July 16, 1944;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, JULY 16, 1944:

 

Yanks Take

All Heights

Above Port

ROME, July 15— (AP) —

Doughboys brought the great port of Livorno (Leghorn) in to artillery range from themountain' positions three an one-half miles away today and in a sweep along a 25 mile front occupied all important heights nine miles from the Arno river guarding Florence and Pisa.

It appeared that Livorno, potential. base for a grand assault of  the Gothic line above Florence an Pisa, - could not be held much longer by the battered German

Fourteenth army, now In full retreat

Lessay Fall

Draws Close

SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED EXPEDITIONAKY

FORCE, Sunday, July 16—(AP)—

U. S. troops rolling up the German western flank in an unspectacular but relentless advance yesterday smashed into the outskirts of Lessay and the fall of that Axis coastal anchor town was expected soon.

German broadcasts said a big drive was imminent in that British-Canadian sector around Caen on the eastern end of: the Normandy front, and a field dispatch from that area said.

German demolition crews had begun blowing up smokestacks

in the factories of Colombelles, three miles northeast of Caen.

Such wrecking usually precedes a German withdrawal, but

this.dispatch said there were no other signs the Germans

were pulling out.

The capture .of Lessay on the west coast of. the Cherbourg peninsula probably

would force a German withdrawal of several miles on a broad front.

Berlin Tells

Of New Push

LONDON, July 15—(AP)—

The Russians tonight announced sweeping gains on the north central Niemen river front, outflanking the German fortress of Grodno and reaching within eight miles of the Suwalki border of east Prussia and the German command announced that a tremendous new

Soviet offensive had begun in the south of old Poland.

The Russian midnight communique announced successes all down the Baltic-White Russian front, beginning with the capture of Opochka, 24 miles east of  the Latvian border. The Russians announced Friday night they had taken the railway

station and were' fighting in the streets.

Flaming Oil Rivers Hit Japs

tombed Tanks

Hill

Of Yank Airmen

By the Associated Press

'Flaming rivers of oil. Were sent gushing down on Japanese, in the Boela petroleumcenter of Cuam island in a blazing answer by. Allied fliers of .an enemy broadcast 'hintng that superfortress airmen had been executed for bombing

Japan.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur announced today attack planes flying in force from recently captured airdromes off New Guinea split open storage tanks in the hills of the Dutch east Indies island and tile streams of oil enveloped "the whole target In flames."

MacArthur's bombers came out victoriously in air battles over Yap and Palau, and Joined cruisers and  destroyers bombarding 45,000 Nipponese foot soldiers regrouping for another smash at American) lines on  northern New Guinea coast. A spokesman said this intense bombardment had temporarily halted

the enemy attempt to break out of a massive trap.

ejt