Current Events March 6, 1944;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY MARCH 6, 1944:

 A FORTRESS DIVISION HQ,

Mar. 5—

Flying Fortress crews who wouldn't quit were the envy of the Eighth Air Force today—they had gone to Big B. Triumphant, shouting, cheered by anxious ground crews who had sweated them out, toasted (in one case

by a general issue of double Scotches) and warm again, the first American airmen to bomb Berlin in daylight came home in Saturday's dusk from the job the whole Air Force had been waiting for.

 American bomber fleets abruptly switch their attack to the west yesterday after Saturday's daylight penetration of the heart of Germany, in which Berlin for the first time felt the blast of American bombs.

 American troops, ih what Gen. Douglas MacArthur called one of the "fiercest encounters tM~ the war," killed an estimated 3.000 Japanese who over the weekend rrtade a fanatical but futile counter-attack to regain Momote airfield in the Admiralty Islands

 ALLIED HQ, "North Africa, Mar. 5—

A German battalion fled up the Cisterna Ponte Rotto road yesterday after a furious American counter-attack had ended one of the first German sorties since the failure of the 'Nazis' third attempt to crush the Allied bridgehead.

 
 

Forts Beat Terrific

Clouds, Cold to

Paste Capital

By Bud Hutton

Stars and Stripes Staff Writer

A FORTRESS DIVISION HQ,

Mar. 5—

Flying Fortress crews who wouldn't quit were the envy of the Eighth Air Force today—they had gone to Big B. Triumphant, shouting, cheered by anxious ground crews who had sweated them out, toasted (in one case

by a general issue of double Scotches) and warm again, the first American airmen to bomb Berlin in daylight came home in Saturday's dusk from the job the whole Air Force had been waiting for.

In some bomber-station huts, however. here was disappointment. There, the air crews were unhappy because after the long, long wait for THE raid, they'd missed it.

Mostly, however, even the ones who didn't make it felt better. The tension of waiting at each briefing to see if this would be it was done now. Now Big B was just the same as any other tough target. Most envied of all were the 11 men of the first -American bomber to hit Berlin.

Officially, the honor of being the first man over Big B went to 2/Lt. Marshall J. Phixton, of Mexia. Tex., the bombardier, whose place in the nose took him over the target before anyone else. For him and four others in the crew it was Mission No. 12B. "and a lot of us were sweating, but we got back," Phixton explained.

 

Libs, B26s Hit France

In a Follow-Up of

Epochal Blow

American bomber fleets abruptly switch their attack to the west yesterday after Saturday's daylight penetration of the heart of Germany, in which Berlin for the first time felt the blast of American bombs.

Liberators, Marauders arid endless relays of Allied medium and light bombers shuttled across the Channel in daylight yesterday to pound military objectives in France and to run the March box score to four heavy bomber missions in five days. The Marauders were out twice, losing one plane. Eighth Air Force Fortresses were grounded after their historic day's work on Saturday, which included the bombing of the Reich capital by one formation of several which carried out widespread attacks on targets in what officially was described as "eastern Germany."

Bonn. Cologne Hit, Nazis Say

In - official broadcasts German radio said that Bonn and Cologne had been among the targets for the B17s, which struck deep into the Reich despite towering masses of clouds which made formation flying almost impossible.

 

Big New Push Puts Reds

Near Odessa-Lwow Line I

Russia's First Ukraine Army group, which smashed through the Kiev bulge into Poland in January, has struck the long awaited blow to cut the Odessa-Lwow trunk railroad and has blasted a hole 112 miles wide and 30

miles deep in the Nazi defenses guarding southern Poland, Miarshal Stalin

announced last night in an order of the day. Led by Marshal Stalin of the Soviet Union Zhukov. who saved Moscow in 1941 and routed the enemy at Stalingrad, the Russians in two days have recaptured more than 500 inhabited places and fought their way to the approaches! of Volochisk a station on the Odessa-Lwow line 90 miles northwest of Vinnitsja.

Stalin said four German! armored divisions and eight infantry divisions were defeated and the important! road and railway town of Izyaslavl, ij miles southwest of Shepetovka, on a branch railway connecting with the Odessa-Lwow line. Tarnopol. was captured,

Main Ukraine AJrtery

The new threat to the; Odessa-Lwow trunk jeopardized the principal supply artery feeding the remaining Nazis in the Ukraine. Its loss would compel Marshal Fritz von Manstein to sujpply his forces through the inadequate railways of Rumania.

   

3,000 Japs Mowed Down

By Yanks in Admiralties

Enemy's Fanatical Attack Gains Nothing,

Ends in Slaughter; U.S. Torpedo Boat

Unchallenged in Rabaul Harbor

American troops, ih what Gen. Douglas MacArthur called one of the "fiercest encounters tM~ the war," killed an estimated 3.000 Japanese who over the weekend rrtade a fanatical but futile counter-attack to regain Momote airfield in the Admiralty Islands.

Dispatches from l|he Southwest Pacific last night said U.S. troops had practically cleared Los Negros Island—site of Momote airfield—and warships were pounding Lptengau. the Japs main

base in the Admiralties on Manus island, in a "softening-up" blow to open the way for new Allied moves.

First Division cavalrymen firing artillery at point-blank range and rapid-fire anti-tank weapons, mowed down wave after wave of Japanese who opened their bid for the airfield shortly after dusk on Friday. Fierce hand-to-hand righting developed, and by morning the main enemy thrust had ended. More than 700 Jap dead were strewn across the airfield's main runway.

Gen. MacArthur officially announced after that battle that only 61 Americans had been killed since the Los Negros landing six days ago.;

                   

Foe. Beaten Off

Again at Anzio

Yanks Repel Nazis After

First Giving-Ground in

Latest German Stab

ALLIED HQ, "North Africa, Mar. 5—

A German battalion fled up the Cisterna Ponte Rotto road yesterday after a furious American counter-attack had ended one of the first German sorties since the failure of the 'Nazis' third attempt to crush the Allied bridgehead.

At first forced to give ground, U.S. infantrymen halted the Nazi drive two miles southwest of Cisterna and then, in the face of heavy artillery fire, steadily pushed -the Germans back.

EJT