March 15, 1945: R. A. F. Releases Supe-Bomb:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, MARCH 15, 1945:

RACINE, WIS., THURSDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 15, 1945.

3d Army Troops

Cross Moselle

Near Coblenz

PARIS— (AP) —

American forces east of the Rhine, captured four towns and extended

their bridgehead to an area 11 miles by six.

PARIS—(AP)

The German declared tonight that the east Rhine bridgehead forces had started troops across the Ruhr-Frankfort snper-highway.

The enemy reported also that the Germans had "smashed an American Ninth

army attempt to cross the lower Rhine north of Dulsberg.”

The Germans reported fierce fighting in the village tA Houvel  3 1/2 miles northeast of Honnef.

PARIS.—(AP)—

The German radio said today that the new U. S. 15th army had gone into

action in the east Rhine bridgehead at Remagen to swell the assault force to

100,000 men. The Americans had virtually cut the Ruhr- Frankfiut super highway and placed it under machinegun fire from a half mile away.

To the south, the American Third army crossed the lower Moselle on a nine-mile front within eight miles of besieged Coblenz and won domination of another 10 mile strip of the west Rhine banks from positions less than three

miles from the ancient walled Rhine town of Boppard.

20,000 Japs Killed

In 25-Day Iwo Battle

GUAM. — (U.P)_

American marines have lost less than 4,000 dead in the 25-day campaign on Iwo Jima, Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner indicated today.

By VERN HAUGLAND

U. S. Pacific Fleet Headquarters,

Guam—(UP)—

Waving atop a Japanese bunker, the Stars and Stripes caught the breeze today over

blood-stained Iwo, 750 miles from Tokyo, signaling that the island has been cut away from the empire of Nippon after 55 years.

But the 25-day-old fight for the island went on with three marine divisions resigned to the grim task of killing the last enemy and adding him to a toll already exceeding 20,000. The desperate foe is even attaching booby traps to dead marines to slow the advance.

Flag Raised on Suribachi.

While stiffly resisting survivors of the Nipponese garrison yielded gains up to 400 yards yesterday to the marines near the north end, the United States flag was raised

formally at the south end in the shadow of Mt. Suribachi

RAF Unleashes

Super-Bomb

LONDON.—(AP)—

A fleet of 1,350 American bombers attacked the outskirts of Berlin, including the

huge freight yards at Oranienburg, today following the first use by the RAF of a new 11-ton volcano bomb. Oranienburg, seven miles north  of  Berlin, is virtually a suburb of the battered nazi capital which has been bombed on 23 successive night by RAF Mosquitos.

The first use of the new 11-ton bomb by the RAF yesterday was credited with knocking out the important Berlin-Ruhr railway viaduct at Bielefeld, 80 miles east of the Rhine.

Wreck Viaduct.

Oranienburg is on the main highway and one of the two main railways to the Baltic coast where Russian armies are operating against Stettin, and on the Have river, which connects with a large freight canal.

1st Train Chugs

Into Manila

MANILA.——

Railroad transportation to Manila was re-opened today with Gen. Douglas MacArthur riding the new flag bedecked Diesel locomotive of the first Lingayen-Manila freight. The arrival of the 16-car freight train came less than 24 hours after

beaching the first LSTs in Manila harbor after the "wreckage blocked breakwater channel was partially cleared.

The opening of rail and water shipping route is a big stride in getting supplies into Manila and Luzon fighting fronts.

Cheering, waving Filipinos   lined the tracks at every crossroad to wave to the general and get their first look at the modern Diesel locomotive, which bore big

signs: "General MacArthur Special."

2 More Islands Seized.

MacArthur reported today that Maj. Gen. Frederick A. Irving's 24th division infantrymen, veterans of Leyte, Bataan and Corregidor, invaded Romblon and Simara islands at night and "attained complete tactical surprise." The Japanese garrisons were wiped out. American losses were light. Romblon and Simara are strategically situated in the heart of the island-studded inland sea of the central Philippines. Their capture strengthened the American hold on the main shipping

route from the United States to Manila.