Current Events March 3, 1944;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY MARCH 3, 1944:

Allied Headquarters, Naples, March 3.—

The German 14th Army, fought to a standstill on the ground and ripped from above by. the greatest aerial barrage ever laid down on a battlefield, has abandoned its third costly attempt to crush the Allied beachhead below Rome, it was disclosed officially today.

 Moscow, March 3. —

Germany's whole elaborate defense system guarding the approaches to the Baltic states appears to be crumbling today as Red armies advanced to within 22 miles of Latvia, and stormed the inner fortifications of Pskov

 London, March 3. (CP Cable)—

Heavy bombers of the R.C.A.F. constituted more than half the 600-planeR.A.F.-R.C.A.F. force which attacked the aircraft assembly plant at Meulan- Les-Mureaux near Paris without loss early today, it was learned here. Halifaxes from the Moose, Iroquois, Bison and Bluenose squadrons of the R.C.A.F. bomber command took part in the raid.

 New Delhi, March 3. (BUP)—

British troops were fighting south ward against stiffening Japanese resistance in the Kaladan river valley of western Burma today and threatened to outflank the main Japanese defenses guarding the Arakan peninsula port of Aklab.

WINNIPEG, FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 1944., Forecast—FAIR AND COLD.

Stunned Germans Abandon

3rd Attack On Beachhead

Allied Headquarters, Naples, March 3.—

The German 14th Army, fought to a standstill on the ground and ripped from above by. the greatest aerial barrage ever laid down on a battlefield, has abandoned its third costly attempt to crush the Allied beachhead below Rome, it was disclosed officially today. Badly beaten in 'hand-to-hand fighting with the Allied troops and tunned by a frightful, 36-hour cannonading from the massed guns of the 5th Army, the Germans broke Thursday morning under an unprecedented battering by waves of Allied planes, ranging from light fighter-bombers to giant four-engined aircraft.

Counting their dead in the hundreds, the three crack Nazi divisions’ that launched the offensive against the centre of the beachhead Tuesday fell back to their initial jumping-off place as the Allied troops completed the liquidation of yhe 1,500-yard salient won and lost by the Germans at a staggering cost.

Lt.-Gen. Mark W. Clark, after an inspection of the battlefront during which he narrowly escaped death, announced that his 5th Army forces had regained all the ground lost under the first Nazi onslaught three days ago.

German

Defences

Crumble

Moscow, March 3. —

Germany's whole elaborate defense system guarding the approaches to the Baltic states appears to be crumbling today as Red armies advanced to within 22 miles of Latvia, and stormed the inner fortifications of Pskov.

The struggle for Pskov, key communications centre guarding southern Esthonia and northern Latvia settled down into grim, bloody street fighting with the Germans striving desperately to save the six-way railway and highway junction.  Soviet troops dislodged the enemy from several strongholds in the inner  defence ring of Pskov yesterday the Soviet high command announced.

R.C.A.F. Heavy Bomber Forces

Blast Aircraft Plants In France

London, March 3. (CP Cable)—

Heavy bombers of the R.C.A.F. constituted more than half the 600-planeR.A.F.-R.C.A.F. force which attacked the aircraft assembly plant at Meulan- Les-Mureaux near Paris without loss early today, it was learned here. Halifaxes from the Moose, Iroquois, Bison and Bluenose squadrons of the R.C.A.F. bomber command took part in the raid. A Winnipegger in the attack was FO. Johnny Strange, of 14 Alcester court great force pounded Germany for the second straight day today, concentrating on undisclosed 'objectives in the northwest sector, while medium raiders slashed at German airfields in northern France. R.A.F. and R.C.A.F. formations, taking to the air last night for their second successive night, hammered aircraft factories near Paris and at Albert in. northern France.

The U.S. bombers were escorted by fighters of both the 8th and 9th American air forces as well as Allied fighters, an indication that the operation was of considerable size. The widespread daylight smashes also included stabs at the French rocket gun sector by R.A.F. fighter-bombers.

British Pound

Japs In Burma

New Delhi, March 3. (BUP)—

British troops were fighting south ward against stiffening Japanese resistance in the Kaladan river valley of western Burma today and threatened to outflank the main Japanese defenses guarding the Arakan peninsula port of Aklab.

One column drove into enemy  positions north of Apaukwa, on the west bank of the Kaladan, while a second fought off counter-attack 10 miles to the north on the east bank of the river.

British patrol fighting was re ported in the Chin hills and in the upper Chindwin sectors. R.A.F medium bombers pounded Japanese supply dumps at Prome last night starting big fires, the communique said. American warplanes carried out successful attacks on communications lines and supply depots in the north. All these operations were without loss, the communique said.

 

Rome Is Blasted

By U.S. Bombers

Allied Headquarters, Naples

New Delhi, March 3. (BUP)—

British troops were fighting south ward against stiffening Japanese resistance in the Kaladan river valley of western Burma today and threatened to outflank the main Japanese defenses guarding the Arakan peninsula port of Aklab.

Axis-controlled Rome radio sail the raid began at 11 a.m. (Rom time), and indicated that extensive damage had been caused.

"Italian and German authorities inspected the damage, and rescue squads were rushed to the damaged places," the broadcast said. The Vatican radio reported last night that a single unidentified plane dropped bombs on papal property in the immediate vicinity of Vatican city yesterday.

 EJT