February 19, 1945; Corregidor Landings:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1945:

Daily Newspaper of U.S. Armed Forces

VOL. 5 No. W—Id.

in the European Theater of Operations

MONDAY, Feb. 19, 1945

U.S. Takes Bataan;

Iwo Jima Landings

Repulsed, Japs Say

While the blazing air attack on Tokyo and Yokohama airfields and aircraft factories by carrier-planes of Adm. Mitscher's naval force which lay off Tokyo for two days was apparently at an end yesterday, U.S. paratroopers made a sudden jump on Corregidor, linking up almost immediately with seaborne forces which streamed over from Bataan to assure U.S. forces complete domination of the island fortress in Manila Bay.

Adm. Nimitz's Guam communique yesterday, while announcing that the mighty air and sea assault on the island of Iwo Jima, 750 miles south of Tokyo, was still going on, failed to mention the activities of Mitscher's force, which was reported to be under a radio blackout not to be lifted until it is out of range of Japanese sea and air power. Tokyo, furthermore, reported that the "enemy task force seems to have

retreated southward" and that there was no raid on the Japanese homeland Sunday.

While Japanese territory trembled under the force of U.S. blows, Tokyo Radio claimed that four attempts to land on Iwo Jima, 750 miles south of Tokyo, had been repulsed by the Jap garrison there. There was no confirmation from Adm. Nimitz's headquarters.

As U.S. attacks and victories in the Pacific continued to mount over the

weekend, the Jap radio became even more jittery, warning the Japanese public

to steel itself for an invasion of the homeland proper and broadcasting a bulletin

that the Imperial Rule Assistance Committee will meet with Premier Koiso to

consider the formation of a "new political party," an announcement that could mean spadework toward the formation of a new cabinet.

Red Advance

Slowed By

Resistance

German resistance on the Eastern appeared to be stiffening yesterday as Marshal Koniev's troops, driving toward Berlin from the southeast slashed forward toward Gubentod Cottbus, strategic defense positions

], guarding the back door to Hitter's capital.

\ Russian communiques confirmed Nazi reports that the general advance had slowed down but it was not clear whether the Red Army was bumping into a firm

Nazi line, had paused to regroup for the next blow aimed at Berlin, or was being

held up by the weather. Nazi commentator Von Hammer claimed that the German defense was growing stronger despite Russian attacks, which he said continued with great stubbornness.

Germans admitted, however, that troops were only ten miles from Gotbus, an important communications point on the Spree River controlling the four-laned highway running to the capitol.

Guben Under Heavy Fire

Russian front-line dispatches said that Guben, northeast of Cottbus, was under

artillery fire. Another report said Guben been by-passed.