Currebt Events February 29, 1944;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY FEBRUARY 29, 1944:

 Adolf Hitler's now familiar "to the last man" order went out to the defenders of Pskov yesterday as Russian tanks and mobile guns, spearheading the nearest of three columns closing in on the city, rolled down the last ten miles separating them from that gateway to the Baltic

 Renewing their campaign against Nazi military installations after a weekend lull, American heavy and medium bombers escorted, by fighters bombed military targets in northern France yesterday

U.S. warships have again shelled Rabaul, New Britain, and Kavieng. New Ireland, sinking seven ships in a co-ordinated raid with medium and heavy bombers which hit both bases within a few hours with 200 tons of bombs.

 NEW DELHI, India. Feb. 28 (Reuter)

British and Indian troops of the 14^th Army, achieving what Gen. A. P. F. Christison described as "a major victory over the Japanese," have routed a force of some 8.000 enemy troops on the Arakan front in Burma, killing 1.500. wounding probably 3,000 and encircling the remainder.

Berlin radio said yesterday that ten U.S. airmen who bailed out over the eastern Alps in Friday's raid on Regensburg. 70 miles northeast of Munich. "were rescued Saturday by German Alpine

troops and mountain guides.

 

New York, N.Y.-London, England                       Tuesday, Feb. 29, 1944

Big Ukraine Drive

Renewed; Goal

Is Kherson'

Adolf Hitler's now familiar "to the last man" order went out to the defenders of Pskov yesterday as Russian tanks and mobile guns, spearheading the nearest of three columns closing in on the city, rolled down the last ten miles separating them from that gateway to the Baltic.

With the Russians almost on the Estonian border in the far north. Gen. Popov's troops only 40 miles from the Latvian border a hundred miles to the south, and Gen. Vatutin's army less than 30 miles from the 1940 Russo-German boundary in Poland, west of Luck, the Red Army gathered in new territory all along the front.

In the Ukraine. Gen. Malinovsky's army launched a new offensive toward  Kherson and cleared 15 miles of the Dnieper's right bank in a thrust south of Aposiolovo. Col. Ernst von Hammer,

German News Agency commentator, said 100.000 Russians had been thrown into the fighting there. Forward Soviet units were less than 65 miles from Kherson.

Pskov Resistance Stiffens

Hitler’s order—that Pskov must be held at all costs—brought a stiffening of Nazi resistance north and west of the city behind heavily protected hedgehog positions. Moscow dispatches said the Nazis were fighting "desperately" to hold back the Soviet advance and were showing no signs of breaking under the preliminary attack.

Heavies, JB26s

Renew Attacks,

Blast at Calais

Raid Is 18th Major Sinash

Of Month; Flak Is Heavy;

Six Bombers Lost

Renewing their campaign against Nazi military installations after a weekend lull, American heavy and medium bombers escorted, by fighters bombed military targets in northern France yesterday.

Climaxing a series of daylight assaults on the .area where Hitler may be building rocket guns or facilities for launching pilotless planes, the heavies boosted the record total of February operations to 18—50 per cent above the highest previous month.

Working as four separate teams, two formations of Fortresses and one each of Liberators and Marauders were virtually unmolested by fighters but met heavy flak as they ranged over targets scattered up and down one of the most heavily bombed strips of land in the world.

Six heavy bombers were lost. All of the Marauders and fighters returned safely.

RAF Mediums Join In

RAF medium bombers also joined the days widespread blows. The Ninth Air Force, resuming its double-edged offensive in force, sent more than 1200 B26 mediums across the channel going wing to wing in strong waves and divided into a number of formations to rnake  simultaneous attacks on military projects.

.One B26 task force drove 40; miles inland to blast the German air base at *jKres-en-Santerre

Warships, Planes Again Shell

And Bomb Raba ill and Kaviengo

U.S. warships have again shelled Rabaul, New Britain, and Kavieng. New Ireland, sinking seven ships in a co-ordinated raid with medium and heavy bombers which hit both bases within a few hours with 200 tons of bombs.

One large tanker, three cargo ships and three coastal vessels were sunk. Seven other ships set afire included an 8,000-ton and a 5,000-ton transport. Two U.S. destroyers were damaged slightly.

Other US- and Australian warships prowled among the tiny islands northwest of New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago. hunting out Jap shipping attempting to run the Allied air-sea blockade.

In New Guinea. Allied heavy bombers dumped 102 tons of bombs on Boram airfield at Wewak and other installations. Dive-bombers, supporting Americans and Australians moving toward Madang. on New Guinea's north-central coast, struck the bomb-pocked Madang airfield and strafed enemy patrols.

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6,500 Japs Trapped

In Burma; 1,500 Slain

NEW DELHI, India. Feb. 28 (Reuter)

British and Indian troops of the 14^th Army, achieving what Gen. A. P. F. Christison described as "a major victory over the Japanese," have routed a force of some 8.000 enemy troops on the Arakan front in Burma, killing 1.500. wounding probably 3,000 and encircling the remainder.

The Japanese had planned to seize Ngakyedauk pass, only road connecting the British troops east and west of the Mayu range, and thus cut in half the Allied forces and deprive the Seventh

Indian Division of supplies. Another force planned to isolate the Fifth Indian Division.

For three weeks aircraft supplied and maintained in action more than a division equipped with tanks and artillery. More than 1.500 tons of supplies were dropped for the loss of only one Dakota (known to Americans as the Douglas DC-3).

10 U.S. Airmen Saved in Alps,

Others Stranded,' Berlin Says

Berlin radio said yesterday that ten U.S. airmen who bailed out over the eastern Alps in Friday's raid on Regensburg. 70 miles northeast of Munich. "were rescued Saturday by German Alpine

troops and mountain guides.

Earlier, Berlin said rescue parties were fighting deep snow and bitter cold to reach 114 American airmen who parachuted down over a wide area. Some survivors, stranded in temperatures ranging from ten to 28 degrees, were attempting to signal with flares, the broadcast said.

The ten already rescued, described by Berlin as "completely exhausted" and more or less severely frostbitten, were identified as:

Lt. Matturano, Lt. Voskav, Lt. Charles Olsen. Lt. Joseph Panuha. Sgt. Ernest Henderson, Sgt. Dunlop, Sgt. Charles Wiikins, Sgt. John Norton. Sgt. Philippe Ashork and Sgt. Paul Behn.

One airman, quoted by German radio, was reported to have said his machine "burst into pieces." at 3,500 feet. "While drifting down on my parachute.'" the airman was quoted as saying,

"I saw some of the parachutes of my comrades hurled against the rocks below". landed in the snow. Two comrades came down near me. "We attempted to fight our way forward next morning, but became exhausted. After three hours German soldiers rescued us."