Current Events May 18, 1943:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY MAY 18, 1943:

American heavy bombers struck twice at the Nazis in daylight yesterday,

only a few hours after RAF Lancasters had bombed two vast reservoir

dams in. Germany and sent torrents of water surging down the industrial

Ruhr and Eder river valleys.

The Navy Department remained silent for the second

day on operations on Attu Island but emphatically denied claims by a

Japanese general that U-S. forces on the Island were using poison gas.

"The enemy claim that U.S. Troops used gas is absolutely untrue," a Navy

spokesman said.

RAF Wellington bombers swept Rome in brilliant moonlight

Monday night to deliver a smashing 'low-level bombing attack on the seaplane

base at Ostia, only 12 miles from the Eternal City.

          THE STARS AND STRIPES

Daily Newspaper of U.S. Armed Forces in the European-Theater of Operations

                    New York, N.Y.—London, England Tuesday, May 18, 1943

USAAF, RAF Smash Six Nazi Targets

Sub Bases at Lorient,

Bordeaux Hit by U.S.;

Ruhr Dams Blasted

Forts, Libs, Mediums, P47s Hammer Foe

In France After British Breach

Reservoirs, Starting Floods

American heavy bombers struck twice at the Nazis in daylight yesterday,

only a few hours after RAF Lancasters had bombed two vast reservoir

dams in. Germany and sent torrents of water surging down the industrial

Ruhr and Eder river valleys.

Targets in the newest phase of the heaviest Allied air offensive yet from

bases in Britain included:

1—Bordeaux, U-boat base and aircraft production center on the southwestern

French coast, struck by a force of Liberators in what probably

was the longest Eighth Air Force mission to date.

2—Lorient, U-boat 'base in western France, on the Bay of Biscay, attacked

by American bombers in the sixth U.S. raid there.

3—The Mohne and Sorpe reservoir dams which control two-thirds of the

water storage capacity of the Ruhr basin, heart of the Nazis' military industry,

blasted open early yesterday by the RAF.

4—Berlin, raided by a small force of RAF planes for the second night running.

5—Scattered Nazi military installations and communications throughout the Reich

and the occupied countries, hit in nightlong forays by Fighter Command aircraft.

6—The Luftwaffe airfield at Caen, France, attacked by Yentuxas in daylight,

with Spitfire cover which shot'down five enemy planes for the loss of one Allied

fighter.

Medium Bombers Out Again

AttuOperations

Still Kept Secret

Navy Emphatically Denies

Jap Claim Army Units

Are Using Gas

WASHINGTON, May 17—The Navy Department remained silent for the second

day on operations on Attu Island but emphatically denied claims by a

Japanese general that U-S. forces on the Island were using poison gas.

"The enemy claim that U.S. Troops used gas is absolutely untrue," a Navy

spokesman said.

Japanese reports today stated heavy fighting is in progress indicating the Army

units have managed to secure a good foothold.

The reports added that more Americans are still arriving to reinforce

units in battle with the support of U.S. planes and guns.

Elsewhere in the Pacific, fires visible for 50 miles were left by Allied" heavy

bombers after a raid on the Japanese base at Kandari, in the Celebes. Allied

attack planes and medium bombers raided Lae three times, bombing and strafing

ground installations and grounded aircraft.

Four enemy fighters and six bombers were caught on the ground and

machine-gunned and numerous fires were started.

In Burma, more than 20 tons of bombs were dropped by 10th Air Force Mitchells

on enemy railway targets in the Shwebo area yesterday.

RAF Blasts

Big Airbase

Near Rome

Y

Low-Flying Bombers Meet

No Flak Over Target;

Destroy Hangers

RAF Wellington bombers swept Rome in brilliant moonlight

Monday night to deliver a smashing 'low-level bombing attack on the seaplane

base at Ostia, only 12 miles from the Eternal City.

Time after time the Wellingtons made their runs over the moorings

and parked planes drawn up on the 'beach. The last runs were at altitudes of 100 to 500 feet, and bomb bursts were squarely among the parked planes or in

the hangars.

"Pilots reported that there was some desultory flak fire over Rome but none

at Ostia where the moonlight lighted the target so well that they used daylight

tactics. One pilot said that when he ran over the base for the last time, machinegunning

the grounded planes, all that was left of the hangars was a "mass of twisted

steel."

No bombs were dropped on Rome itself but the raid, the first so near

Mussolini's jittery capitol, made it abundantly clear that Allied possession

of the North African coast put all Italy within bomber range.

It was the first time since the war started that the drone of English motors and the crash of English bombs had been heard in Rome. The raid gave unmistakable proof

of the truth of an American broadcast, relayed by Algiers radio yesterday, which said:

                                            Great Air Force Ready