February 23, 1945; MARINES CAPTURE VOLCANIC MOUNT ON IWO:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1945:

BISMARCK, N. D-, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23.1945

Germans Declare

Major U. S. Forces

Across Roer River

PARIS— (AP) —

German broadcasts said tonight that Gen. Eisenhower had started his "grand scale offensive" toward the Ruhr and Cologne had bridged the Roer river at several places and advanced two miles east of the river in shattering power with tanks,

artillery and infantry.

Hours after the German broadcast, there was no confirmation at supreme headquarters of any new major attack,

Weather Improves

The Germans said the offensive was on a 35-mile front all the way from Roermpnd to Duere.. the outskirts of whitch were reached. The enemy communique said the U. S. last artillery fire" and radio reports said the American tanks were striking.

The British Second army, last reported in the Roermond area where the Roer flows into the Maas (Meuse), was said by Berlin to be fighting alongside the Canadians in the Goch-Rhine sector farther north.

Fogs which blotted out parts of the battlefield at dawn gave way to good weather.

The tanks were declared to be striking down the 15 miles toward Dueren, striving to roll up east bank lines which have held the Allies in check since December. Supreme headquarters gave no confirmation of the report.

Iwo—Bloodiest Battle for Marines

Renew Drive On

Second Airstrip;

Casualties 5,000

GUAM— (AP) —

American Marines reached the summit of Mt. Suribachi at the southern tip of Iwo Jima Friday and began a renewed drive on the central air field after repulsing

two—Japanese counterattacks.

The stars and stripes were raised over the volcanic Suribachi fortress 87 hours after the .costly, invasion__ began . and marines _ began clearing out Japanese still clinging to the crater with flamethrowers.

Little progress was made elsewhere in the most costly fight in which the marines have ever been engaged—a fight that cost 5,372 American casualties, including 644 dead, in the first three days.

Swimmers Attack

Japanese swimmers made a hopeless attempt to attack American forces on the western side of the island from the rear Thursday night. They were mopped up on

the beaches Thursday morning.

Carrier aircraft sweeping over the Bonin islands in protective sweeps to eliminate repeated enemy attacks on American shipping assembled off Iwo shot down three Japanese planes.

Surmounting of Suribachi was the brightest spot in the entire Iwo campaign.

The leathernecks won command of the 866-foot'height from which the Japanese had cast down a deadly mortar and artillery fire on other marines spread out over the south third of the embattled island. Its capture eliminated the threat to the

rear of three devildog divisions attempting to drive north where the main strength of the enemy garrison is dug in.

-Gains Are Small

Adm. Chester W. Nlmitz condensed the drama into this special communique:

"The 28th regiment of the United States marines was observed raising the United States flag on the summit of Mt. Suribachi on Iwo island at 10:35 a. m. Friday." In his earlier communique Nlmitz reported strong Japanese counterattacks on both flanks of the American force edging—only feet or yards at a time—toward the southern fringe of Iwo's central airfield.