Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • Page 1

HOME edition' DELIVERY SERVICE Call your Tribune boy dealer by telephone if you miss your paper. If you cannot reach him, telephone TE-6000 and everything possible will be done to correct your service. EXCLUSIVE ASSOCIATES PRESS UNITES PRESS VOL. CXXXIX 5c DAILY OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, MONDAY, JULY 12, 1943 15o SUNDAY NO. 12 rx i .1 ALLIES CAPTURE SYRACUSE, 9 OTHER SICILY PORTS; HEAD FOR MESSINA III LI lie DIUUKCU Supply Heel SICILY FLIER Patton and Montgomery Lead Allies 1 Ship Sunk, 1 Left Sinking, 2 Damaged By Patrol Planes WASHINGTON, July 12.

(JP) Axis Reports Say Invaders Beaten Back LONDON, July 12. (JP) The Germans Add to Fury of Attack in Kursk Salient but in Vain, Red Communique Says; Nazis Declare Thousands of Russians Seized MOSCOW, July 12. (JP) The battle of the Belgorod breach continued in undiminished fury today, with the Russians insisting 1iey have effectively prevented German tanks from enlarging! wedge driven into the Red Army lines five days ago. Field Marshal Guenther von Kluge's armored cblumns were also smashing with fresh emphasis on the Orel-Kursk 7 Armored Counter-Attacks Smashed; 2000 Axis Prisoners i. Take Rule Ai Additional War News on Pages 2, 3 and 13 By DANIEL DE LUCE ALLIED HEADQUARTERS.

IN NORTH AFRICA, July 12 (fP) Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery's British armies raced toward Catania from captured Syracuse in a tremen VALLETTA, Malta, July 12 American bombers, battering four Japanese cargo vessels apparently attempting to supply the enemy base at Kiska, sank one Japanese ship, left a second in a sinking condition and badly damaged the Lieut Gen. George S. Patton Jr.

is commanding United States forces in Sicily, while Gen. Sir Bernard Italians asserted in a communique today that Axis forces in Sicily had counter attacked successfully against Allied invasion forces and that "fighting continued fierce and uninterrupted." The communique, broadcast from other two. The Navy, reporting this today. L. Montgomery, is commander in chief of the British forces, an officii statement said today.

said that Army heavy and medium bombers and Navy patrol bombers The full list of senior officers dous push up Sicily's east coast today, after American and Rome and recorded by the Associ commanding the-present combined intercepted the cargo fleet 280 miles southwest of Holtz Bay, Attu Island. Wright Plane other Allied forces had captured nine other important ports That location would put the ships ated Press, also said the Allied forces "vainly tried to increase the size of the occupied coastal areas," operation in the Mediterranean under Dwight D. Jlisenhowei follows: and towns, turned back seven counter-attacks by enemyr on a direct line from Japan to Kiska. The Navy also reported a new tanks, and captured 2000 prisoners, mostly Italians. "Italian and Gentian troops de-q Commander in chief of the Medi end of the Kursk salient, but here, too, the Russians claim, they were absorbingthe best the Nazis could give.

The Kursk sector blazed into more furious action as the secbnd week of the German offensive began, but it was not yet clear whether Von Kluge has shifted the main weight of his attack from Belgorod in a possible search for an easier spot to breach the Eussian lines, (A German communique, broadcast by Berlin and recorded by the I Officials Sued terraneanAdmiral Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham. bombardment of Japanese positions at Gertrude Cove on Kiska and on Little Kiska Island during Sunday Naval commander Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay. Deputy commander in chief. Al Leading the western crescent of the Allied attack, Americans under Lieut. Gen.

George S. Patton Jr. crushed the heaviest of the enemy armored counter-attacks in the Licata-Gela area, some 80 miles west of Syracuse, and advanced northward of Gela. Montgomery Plunges on Toward Straits Action Taken on Report lied forces Sir Harold Of Truman Committee; Commander in British Jury Probe Looms forces Gen. Sir Bernard L.

