Current Events December 20, 1943;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY DECEMBER 21, 1943:

Masses of Russian tanks and infantrymen pounded toward the Latvian border in a thunderous new winter offensive today after breaching a 48 mile long nazi defense line to a depth of 18 miles

 Important new gains by allied jungle troops battling to seize three Japanese island strongholds barring the road to Truk and Tokyo were announced officially today as Gen. Douglas MacArthur's three-pronged Pacific offensive exploded into new violence along a 500-mile battlefront

 

Three Germans and a Russian quisling were hanged in Kharkov's public square today, less than 24 hours after a military tribunal convicted them of participating in the mass murder and torture of the Ukrainian city's
civilians.

Forty thousand residents of the war torn industrial city witnessed the executions, including representatives
of both the Soviet and foreign press.

                 By NATALIA RENE
 International News Service Staff Correspondent
MOSCOW, Dec. 20. — (Monday) —
Masses of Russian tanks and infantrymen pounded toward the Latvian border in a thunderous new winter offensive today after breaching a 48 mile long nazi defense line to a depth of 18 miles.
The Soviet midnight communique announced that more than 500 nazi White Russian strongpoints shielding the Latvian frontier were seized and the strategic Nevel-Vitebsk railroad severed in the first five days of the new drive which may be the opening gun in a massive winter offensive from the Baltic to the Crimea.
Smashing southward from the Nevel area, 70 miles from Latvia the Russians killed 20,000 German troops in an allout push apparently aimed "at capturing the vita! north Russian rail junction of Vitebsk, 60 miles to the south.
Two thousand nazi troops were taken prisoner, the Soviet communique announced, and three German infantry divisions, a tank division and "several security units" were routed.

MacArthur Keeps
Offensive Rolling
On Pacific Fronts
GEN. MacARTHUR'S HEADQUARTERS,
New Guinea, Dec, 20.— (Monday)—(INS)—
Important new gains by allied jungle troops battling to seize three Japanese island strongholds barring the road to Truk and Tokyo were announced officially today as Gen. Douglas MacArthur's three-pronged Pacific offensive exploded into new violence along a 500-mile battlefront.
General MacArthur's headquarters confirmed previous frontline reports that the American invaders of New Britain have seized the key village of Umtingalu, one mile east of the neck of the allied occupied Cape Merkus peninsula.
The allied commander in chief's morning war bulletin also announced the fourth consecutive heavy air raid on Japan's New Britain stronghold of'Cape Gloucester, increasing speculation that a campaign to carve out a second invasion beachhead on New Britain's western tip may be imminent:.

 
Three Germans and "Soviet Quisling
Pay Penalty for Massacring Russians
 MOSCOW, Dec. 19.—(INS)—
Three Germans and a Russian quisling were hanged in Kharkov's public square today, less than 24 hours after a military tribunal convicted them of participating in the mass murder and torture of the Ukrainian city's
civilians.
Forty thousand residents of the war torn industrial city witnessed the executions, including representatives
of both the Soviet and foreign press.
The death sentence was passed on the men late last night after three days of lurid testimony in which the defendants and witnesses told of the brutal slaughter of defenseless men, women and children, 30,000 of whom are estimated to have died violently during the nazi occupation.