December 31, 1944; New Attack at Bastogne:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, DECEMBER 31, 1944:

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, SUNDAY, DEC. 31, 1944

3 Divisions in

double Drive

To Spring Trap

By EDWARD KENNEDY

PARIS. Dec. 30.—(AP)—Field Marshal Karl von Rundstcdt has struck with three divisions at both sides of the Bastogne salient, pointed like a dagger at the heart of his shrinkng.

Belgium and Luxembourg conquests,  late front dispatches tonight.

Two German divisions drove from he west and a third from the east it the corridor supplying Bastogne. from whose apex American artillery fire is raining on the 16-mile wide waist of Von Rundstedts hour-glass shaped front.

The renewed attacks—breaking a four-day lull—came as Lieut. Gen. George S. Patton's hard-driving forces broadened their front along the south of the German bulge to nearly 50 miles, struck west of Bastogne, sheared supply roads and threatened to cut off enemy armor thrust to within 23 miles of Sedan at Libramont.

TERRITORY RECOVERED

American counterblows had rewon nearly one-third of the territory overrun in the Germans' surprise counter-offensive, badly narrowing the maneuvering ground for

Von Runstedt's three armies. Progress of the new battle was not at once disclosed, nor was the time at which it broke.

FALSE HOPES OF

1944 GIVE WAY TO

REALISM OF 1945

By JAMES M. LONG

SUPREME HEADQUARTERS.

ALLIED E X P E D I T I O N A R Y

FORCE. PARIS. Dec. 30.— (AP)

Hopeful 1944. a year when the Allies might have won the war by collapse within the Reich, has given way to a realistic 1945. when the Allies expect to win by hard and costly battles.

Convoy Running

Jap Air Attack

Mac Arthur Silent On

Nips' Sinking Claims;

116,770 Die on Leyte

By SPENCER DAVIS

GENERAL Mac ARTHUR'S

HEADQUARTERS, PHILIPPINES

Dec.31.— Sunday)—(AP)—

Gen. Douglas MacArthur disclosed today a new Mindoro-bound convoy pressed on under Japanese attack to reinforce his conquering forces, that  the enemy had drawn troops from Manchuria in an effort to stop him on Letye Island.

JAP TOLL: 116,770

Total Japanese losses, including (iOl more killed in recent mopping

up operations, reached 116,770, the communique said.

The opposing forces on Ley! were declared about equal in number.

The communique said Japanese planes attacked the Mindoro-bound American convoy off PanayIsland the night of December 28-29.

December 30, 1944: NAZI ESCAPE CORRIDOR REDUCED:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, DECEMBER 30, 1944:

EMPORIA, KANSAS, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 30, 1944

Nazi Escape Corridor Reduced to

13 Miles Now Under Fire of Yank

Artillery; Enemy Must Strike So

Or Withdraw Forces from Pocket

By James M. Long

Paris, Dec. 30— (A.P.)—The German winter lunge into Belgium recoiled bit by bit today under triphammer American blows which 43 hours ago had sliced the width of the Nazi bulge to 13 miles, and flung its deepest spearheads buck

12 miles.

The Allied security cloak concealed later developments, except for telling of additional strengthening and widening of the U. S. Third army's corridor to Bastogne by Friday mornng.

The Third army had fought four miles above Bastogne by Thursday, within 13 miles of First army troops hitting Field Marshal Karl von Rundstedt's northern flank. For close to three days, Yon Rundstedt had been held without gain.

The most acute question today was whether the German commander was pulling his armor out.

U.S. Invasion of

Japan Essential

To Win Peace

Nimitr Points to

Possibility Result

Of Steady Attrition

Of Japanese Navy .

Saipan, Marianas Islands,

Dec. 29—(Delayed)—(A.P.)

— (Via Navy Radio)—

The Japanese "fleet will continue to attack when conditions are favorable, but we will be ready.  Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz said today as he spoke of winning- air bases closer to Japan preparatory to eventual invasion of the home

islands.

"Japanese naval strength  is gradually being reduced," the five star admiral said. "I think the Japanese will continue to use the remainder of their fleet when the opportunity offers, such as the recent

Mindoro raid (ii the Philippines) in which they suffered losses and did very little damage.

Pouring It On Now

We are just commencing a phase now where we are pouring it on Japan. We are still some considerable distance away but with passing time we will hit from

bases much closer to Japan with a rate of delivery of bombs -to Japan increasing..

"I still believe that we have to have bases close enough to Japan to bomb at a rate comparable to that to which Germany is bombed "Definitely Japan will have to be

occupied to win the peace. Just how much we will have to do to occupy it I don't know but we must prepare to invade Japan by assault."

