Current Events December 9, 1943;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY DECEMBER 9, 1943:

The Western World seethed last night with a backlash of reports and rumors in the wake of the three
Middle East conferences, and in the forefront was a Stockholm assertion that Bulgaria had begun moves to
get out of the war.
                         Despite winter rains and mud, the Anglo-American Fifth Army today
                          was pushing on toward Rome from Venafro after recapturing; rain
                                                and blood-soaked Monastery Ridge.

 The Fifth Army has captured the summit of lofty Mount Camino, routed the Germans from three villages south-west of Mignano and recaptured the rain and bloodsoaked Monastery Ridge in bitter fighting which gives them commanding heights overlooking the road to Cassino and the outer gateway toward Rome.

 The Navy department announced last night that 72 Japanese planes were destroyed and six enemy ships, including two light cruisers, were sunk Saturday when an American carrier task force attacked the Kwaialein and Wotie Atolls in the Marshall Islands. The Navy's communique said that only one U.S. ship suffered damage in the raid and that "our aircraft losses were light."

8th Air Force opened America's  third year of war Tuesday by' dedicating six great airdromes—four of
them heavy bomber bases—built by the U.S. Engineer Corps at a cost of $40,000,000.
The construction required, erection of 2,100 buildings ranging from prefabricated  nissen huts to huge
hangars. Truck-hauling materials for the six fields traveled a distance equal to a thousand times around
the equator. All materials were furnished by the British.

                                                  NORTHERN IRELAND EDITION
                THE STARS AND STRIPES
               Vol. 1. No. 4. New York, N.Y.—Belfast, Northern Ireland. Thursday. Dec. 9, 1943

Parleys Unleash Rumor Flood;
Bulgaria Is Reported Attempting
To Desert Axis, Get Out of War
Turk Tension
Is Increasing
After Talk
The Western World seethed last night with a backlash of reports and rumors in the wake of the three
Middle East conferences, and in the forefront was a Stockholm assertion that Bulgaria had begun moves to
get out of the war.
According to these reports to Stockholm from Istanbul a conference between the German minister to Sofia and Boshilov, the Bulgarian Premier, revolved about the shaky Nazi satellite attempts to throw off Axis shackles and withdraw from :he fighting. The tense situation in Sofia was heightened by the fact that Bulgarian ministers to Berlin, Moscow, and Ankara were home for conferences and a Russian military
mission was visiting the Bulgarian capital. Bulgaria is not at war with the Soviet.
                                                   Report Nazi Troop Movement
Other unconfirmed rumors which floated about freely in neutral capitals following the talks between
President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill ana the Turkish President, Gen Ismet Inonu, reported—continued movement of German troop ttowards the Turkish frontier, "unbearable tension" in Turkey, with
sealed orders given Turkish officers. to be opened only in event of a certain happening.


                     Despite winter rains and mud, the Anglo-American Fifth Army today
                          was pushing on toward Rome from Venafro after recapturing; rain
                                                and blood-soaked Monastery Ridge.

ALLIED H.Q., AFRICA, Dec. 9 (AP)—
The Fifth Army has captured the summit of lofty Mount Camino, routed the Germans from three villages south-west of Mignano and recaptured the rain and bloodsoaked Monastery Ridge in bitter fighting which gives them commanding heights overlooking the road to Cassino and the outer gateway toward Rome.
Official reports from Lt. Gen. Mark Clark's Headquarters said that the enemy had been pushed back to
the fringe of the ridges on the northern and western edges of Mount Camino and Mount Maggiore by the
steady thrusts of the British and American troops.
The Fifth hammer-blows through the deep and heavily fortified German winter line towards Cassino were accompanied by fresh ^ains on the Eighth Army sector in the Adriatic zone Montgomery's troops crushed repeated enemy counterattacks and reported limited advances in the More River area, where both infantry and tanks had previously crossed the stream.
Monastery Ridge is one of the foothills leading toward the summit of Monte Camino from the south.
                                                    Clark's Men Win 3 Villages
The three fortified villages from which Gen. Clark's British units drove the Germans were Camino, three miles southwest of Mignano; Acquapendola, five miles southwest of Mignano; and Cocuruzza. half a mile southwest , of Acquapendola. U.S medium and fighter bombers twice attacked Civita Vecchia.
In the first raid Mitchells hit one enemy ship, dropping bombs close to others, causing an explosion-----

Two Japanese
Cruisers Sunk
By U.S. Navy
72 Jap Planes Destroyed
  In Raid On Marshall
             Islands
WASHINGTON. Dec. 9—
The Navy department announced last night that 72 Japanese planes were destroyed and six enemy ships, including two light cruisers, were sunk Saturday when an American carrier task force attacked the Kwaialein and Wotie Atolls in the Marshall Islands. The Navy's communique said that only one U.S. ship suffered damage in the raid and that "our aircraft losses were light."
An "undetermined number of Japanese medium bombers on the ground were destroyed or damaged by planes from the task force which strafed and bombed enemy installations the communique said. Various ground installations on the. islands also 'were damaged by the raiders.
                                                                  Figbt off Jap Attack
"At Kwajalein." the communique said "they sank two light cruisers, one oiler and three cargo transports,
and damaged one troop transport and two cargo transports. At Wotie one cargo transport was damaged."
The Navy also reported that the attacking force successfully fought off "vigorous and prolonged" aerial
torpedo and bombins attacks by the enemy.

 Air Force Gets
6 New_Fields
A HEAVY BOMBER BASE, Dec. 9—
8th Air Force opened America's  third year of war Tuesday by'dedicating six great airdromes—four of
them heavy bomber bases—built by the U.S. Engineer Corps at a cost of $40,000,000.
The construction required, erection of 2,100 buildings ranging from prefabricated  nissen huts to huge
hangars. Truck-hauling materials for the six fields travelled a distance equal to a thousand times around
the equator. All materials were furnished by the British.
At this station, where the ceremonies were attended by Lt.Gen. Jacob L. Devers, ETC Commdr.; Maj.-Gen. Edwal H. Edwards, ETO Chief of Staff, accepted the field from Brig.-Gen C. R. Moore, Chief Engineer of the theater. Philip Ree« of the Lend-Lease Administration was a spectator.