July 19, 1944; Port Chicago Toll Climbing:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, JULY 19, 1944:

Many Negroes Victims,

Simply Disappear;

Damage in Millions

PORT CHICAGO, Calif., July 18.—(AP)—

An explosion of two naval ammunition ships in the worst disaster of its kind in the nation's history left a toll of dead- approaching 350 today as rescue workers poked through the rubble in search of more bodies.

 

TITUSVILLE, PA., WEDNESDAY MOHN1NG, JULY 19, 1944

Allies Roll

Across Plain

Below Caen

Yanks Capture St. Lo

And Germans Retreat

At Other End of Line

AIRPOWER DECISIVE

By JAMES M. LONG

SUPREME HEADQUARTERS

ALlIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE,

Wednesday, July 19.— (AP)-

British and Canadian armored forces broke through the German line across the Orne river at the eastern end of the Normandy front Tuesday in a full-scale offensive which was rolling in dust southeastward across the Caen plain this morning with a power recalling the historic British assault at El Alamein.

On' the American sector to the west, Lt Gen. Omar N. Bradley's Doughboys

captured the hillside hinge stronghold at St. Lo after an eight-day battle, forcing a German withdrawal, of ,a mile to a mile and a half and threatening a .crumbling of the Nazi position westward all the way to the. coast.;

Using airpower instead of the artillery barrage for 'which he is famed,Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery opened the onslaught in the Caen area at dawn under cover of the greatest aerial bombardment since D-Day— a crushing assault  by 2.200 ' bombers . of all kinds which pounded the enemy with 7,000 tons of explosives and moved. along just ahead of powerful forces of tanks and. infantrymen,

Tojo Relieved

As Army Chief

Of General Staff

GeiutJmezu Takes Post;

Radio Blares of 'Crisis',

Admits Loss of Saipan

By RAY CRON1N

Associated Press War Editor

The Tokyo radio tiered about Japan's "great national crisis" and her "unprecedentedly grave war situation' yesterday as another drastic changein the Nippon High Command, the second in as many days, was announced.  Premier Tojo in person told, the people of Japan of the war crisis facing the empire ' as Chinese forces launched new drives on the Asiatic continent and the U. S._Navy reported continuation of relentless sea and air smashes against Guam and others

of the Marianas Islands surrounding American-held Saipan:

With. Japanese.' air, sea and land failures' multiplying, on virtually all

Pacific-Asiatic fronts, Tojo was relieved of his post as, chief of stahh.

The 'Japanese finally acknowledged loss of strategic Saipan where most of the garrison of 20,000 was wiped out by American Marines, Doughboys, airmen

and naval gunners.

More Jap Vessels Sunk

by Kenney’s Air Force

ADVANCED ALLIED HEADQUARTERS,

.New. Guinea, Wednesday. July 19.— (AP)—Lt. Gen. George A. Kenney's new Far Eastern Enforce sank or damaged four merchantmen,' three coastal vessels and several barges . in the continuation

of scouring ' . attacks ' on Japanese shipping, headquarters announced t o d a y .

These blows at the enemy's harassed supply -routes in the Southwest Pacific brought the total Allied bag announced yesterday and today to nine ships, five coastal craft and "at least eight barges sunk or crippled.

Perhaps 1,000 Hurt,

In Ammuition Blast

At Port Chicago Depot

On San Francisco Bay

FELT 80 MILES AWAY,

14 COUNTIES SHAKEN

Many Negroes Victims,

Simply Disappear;

Damage in Millions

PORT CHICAGO, Calif., July 18.—(AP)—

An explosion of two naval ammunition ships in the worst disaster of its kind in the nation's history left a toll of dead- approaching 350 today as rescue workers poked through the rubble in search of more bodies. :

The twin blasts last night, shaking 14 counties and felt 80 miles away, shattered this town 'of 1,500 and wrecked the two freighters, the 10,000-ton Quinalt Victory and the 7.500-ton E. A. Bryan. The ships were .loading ammunition at the Port Chicago naval ammunition supply depot, on an arm of San Francisco bay some 35 miles northeast of San Francisco.

The blasts sprayed hot metal over a two-mile area. One ship's anchor was found a half mile away..

Most of the dead were Negroes, members of Navy loading crews at the Port Chicago ammunition magazine.

Crew Members Lose Lives

In addition, possibly 70 members of the crews of the two ships lost their lives. A number of civilian workers on the docks were killed. The Navy said

"at least 200 to 250" of its loading crewmen died. The list of injured may reach 1,000, including those hurt by flying glass.

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