To Move Headquarters

Nimitz made his remarks in a 10-minute interview with correspondents while on a flying tour of the Marianas. He reiterated that he planned to advance his headquarters to the Western Pacific to be closer to the fighting.

Dec 29, 1944; German Losses Continue / PrisonersTaken:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, DECEMBER 29, 1944:


Review

(E T was asked about the Maginot Line; the excerpt below from Wikepedia, reflects his memory of its early use resulting in Germany’s defeat of France in

1939. An excerpt on the Siegfried Line is includeded) 

The Maginot Line was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defenses, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I, and in the run-up to World War II. Generally the term describes only the defenses facing Germany, while the term Alpine Line is used for the Franco-Italian defenses.
While the fortification system successfully prevented a direct attack, it was strategically ineffective, as the Germans invaded through Belgium, defeating the French army. Flanked the Maginot Line, through the Ardennes forest and via the Low countries, completely sweeping by the line and conquering France in about 6 weeks. The Maginot Line was impervious to most forms of attack, and had state-of-the-art living conditions for garrisoned troops, including air conditioning, comfortable eating areas and underground railways. However, it proved costly to keep, consumed a vast amount of money and subsequently led to other parts of the French Armed Forces being underfunded.




The Siegfried Line was a German defense system stretching more than 630 km (390 mi) with more than 18,000 bunkers, tunnels and tank traps. It went from Kleve on the border with the Netherlands, along the western border of the old German Empire as far as the town of Weil am Rhein on the border to Switzerland. More with Nazi propaganda in mind than for any strategic reason, Adolf Hitler planned the line from 1936 and had it built between 1938 and 1940.

Salt Lake City, Utah, Friday Morning, December 29, 1944

Nazis Announce

Withdrawal of

Two Spearheads

Americans Slash Off Forward Tip

Of Foes' Northwestern Thrust,

Inflict Losses, Take 1000 Prisoners

Allies (Official) —By Associated Press

PARIS, Friday, Dec. 29 (AP)—

Deep hacked by lightning blows from the U. S. Third army under Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, toughest and most ruthless of the American field commanders, the German winter offensive appeared Friday to have had its back broken.

The German radio announced that Field Marshal von Rundstedt's western and southern spearheads had been withdrawn "according to plan" as the result of furious counterattacks by both the American First and Third armies from the north, west and south.

Forward elements of the German northwestern tip were cut off from their main body by Americans in that sector, where 1000 prisoners were taken and heavy losses inflicted. Long lines of prisoners also were being marched down roads on the Third army front, where Patton was personally shouting orders to his soldiers as he directed the battle.

Hammering gains up to 16 miles in six days through the wooded hills of Belgium and northern Luxembourg, Patton's powerful mobile army, punching up from the south, rescued the heroic American garrison at Bastogne and to the east beat back

the German wave after it had swept to within 13 miles of Luxembourg's capital.

Developments Fraught With Peril for Germans

The hard-driving Patton, America's No. 1 tank general, was given the job of stemming the enemy's surprise offensive three days after Von Rundstedt struck Dec. 16 and Thursday night, Associated Press Correspondent Hawkins declared, it appeared the back of the German drive was broken.

Allies Hasten

To Block

Nazis in Italy

Hurl in Strong Air,

Ground Force to

Halt Enemy Drive

Italy (Official)

By Associated Press

ROME, Dec. 28 (AP)—

Strong allied air and ground forces were thrown into battle Thursday in an effort to halt the German assault on a six-mile front in the Serchio river valley, where American doughboys have been driven from the important road town of Barga in two days of fierce fighting-.

The Germans declared that the U. S. 92nd Negro division had been knocked back "some kilometers" by the stubborn drive, which evidently was aimed at the vital allied supply port of Livorno (Leghorn) 32 miles away. Barga is a mile and a half east of the Serchio river and about 15 miles north of the provincial capital of Lucca.

Artillery Supports Nazis

Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's forces hit through flatlands and mountains on both sides of the Serchio in the first action of any importance in the Fifth army's west coast sector in several weeks.

The attacking nazis were supported by artillery

Japan Reports

Thursday

Raid on Tokyo

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (UP)

American Superfortresses scored at least 12 direct hits on Tokyo's great Musashino aircraft factory in their attack Wednesday, reports from Saipan said today, and enemy broadcasts said that Superfortresses had attacked the capital area again Thursday.

Brig. Gen. Haywood S. Plansell Jr., commanding the Saipan based 21st Superfortress bomber command, gave no estimate of the damage done in Wednesday's attack, the third on the Musashino works and the fifth on Tokyo,

but Saipan dispatches indicated that he was not of the opinion that the aim of knocking out the plant was yet in sight.