October 11, 1944; U. S. Navy ATTACK NEAR JAPAN

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, OCTOBER 11, 1944:

MASON CITY, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1944

YANK GUNS AND

PLANES BLAST

NEW COLUMNS

Perhaps Full Division

of Nazis Trying to

Get to Besieged City

London, (AP)—

The G e r m a n s  pushed up troops Wednesday night in efforts to reinforce Aachen, which American artillery and planes were pounding after the Germans rejected a surrender ultimatum.

A major battle was developing. The German reserves were being; rushed in from the east.

Enemy columns moved on roads leading to Aachen from the east despite the danger in broad daylight, and started toward the mile-wide escape corridor northeast of the city. “The enemy has been feeding his reserves in a nickel at a time like he was running a juke box, But now he is sending a man in to do a man's job," an American army officer declared at the front.

'There's no doubt his aim is to purge the 'sacred soil' of Germany ' of these 'Yankee gangsters' we

hear so much about." *

U. S. artillery and planes immediately turned against the enemy reinforcing columns—Perhaps a division strong.

U. S. Batteries Open Up in

Concert to Wipe Out City

By WILLIAM SMITH WHITE AND DON WIHTEHEAD

Outside Aachen, ({?)—Massed American batteries opened up in concert

against Aachen at 3:50 p. m. Wednesday in an effort to wipe out the city and the German garrison which refused to surrender it.

The real might of the U. S. 1^st army attack was loosed after a preliminary bombardment of almost 4 hours by dive bombers and various field guns.

From the edge of Aachen, the besieged city could be seen being beaten slowly to death in a doomsday haze of multicolored smoke.

Shells from 105-millimeter howitzers, 155-mm long toms, heavy mortars and vast and bellowing 240-mm guns fell across the whole face of the city.

DARING ATTACK

NEAR JAPAN IS

MADE BY NAVY

Task Force Destroys 89

Planes, Smashes 58

Ships in Ryukyu Isles

By LEONARD MILLMAN

Associated Press War Editor

Hundreds of carrier – borne American planes ranging to within 200 miles of Japan, struck at the Ryukyu, islands Monday (U. S. time) in their boldest attack

of the Pacific war, destroyed 89 planes and sank or damaged 58 surface craft.

.

Tokyo radio said Wednesday 400 torpedo planes, bombers and fighters participated in the surprise raid. It said they came in 4 waves, from dawn until mid-afternoon, roving over 500 miles of the island chain between southern

Japan and. Formosa.

The attack, the first in the area at the very gates of the East China sea, failed to stir out the Japanese home fleet or the air armadas based in Nippon and Formosa, both of which should have been within range of the American carriers.

It was probably the CLOSEST APPROACH to Japan of any great U. S. naval force during this war,

Adm. Chester W. Nimitz reported that no supporting ships were damaged and losses to Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher's carrier planes were light. Tokyo asserted 26 at-

acking aircraft were shot down. Nimitz announced that all Japanese "ships that could be found were attacked and severe damage was done to shore installations." He listed 12 ships, including a destroyer, as sunk, 14 probably sunk, 12 damaged and 20 luggers and other small craft as destroyed or damaged.

The bold foray illustrated Nimitz' assertion that the Pacific fleet is strong enough to go anywhere.