Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Sseptember 26, 1944;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1944:



Tuesday, Sept. 26, 1944

Airborne Men at Arnhem
Get Some Relief But
Still Wait Linkup
A devastating artillery attack on Germany launched along the whole U.S. First Army front from a 50-mile wall of powerful long-range guns, which plastered enemy traffic centers and military installations was reported in field dispatches yesterday. Huge 240mm guns—the largest artillery pieces in the European theater—bombarded a long line of towns serving German forward troops, and pounded
targets only 18 miles from the Rhine.
Cross Rhine in Ducks
In Holland, relief for the trapped British airborne division at Arnhem dribbled across the lower Rhine River in ducks and assault boats under heavy fire
from every sort of weapon, the Germans could muster, but no solid link-up was reported in field dispatches last night.
There was no mention of the vital Rhine bridge at Arnhem either from SHAEF or held dispatches. Instead the emphasis was on a developing British
thrust into Germany south of that area,. The two walls of the Holland corridor stretching up to Arnhem were strengthened in the face of German counterattacks. The Nazis broke through the Eindhoven-Arnhem supply line once, but the gap was sealed again.
Guns Hammer Duren
First Army artillery fire concentrated against Germany was reported to be equal in effect to air bombing, restricted by weather in the past few days. Guns blasted at Duren, 16 miles east of Aachen. Two villages were set on fire when shells exploded gasoline dumps.
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Japan's air force in the Philippines has been "destroyed" and her naval units stationed in the islands have been forced to withdraw to new refuges as a result of two "daring and highly successful" carrier-based attacks on Manila Bay area last Wednesday and Thursday, Adm. Chester W. Nimitz announced yesterday. ~ ~
The Pacific commander-in-chief said that in two days the Navy put out of action 405 enemy aircraft—169 destroyed "in combat” 188 destroyed on the ground, 45 damaged on the ground and three damaged by gunfire from ships.
In addition, the raiders sank or damaged,103 ships and small craft, including 40 ships sunk, 11 probably sunk, 35 damaged, six small craft sunk and 11
damaged. Two floating drydocks were damaged.
Peleliu Attack Thwarted
Nimitz' recapitulation of the Manila attacks was made public at the same time headquarters announced U.S. warships on Saturday frustrated a Japanese
attempt to reinforce Peleliu island in the 'Palau group by destroying a convoy of 13 barges and one motor sampan carrying troops and equipment. The convoy was attacked northeast of Peleliu, 600 miles east of the Philippines.
The Japanese "suffered heavily" in the two-day strike at Manila, Nimitz said, reporting "extensive destruction" at and near Clark and Nichols fields in the
Manila harbor area, and Cavite naval base.
Besides the toll of planes and ships, extensive damage was done to buildings, warehouses, railroad equipment, oil storage tanks, harbor installations,
hangars, shops and stored supplies.
Our own losses were 11 planes in combat, ten pilots and five air crew men.
There was no loss or damage to any of our surface ships."
. Withdrawal Forced
The admiral concluded that the Third Fleet's attacks, under Adm. William F. Halsey, "have forced the enemy to withdraw his naval forces from their former
anchorages .in the Philippines and to seek new refuges in the same general area, have disrupted inter-island communications and have destroyed 'his air force
in the Philippines
Liberators under Gen. Douglas MacArthur's command dropped 105 tons of bombs on Jap airdromes on –Dutch Celebes, and patrol torpedo boats sank
at least two enemy ships carrying troops and supplies in Morotai .strait between Morotai and Halmahera islands.

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