issued by Allied North African headquarter1.

New Drive
Is Launched
In Caucasus
Hitler Hordes
Under Assault
On All Sides |
^ MOSCOW, Dec, 25 (Friday)
(UP).~-The Red army has
launched a fourth big winter
offensive in the central Caucasus,
driving the Germans back
12 miles, and has forged ahead'
another 12 to 15 miles on the
central Don front, killing or
capturing 34,€00 more Nazi
troops, a special communique
said today.
Nation Gets
Roosevelt's
Best Wishes
Forces of Evil
Badly Shaken,
Message Stales
WASHINGTON, Dec 23
(UP). — President Roosevelt
told the people today in his annual
Christmas message that
in their second Christmas eve
of World war II, finds the forces
of darkness less confident than
ever before in the fight against
the growing; might of Allies.
I give you a me message of cheer,"
he said. '"I cannot say 'Merry
Greetings Go Abroad
WASHINGTON Dec 24 (IT)
President Roosevelt today sent
Christmas greetings to t h e |
armed forces and auxiliary services
of. America's Allies.
Identical messages were sent
to the- 29 United Nations, to
the French national committee
in London, and'-to. Gen.-'Henri
Giruad, commanding: the French
forces fighting with, the Allies
in north Africa.
The message to the fighting
French was transmitted through
the American embassy in London
and that to Giraud" .through
Robert D. Murphy recently appointed
to the rank of minister
in north Africa
_____________________________
Christmas' for I think constantly
of those thousands of soldiers and
sailors who are in actual combat
throughout the world—

Friday, December 24, 2010

Current Events December 24, 1942: MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM A. E. F's. ALL OVER THE WORLD:


THE RACINE DAILY TIMES
    RACINE, WIS., THURSDAY AFTERNOON, DECEMBER 24,1942.
.
Yank Troops Join
French at Dakar
African Chain
Of Bases Now
Almost Tight
Only Tunisia, Portion
Of Libya Remain
In Axis Possession
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24.—
(U.P)—The Allies have a fairly
good margin of superiority
over the enemy in Tunisia
for the coming struggle to oust
the axis forces from North
Africa, Secretary of War Henry
L. Stimson said today.
LONDON, Dec. 24.—(AP)—American
forces were disclosed today to
have arrived in t h e French west
African port of Dakar, welding
t h e last big link in t h e Allies'
chain of bases and supply ports,
as t h e campaign t o drive the enemy
from North Africa moved
steadily closer to' its climax.
The Italian high command said
Allied forces had launched an
armor-supported thrust to r e c a p t-
u r e lost positions in Tunisia presumably
'in the Medjez-El-Bab
gateway sector before Tunis and
Bizerte," b u t h a d been stopped.

Santa Arrives in Guinea,
Finds Poetical Success Tale
(How American troops all over the world are
Christmas is told in a group of stories on Page 9 ) .
WITH ALLIED FORCES IN NEW GUINEA, Dec. 24.—AP—Santa
Claus arrived at t h e fighting front yesterday via airplanes and jeeps,
in t h e persons of George Moorad, American Red Cross official, and
his staff.
Distributing gifts from home in t h e Cape Endaiadere sector which
t h e Japanese lost Dec. 18, Moorad was greeted by Poetic Sergeant
Marcus Burkholder, Platteville, Wis., w h o cited this version of " T he
Night Before Christmas."
T'was t h e night before Christmas on t h i s spot o n t h e m a p ,
Not a c r e a t u r e was s t i r r i n g . Not e v e n a J a p .
Stockings were hung b y t h e slit t r e n c h w i t h care,
I n hope t h a t Tojo soon would be there,
The boys were all sleeping on wet beds, while visions of
rations danced in t h e i r heads,
When out of t h e j u n g l e rose such a clatter.
That I s p r a n g through mosquito n e t to s e e w h a t w a s t h e m a t t e r ,
Then off in t h e distance came a familiar sound,
We knew that old Nip would soon be around,
He was h e a d i n g this way, spreading Christmas cheer,
With plenty of shrapnel, not one c a n of beer.
We r e t u r n e d his goodwill within a few hours.
With a bullet in stating: " Buna village is ours ."

(page 9)
Christmas Observances Differ for AEF
Stationed at All Points of Globe
(By T h e U n i t e d Press)
Journey to Jerusalem
BETHLEHEM, Dec. 24.—American
soldiers in olive d r a b mingled
with somberly dressed pilgrims on
t h e six mile road from Jerusalem
today, bound for the midnight
mass at t h e Church of the Nativity.
Visit Famous Shrines
JERUSALEM, Dec. 24.—(U.P)—
Sightseeing guides experienced a
war boom today with American
soldiers, some fresh from sorties
over the North African battlefronts,
observing the Christmas
season by visiting the shrines of
t h e holy land.
London Observance
LONDON, Dec. 24.—(U.P)—Staff
Sgt. Frank Mullin of New York
is ready for his first Christmas
overseas.
" I t won't b e t h e same as back
home," he said, "but i t could be
much worse."
Mutton in Africa ,
ALLIED NORTH AFRICAN
HEADQUARTERS, Dec. 24.—(UP)—
American doughboys in North
Africa are dreaming of a white
Christmas—a year from now.
They expect no special Christmas
observance, although one Iowa
squadron fattened up two turkeys
and a pair of geese in t h e i r quart
e r s for Christmas dinner. Most
of the AEF here, however, will
dine on cold mutton.
Tripolitania Feast
SIRTICA, Tripolitania, Dec. 24.
(U.P)—American fliers at this
desert outpost will have makeshift
Christmas trees, t u r k e y and a b a r
for their holiday observance t o morrow.
Santa in India
NEW DELHI, India, Dec. 24.—
(U.P)—Like most Americans here,
Sgt. Charles O. (Chili) Hille of
Dallas, Texas, looked forward today
to his first Christmas away
from home b u t t h e prospect wasn't
too glum.
Holiday in Hawaii
HEADQUARTERS, Hawaiian
Department, Dec. 24.—(U.P)—Hawaii
is on the alert today, but
Christmas prospects are brighter
t h a n last year, when the holiday
followed the P e a r l Harbor attack
by only 18 days.
Services in Alaska
HEADQUARTERS, Alaska Defense
Command, Dec. 24.—(U.PJ—
American servicemen will hold
Christmas services and parties
with Canadian forces tomorrow in
desolate areas where only a year
ago t h e r e was nothing but wilderness
with an occasional Indian,
Eskimo or wandering trapper
passing through.
Beef, Beer in Cairo
CAIRO, Dec. 24.—(U.P)—Softball
games, Christmas trees and r e l i gious
services will highlight the
holiday observances of t h e A m e r i can
armed forces in the Middle
East tomorrow and e v e r y man will
get a pound of beef or chicken
and American beer for his special
Christmas dinner.
Gifts in New Guinea
S O M E W H E R E IN NEW
GUINEA, Dec. 24.—(U.R)—Christmas
under New Guinea's blistering
sun will be just another working
day for forces fighting the J a p a nese
under Gen. Douglas MacArt-
hur 's personal command.