Montgomery. yisiveiy went uveij to -tuumer-ai-tacks, beat at enemy units at several points, and in one sector compelled them to retreat," the war bulletin added. The announcement asserted that four Allied cruisers were torpedoed, three by Italian planes and another, of 10,000 -tons, by a submarine. The one reported hit by the underseas craft "blew up," said the TWO OTHERS CLAIMED Four other Allied craft were reported hit by aerial torpedoes, and two of them, both steamers, were listed as sunk. Italian and German air formations also were said to nave sunk Air commander in chief, Mediter CINCINNATI, July 12.

(U.R) morning. The enemy did not return the fire from the guns of a single United States surface vessel. Four Jap Bases in South Pacific Bombed ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC, July ll A i a pounded four widely-separated Japanese bases in the Southwest Pacific Sunday, striking most heavily at Munda, the enemy's key defense point in the Central Solomons. More than 176 tons of bombs were loosed on the Japanese strongholds and at least nine Zeros which at ranean air command Air Chief Marshal, Sir Arthur Tedder. The Government today filed suits in U.

S. District Court tq, reclaim dam Associated Press, said an important Russian force had been encircled and wiped out between Orel and Belgorod. THOUSANDS CAPTURED Several, thousand prisoners' were taken, the communique said, and 129 Red Tanks were destroyed. Numerous guns and other war material were captured. (The communique claimed a total of 220 Russian tanks and Commander, United States nival forces Vice-Admiral Henry Hewitt.

ages from 10 high ranking execu tives of the Wright Aeronautical Commanding general, American Corporation plant at Lockland, forces Lieut. Gen. George S. Patton Jr. charged by a Truman committee re Heading units of his famous British Eighth Army, which fought in epic battles from El Alamein, Egypt, across North General Montgomery plunged toward Messina and the strategic straits some 80 miles northward, after securing firmly the advantageous port of Syracuse, a city of 53,000, and potential springboard for invasion of the Italian mainland.

(United Press reportecf-tfi at authoritative sources said today that the Allies were battling the stiffest Axis resistance yet encountered, including crack German units, supported by armor. (The Americans were' holding a bridgehead 25 miles long and 10 miles deep after taking Licata and Gela on the south coast, said a dispatch from the Allied command post by- port with production of defective Commanding Northwest war equipment. 70 airplanes were destroyed on this sector and added "that Red! Army losses since July 5 totalled African force Lieut. Gen. Carl A Spaatz.

Calvin Crawford, U. S. District Attorney for southern Ohio, forr 28,000 prisoners, 1640 tanks and 1400 Commanding Northwest African tactical air force Air Marshal Sir warded the civil suits from his Day ton, headquarters. Arthur Coningham. guns destroyed.) In any event, the Russians declared that the Germans were fighting in general on much the same The defendants in the suits were: 'With You in Spirit' LONDON, July 12.

UP) The Rome radio said today that Premier Mussolini had sent this message to the defenders of Sicily. "I am with you in spirit in your magnificent fight for defense of the fatherland and with it of European liberty." Commanding general, strategic G. W. Vaughan, president of Cur tempted to' interfere were shot down. One Liberator and two Allied fightersere lost.

Torpedo and dive-bombers smashed 52 tons of heavy bombs upon anti-aircraft positions and bivouac areas near Munda. Stormy weather hampered the Avengers and Dauntless bombers as they roared in on Munda in another of the series of raids designed to air force Maj. Gen. James H. Don- tiss-Wright and chairman of the board of Wright Aeronautical Corporation; M.

B. Gordon, vice-presi' little. Air officer commanding Northwest African Coastal Air, Force-Air Vice-Marshal Sir Hugh P. Lloyd. dent and general manager; Arthur McNutt, vice-president in charge of engineering; G.

J. Chapline, vice soften the sector for ground forces Maj. Daniel B. Rathbun, 26, of Oakland, is one of the American fliers in the battle for Sicily. -Tribune photo.

president in charge of sales; C. C. already Catherine in the jungle to King, treasurer; E. S. Kramer, sec Seven Allied Divisions Landed, Says Berlin LONDON, July 12.

