Current Events January 17, 1943; NAZIS FEAR BREAK-THROUGH AND ALLIED INVASION OF CONTINENT / U. S. PLANES HIT JAPANESE DESTROYERS IN SOLOMONS / BRITISH TROOPS BEAT BACK JAPANESE IN BURMA:

                       The Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, WEST V I R G I N I A , SUNDAY MORNING, J A N U A R Y 17, 1943

Nazis Fear Red Break-Through, Rush 80-Mile Polish Defense Wall

By John A, Parris

LON'DON, Jan. J6 (UP).—Germany, fearing both Allied

invasion of the continent and internal crack-up in occupied

countries, is ..building defenses frantically and resorting to

mass arrests in Poland, Norway and France, according to

reports reaching London today.

The Norwegian government in exile reported that the Germans

were engaged in "feverish efforts" to strengthen defenses

on the Norwegian coast,

Deputy Prime Minister Stanislaw Mitolajczyk of Poland

toJd of a heavily-fortified corridor 80 mites wide running

through the center of Poland as a line of defense against any

Russian break-through.

Trapped Nazi Unit

Loses 120,00()Men

80,000 Face

Annihilation

Pocket Tightens Near Stalingrad

MOSCOW, Jan, 17 {Sunday) (UP).—Soviet troops threatened

today to annihilate all Axis troops encircled west of Stalingrad, where

the pocketed gar-rison has been, reduced by 120,000.or more men,

A special Soviet ^communique,

disclosed that the German commander of the garrison had refused

a Russian ultimatum for it's surrender. The encircled troops

once were estimated at 200,000 to 220,000 men, the communique said,

but now- number between 70,000 and 80,000.

U. S. Planes Hit 3 Nippon Destroyers

Fire Cargo Ship, Down 30 Planes In Solomon Area'

WASHINGTON*, Jan. 16 (UP)

— An indication of impending large-scale action in the Solom

mons area was seen tonight in the navy's disclosure that on

Friday U. S, planes operating in those islands shot down 30 Japanese

aircraft, damaged three destroyers and left a cargo ship

burning after scoring two direct hits on it.

Jap Offensive Broken

NEW DEHLI, Jan 16 UP—

British troops have beaten off a determined Japanese counterattack

near Rathdaung, 25 miles north of Akyab, Burma, while

Royal Air Force planes battered enemy positions in the Akyan

area, a British communique reported today

Th communique disclosed that Feild Marshal Sir Archibald Percival

Wavel's British/Indian troops had attacked by the Japanese near Rathdaung

Thursday night.