Currebt Events December 23, 1943;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY DECEMBER 23, 1043:

British bombers, in what London newspapers called in banner headlines "a blitz on' the rocket coast," carried the heaviest assault on northwestern France since 1940 well into its fourth day today with heavy

smashes at areas where the Germans have been reported setting up secret weapons to bombard England.

This afternoon great formations of aircraft, flying above the clouds, roared out across the straits in the direction of Dunkirk, and RAF.

Official Washington was Jarred to its heels today by a warning from a highly-placed though anonymous source that tremendous American battle casualties might be expected in the next 90 days.

                                                       To Mount Three-Fold

An official whose position makes him privy to many state secrets, and who stipulated that he was

not to be quoted by name, credited that total United States war losses will mount three-fold in the next three months. That would boost the present 132,000 casualty toll well past the half-million mark.

The statement, come as it did in the midst of a wide variety of rumors springing from the Teheran and Cairo conferences, caused an excited flurry in government quarters

 Eighth Army tanks and infantry fought bitterly in the streets of Ortona for the third straight day with German forces who were turning the tiny Adriatic port into a miniature- Stalingrad, an Allied headquarters announcement said today.

 American fighter pilots blasted a Japanese raiding fleet out of the skies in a furious dogfight over a forward U. S. air - base in China yesterday destroying or damaging 45 of the 58 enemy planes engagec at a cost of one American fighter, a communique revealed today.

 Nazi Rocket Guns
Believed Targets
Of Heavy Attacks
Non-Stop Assault Is Continued Into Fourth
Day; 21 U. S. Heavy Bombers Are Lost In
Raid On Northwest Germany Yesterday
                                                        By Phil Ault
LONDON, Dec. 23 (UP).—
British bombers, in what London newspapers called in banner headlines "a blitz on' the rocket coast," carried the heaviest assault on northwestern France since 1940 well into its fourth day today with heavy
smashes at areas where the Germans have been reported setting up secret weapons to bombard England.
This afternoon great formations of aircraft, flying above the clouds, roared out across the straits in the direction of Dunkirk, and RAF.
Typhoons, carrying bombs, swept out toward France flying so low that they appeared to be hugging
the water.
                                                    Hammer Fas Do Calais
For the last 96 hours the RAF has been hammering hard at the Pas de Calais area where, according to neutral dispatches, the Germans are preparing batteries of rocket guns. '
London newspapers, giving banner headlines to the assault across the channel, referred to the attack "blitz on the rocket coast" and also called the fortified area of northwestern France "the secret weapon coast."
Earlier today medium bombers took up the attack on the "rocket coast" which RAF heavy bombers carried through last night.
                                                     Raid  Northern France
 An air ministry communique covering last night's operations said only that bombers raided objectives in northern France and western Germany without loss, but watchers on the English southeas coast reported tons of explosive were dropped on the Pas de Calai area across the channel
                                                    Nails Fortifying Coast
Dispatches from Sweden and Switzerland have reported that the Germans were building concrete
emplacements in the Pas de Gala s area for rocket guns, the secret weapons with which many quarters believe .the Germans hope to retaliate for the Allied air offensive against Germany.

Huge U. S. 
Casualties 
Expected
WASHINGTON. Dec. 23 (AP).—
Official Washington was Jarred to its heels today by a warning from a highly-placed though anonymous source that tremendous American battle casualties might be expected in the next 90 days.
                                                       To Mount Three-Fold
An official whose position makes him privy to many state secrets, and who stipulated that he was
not to be quoted by name, credited that total United States war losses will mount three-fold in the next three months. That would boost the present 132,000 casualty toll well past the half-million mark.
The statement, come as it did in the midst of a wide variety of rumors springing from the Teheran and Cairo conferences, caused an excited flurry in government quarters.
Hours after the remark was out, unofficial efforts were made to lessen its impact by persons who pointed out that it came from a civilian and had no military substantiation.
                                                         Only God Knows
When the remark was relayed to Director Elmer Davs of the Office of War Information for his comment he said: "Only God knows what American battle casualties will be—In the next 90 days or any other time."


Fierce Battle Rages In Italy
Nazis Try
To Hold
To Ortona
By Wes Gallagher
ALLIED HDQ., ALGIERS, Dec. 23 (AP). —
Eighth Army tanks and infantry fought bitterly in the streets of Ortona for the third straight day with German forces who were turning the tiny Adriatic port into a miniature- Stalingrad, an Allied headquarters announcement said today.
                                                             Yanks Take Mountain
On the Fifth Army front to the west, American -troops captured snow-covered 3000-foot Mt. Cavallo,
northwest of Venafro, and French forces advanced in a mountain pass where a struggle had raged for
several days. Other American infantry attacking in the rain seized a hill near Monna Casale.
Swarming up the slopes of Mt. Cavallo in a drenching rain, the Americans now overlooked the village
of Viticuso, eight miles east of Cassino. The systematic, clean up-of-pillboxs around San Vittore continued.
 the heaviest fighting surged back and forth in Ortona where Canadians have been fighting the Germans in the streets for three days.
                                                              Nazis Use Chutists
The German Tenth Army threw new parachute troops, fighting as infantry, into the battle in a desperate
effort to retain its hold on this anchor to the present line across Italy.
Canadian tanks and infantry advanced from house to house, and everywhere were met by fierce opposition,
the Germans dying on the spot rather than retreating.

YANK AIRMEN
DEFEAT JAPS
CHUNGKING, Dec. 23 (UP).—
American fighter pilots blasted a Japanese raiding fleet out of the skies in a furious dogfight over a forward U. S. air - base in China yesterday destroying or damaging 45 of the 58 enemy planes engagec at a cost of one American fighter, a communique revealed today.
Five other American planes were damaged in the battle and a transport on the airdrome was wrecked but Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault's Flying Dragons accounted for 11 Zeros and four bombers definitely destroyed, 13 Zeros and three bombers probably downed, and 11 Zeros and three other bombers damaged.