Current Events March 16, 1944;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, MARCH 16, 1944:

 Allied 'Headquarters, Naples, March 16 (UP)—

A savage battle raged through the, blackened ruins of Cassino today and official reports, said Allied tanks, infantrymen and artillery were slowly crushing' a, fanatical band o£ German gunners who crept back lust night "to defend the bomb and shell-torn wreckage of their mountain stronghold.

 LONDON, March 16  (UP) —

Powerful fleets of American planes smashed at southern Germany today in the wake of British bombers which strewed more than 3,300 tons of explosives across the Reich and occupied territory last night in the heaviest aerial assault o£ all time.

 WASHINGTON; March 16 (UP)

The nation's 6.400 draft boards were faced today with 'the need of stepping up .the draft of ''fathers and of reclassifying one out of every 20 men now deferred for farm and war work to; meet military manpower requirements by July 1.

  

WASHINGTON, March 16 (UP)

President Roosevelt delayed his decision on whether to sign or veto the compromise soldier vote bill today pending results of his canvass of state governors on effectiveness of its federal ballot provisions.

 DELPH0S, OHIO, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 16, 1944

Powerful U.S. Planes Smashing Germany

ALLIES SLOWLY

CRUSH NAZIS

Fanatical Band of German Gunners

Creep Back Wednesday Night

to Defend Shell-torn Wreckage

of Mountain Stronghold — Allied

Armored Forces Closing in for

Kill.

By C. R. CUNNINGHAM

Allied 'Headquarters, Naples, March 16 (UP)—

A savage battle raged through the, blackened ruins of Cassino today and official reports, said Allied tanks, infantrymen and artillery were slowly crushing' a, fanatical band o£ German gunners who crept back lust night "to defend the bomb and shell-torn wreckage of their mountain stronghold.

As the Allied armor closed in. for the kill, fierce fighting exploded on the Anzio beachhead 40 miles to the north where American shock troops lashed ''but in a sudden attack southeast of Apriliai

The German beachhead lines swayed perilously under the 'fury of the American, assault, arid observers speculated that the doughboys might have launched a major' drive to coincide with the big push, at Cassino.

HEAVIEST AIR

ASSAULT MADE

Official Reports Indicate American

and British Forces Have Delivered

Their Most Destructive One-Two

Punch.

By PHIL AULT

LONDON, March 16  (UP) —

Powerful fleets of American planes smashed at southern Germany today in the wake of British bombers which strewed more than 3,300 tons of explosives across the Reich and occupied territory last night in the heaviest aerial assault o£ all time.

United States Army headquarters said the armada bombers which struck Germany by daylight “ was very strong," a description applied only to the maximum mobilization of warplanes in the heaviest attacks of the war. ,.

Official reports indicated American and British forces had delivered their most destructive one-two .punch- The 'focal point of both mighty assaults was southern Germany, the RAF having dropped .2,- 800 tons of bombs on the big aircraft and transport center of Stuttgart alone.

LONDON, LONDON, March 16 (UP) —

More than 1,000 RAF heavy bombers rocked Germany with the heaviest air assault in history last night, dropping over 3,300 (short) tons of fire and demolition bombs on Stuttgart, Munich .and targets in the northwestern Reich. Large forces 'of 'American bombers maintained the around-the clock pace of the pre-invasion aerial offensive with new raids on Adolf Hitler's battled European fortress in daylight. The big formations left vapor trails in the sunlit sky us they swept out toward the continent at mid-morning.

WILL STEP UP

FATHER DRAFT

Nation's 6,400 Draft Boards Faced

the Hard Task — One of Every

20 Men Now Deferred for Farm

and War Work must be reclassified

to Meet Military Manpower

Requirements.

WASHINGTON; March 16 (UP)

The nation's 6.400 draft boards were faced today with 'the need of stepping up .the draft of ''fathers and of reclassifying one out of every 20 men now deferred for farm and war work to; meet military manpower requirements by July 1.

SOLDIER VOTE

President Roosevelt Awaiting Word

from Governors of Various States

Before, Signing Measure.

WASHINGTON, March 16 (UP)

President Roosevelt delayed his decision on whether to sign or veto the compromise soldier vote bill today pending results of his canvass of state governors on effectiveness of its federal ballot provisions.

Acting shortly after the house completed action on the measure by approving it 273-111, Mr.

Roosevelt wired the 48 state governors yesterday for their opinion as to whether their state laws

would permit use of the federal ballots and if not, whether steps would be taken to make their use

possible.

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