February 15, 1945;ALLIIES BATTER RHINE:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1945:

67th Year No. 39 Lowell Mass. Thursday February 15 1945 24 Pages 3 Cents

Strike Deep to

Aid Red Army's

K. O. Offensive

LONDON, Feb. 15. (UP)—

Thousands more American and British bombers struck deep into Germany in support of the Red army today, boosting to more than 10,000 the number of planes that have blasted the Reich in the past 36 hours.

More than 1300 RAF fourengined bombers carried the non-stop air offensive into its second straight day with a double blow at Chemnitz, 38 miles southwest of Dresden, and smaller-scale raids on Berlin and other targets.

American Flying Fortresses, probably more than 1000 strong, followed. through

again in daylight with more raids on Germany, the 8^th air force announced.

Nazi broadcasts suggested the daylight raiders again' may have concentrated on Dresden, capital of Germany Saxony and only a little more than 50 miles ahead of

the Red army.

Dresden, an important railway; and industrial city, already was in flames from raids yesterday and Tuesday night, when it was the main target of an assault force totaling some 8400 planes which fanned out over Germany for one of the greatest air assaults of the war.

German broadcasts told of a daylight raiding fleet ''returning" from the areas of Dresden and Cottbus, the latter 55 miles northeast of Dresden and 45 miles

southwest of Frankfurt-on-Oder.

In Blazing

Battle for

a Crossing

Seek to Outflank

Forts Guarding

Ruhr Valley

By Boyd D.Lewis

PARIS, Feb. 15. (UP) —

Canadian troops brokethrough to the Rhine opposite Emmerich today and locked

in a blazing battle for a crossing that would outflank the main Siegfried fortifications guarding Germany's industrial Ruhr valley.

On the Canadians' right flank, veteran Scots and English divisions lashed out

east and south of the Reichswald forest on the direct road to the Ruhr, rolling up

the Nazi defenses before Goch and Calcar, two key road centers whose capture

might unlock the door to Germany's last big industrial concentration.

Yank Assault on

Corregidor Near

Report American Minesweepers, Leading 10

Transports; Clearing Manila Bay Entrance

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15. (UP)—

American minesweepers, leading 10 transports jammed with fresh invasion troops, have begun clearing the entrance to Manila bay for an apparently imminent assault on Corregidor island, radio Tokio said today.

The thrust got under way at 9:30 a. m. Tuesday (Manila time) with a terrific air and sea bombardment of Corregidor, where the original American garrison on Luzon

went down to defeat in April 1942, Tokio said.

Two battleships, four cruisers and five destroyers participated in the bombardment, the broadcast said. Corregidor's batteries-replied and a "furious gun duel" ensued

with the "invading surface craft,"the enemy account said.

Toward evening, Tokyo said, 20 American minesweepers entered the narrow channel between Corregidor and Bataan peninsula, which forms the northern rim of the gateway to Manila bay. Japanese guns sank one minesweeper and the remainder were "effectively checked," Tokio said.

"There were indications that these minesweepers were being followed by some 10 enemy transports apparently carrying fresh invasion forces,'' the broadcast said.

"Consequently, the entire Corregidor sector now is fraught with an atmosphere foreshadowing some new development."Gen. Douglas MacArthur's headquarters on Luzon remained silen: on the enemy's claim of a naval

bombardment and imminent land ing on Corregidor, but confirmed that army Liberators dropped another 107 tons of bombs on the fortress island Tuesday.

Corregidor has been bombed almost daily since Jan. 23. Its capture would unlock Manila bay to American shipping.