May 7, 1944; ROMANIA GETS HEAVY BLOWS:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, MAY 7, 1944:

NAPLES, May 6.—AP—

A fleet of perhaps 750 American Flying Fortresses and Liberators, heavily protected by fighters, rammed home destructive bombing attacks against five key Romanian communications centers in daylight today, expanding the Mediterranean air  campaign  against Nazi Romania into a big-scale offensive.

LONDON, May 6.—AP

American Liberators and Marauders cast 1,000 tons of explosives on the 100-mile stretch of landing beaches nearest Britain today, Carefully selected German anti-invasion installations were hammered between Calais and Dieppe on the French coast just across from Dover's chalk cliffs on the 22d straight day of their furious aerial offensive.

CHUNGKING, May 6.— AP.

The Chinese command announced tonight that strong Japanese tank and armored car forces in a 30-mile breakthrough had driven to within 9 miles of the ancient city of Loyang, gateway of an historic invasion route to the interior of China.

Charleston, West Virginia. Sunday Morning May 7, 1944

Romania Gets

Heavier Blow

By Americans

'Round-The-Clock' Armadas

Smash 5 Rail Yards;

Ploesti Blazing

NAPLES, May 6.—AP—

A fleet of perhaps 750 American Flying Fortresses and Liberators, heavily protected by fighters, rammed home destructive bombing attacks against five key Romanian communications centers in daylight today, expanding the Mediterranean air  c a m p a i g n  against Nazi Romania into a big-scale offensive.

At the same time the Italian theater came more strongly into the war spotlight with reports to Allied headquarters that the Germans had carried out a mass exodus of Italian civilians from a strip 20 miles deep beyond the 5th army's main front in southern Italy.

An Allied headquarters commentator disclosed this information had come from Italian refugees. It was said the area had been made purely military territory, with the only Italians remaining those working directly with the Germans.

Bad Weather

Fails To Halt

Channel Raid

American Marauders Ripj

Dieppe-Boulogne Area ,

South of Calais

LONDON, May 6.—AP

American Liberators and Marauders cast 1,000 tons of explosives on the 100-mile stretch of landing beaches nearest Britain today, Carefully selected German anti-invasion installations were hammered between Calais and Dieppe on the French coast just across from Dover's chalk cliffs on the 22d straight day of their furious aerial offensive.

The Axis-controlled Paris radio said many localities were attacked in the area and heavy casualties occurred.

Calais Area Lashed

The Allied command sent nearly 500 Liberators and escorting Mustang, Lightning and Thunderbolt fighters against the Calais sector without loss in the morning. Tha

attack was made despite bad weather, which in the past had halted such flights. In the evening

Break- Th rough

By Japs ' Tanks

Imperils Loyang

CHUNGKING, May 6.— AP.

The Chinese command announced tonight that strong Japanese tank and armored car forces in a 30-mile breakthrough had driven to within 9 miles of the ancient city of Loyang, gateway of an historic invasion route to the interior of China.

The Japanese, slowed in their frontal attack on Loyang along the Lunghai railway from the east, struck swiftly from recently-captured Lunju to the southeast, crossed

the Yi river and raced to within sight of Loyang itself before being slowed in heavy fighting with the Chinese.

Tonight's communique acknowledged Japanese advances on two other sectors of the Honan province front, which the enemy was expanding rapidly in a campaign now being described by Japanese correspondents, perhaps significantly, as the most extensive since the big drive on Hankow in 1938.

Chinese Gap Narrowed

In one of these advances the Japanese drove 10 miles northward along the Peiping-Hankow railway from Kioshan to Chumatien, narrowing the Chinese-held gap of the railway to less than 40 miles. The Japanese forces driving southward along the railroad from Chenghsien last were reported at Yencheng.

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