(JP) The Berlin radio declared today that a total of seven British, American and Canadian divisions already had landed in Sicily. Giving this figure in a broadcast recorded by the Ministry of Capt. Ludwig Sertorius, transocean military commen-tatof asserted that "General Eisenhower undoubtedly can, if he desires, double the force already landed." retary; J. H. Scanlon, assistant sec storm the Japanese stronghold.

The communique from General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters said 12 Axis Divisions Believed in Sicily By EDWARD GILLING retary; J. H. Darragh, assistant secretary-treasurer; W. M. Finlay results of the attack were unoD- manager of the Lockland plant; and five steamers and several landing craft, and the planes, the communique continued, "hit and set on fire more than 40 merchantmen and transports of various tonnages." "The fighting spirit of Italian and German units is very the communique continued.

"The behavior of the population of the island and that of the proud Sicilian soldiers, who in great numbers belong to our units, is superior to any praise." irvei. Pilots who' took part in C. G. Poehlmann, quality manager offensive, which has cost them 2500 tanks and 1068 planes iri a single week. Few details are available on the present situation in the Belgorod breach at the southern end of the 200-mile central front, but the Russians have reported they repelled a Nazi attack by more than 100 tanks, including the new 60-ton Tigers.

PROTECT INFANTRY Red" Army artillery and aviation protecting the Red infantry destroyed 34 tanks and dispersed the remainder, the Russians said. Altogether, the Russians say, they have repelled 10 German attempts to advance in the Belgorod sector. While still working to break through in the Belgorod area, the Germans attacked strongly In the Representing the Combined British the raid, however, were certain their at Lockland. Press Oaklander in Sicily Air Fight Distributed by the Associated Press Edward Gilling, representing the combined British Their equipment already was being unloaded at these ports. bombs found their intended marKs.

A headquarters spokesman said the ground situation at Munda is unchanged. Latest reports said They were charged with "knowingly presenting false, fictitious and fraudulent claims" to the Government in order to obtain approval AN ALLIED COMMAND POST (t loriaia, eignt miles inland irom Syracuse, already is in British hands, said another dispatch.) Continued Pe 2, Col. 7 IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AREA, July 10. (Delayed)-r-Allied sources said today that' enemy forces defending Sicily may consist of 12 divisions. Maj.

Daniel B. Rathbun, who led Allied warplanes were sweeping the skies from Rome bulletin asserted that Axis fighters had shot down 30 Allied planes and that eight more crashed after being hit by antiaircraft fire. 'It admitted loss of 23 Axis planes in the pas two days. of the claims, "false bills, vouchers, and certificates." Grand Jury Probe May Be Undertaken WASHINGTON. July 12.

(U.B Rommel Orders Army one of the successful air forays on Sicily yesterday, comes of a family (The total thus would range up Alert for Landing to perhaps 144,000 men. London Ore-Kursk sector at the northern end of the Kursk salient. sources on Saturday placed the total ITALIAN FLEET SAILS MADRID. Julv 12. (U.R) German The Justice Department said today Axis forces on Sicily as ranging Up to 400 tanks ana a large ircejederal Grand Jury inquiry wm of infantry attacked on one narrow.

)( upwards to men.) Marshal Erwin Rommel, commanding anti-invasion defenses in Southern France, has ordered his forces be undertaken, if its preliminary investigation of the Curtiss Wright Meanwhile, a report from Bern, Switzerland, received here by way of Stockholm, quoted the Svenska Dagbladet as saying part of the Italian fleet had steamed out'df Xa airfields captured in Sicily. They had left Catania, the next objective of the British march, aflame, and they had dive-bombed columns of Axis troops being brought up for counter-attacks, destroying 400 or more of the enemy's vehicles. Allied naval forces, unhampered by the Italian fleet, continued to pour men and supplies into the bridgeheads stretching for 100 miles along Sicily's southeastern coast for the. rapid push up Sicily's eastern shore, and hurled shells into the enemy's communications and Not only was the Allied bridgehead completely secured, but all the conditions appeared favorable for a real lightning Two of these probably are German, the remaining 10 being five Italian coastal divisions and five tn "stand to" on the alert against sector. The Russians reported many Continued Pace 2, Col.

5 Allied landings, reports reaching here from Vichy said today. Rom Corporation develops information warranting prosecution on charges that the firm sold defective aerial Italian infantry divisions. of fighting men. A brother, Lieut. Edward Rath-bun, 24, also is a flier and is stationed in India.

Another brother, Pvt. Warren Rathbun, 20, is at radio mechanics school in South Dakota. Major Rathbun, who is 26, came from Williams, where his family lived until a year and a half ago. His parents, Mr. and Mrs.

Lyon Rathbun, and a sister, Mrs. Harriet Winch, live here, and his wife, Betty, lives at Ontario, Calif. "The major attended Williams High School and Oakland Polytech mel also was said to have miormea the Italian hieh command that he Spezia, Italy, and that the people in Rome expect it to engage the Allied warships. The Paris radio asserted in a equipment to the Government. Survivor of Merced Crash Is Found MERCED, July 12.

(JP) Lieut William D. Fergus, 28, of Miami, broadcast recorded by the Associ The Truman Senate committee investigating the war effort charged in a report Saturday night that the Wright Aeronautical Corporation, a has sufficient troops to take over the protection of the Italian zone of the French Riviera and Corsica, but Rome failed to accept the offer. Helena's Skipper Survives Sinking By The Associated Press First word that Capt. Charles P. Cecil, skipper of the light cruiser ated Press that Axis forces had re campaign for Sicily.

conquered several of the bridgeheads in Sicily and that nearly 1000 Allied soldiers had been killed or captured. Curtiss-Wright subsidiary, pro duced defective engines at its Lock land, plants. soueht for three days after nic College- before joining the Air List of Ports Now Held by Allies Licata, on the southeastern coast? Kela, Pachino, on Cape an airplane accident in the Sierra U.S. Bombers Again Raid Indo-China Thus far, a Justice Department Earlier the German International Nevada mountains, walked into a Corps. He earned his wings at Stockton.

He "was with the United Nations Helena, had survived the sinking of his ship in the battle of Kula Gulf, came today in a dispatch from Tom Yarbrough, Associated Press Correspondent in the South Pacific. Information Bureau, a propaganda agency, had asserted in a Berlin Passero, at the extreme southeastern tip' of the island; Avola and Noto, midway between Syracuse and Pachino; Pozzallo, camp at Bass Lake yesterday. lt- ri97B anri tinnhlp in re forces that invaded Africa in Novem By The Associated Press A French Indo-China communi broadcast that Axis forces had driven American invasion columns ber and has been credited shooting down a number of German I IV. member yOhat had happened to him Captain Cecil, whose home is in site of an important air base on the south coast; Scoglitti, Ispica and Rosolini were among' the captured places listed in Flat "Rock," N.C., said the Helena back to the coast. planes.

The Rome radio reported in a que broadcast the Berlin radio and recorded by. the Associated Press said today that Haiphong and Hongay in French Indo-China were attarRed bv United States Air Force His sister said that the family has in nis waiiuenufca uu uu. the scene of the crash. National forest rangers arranged for his return tn thp Merced Armv Air Field. broadcast heard by Reuters that the had no word from him in the last two wenks and ent.

his last letter official revealed, no criminal conduct has been uncovered. TRANSCRIPT TURNED DOWN The Justice Department statement said transcripts of the Truman committee's hearings conducted at Cincinnati, 0 by. Sen. Harley M. Kilgore Wi.Va.), into Wright, aeronautical activities were turned over to the department's war frauds unit at the request of Assistant Attorney General Tom C.

Clark. Acting Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson announced today that had sunk three destroyers and two other warships, believed to have been cruisers, before torpedoes sent his ship to the bottom. Allies have established artillery emplacements on Sicily and also have Fergus survived the collision of just beiore the invasion bombers from China, on Saturday. started.

two Merced Field planes Thursday (Details on Page 3) thrown tanks into the fighting. while searching for a missing Twenty -one civilians were Killed and 40 were wounded, the communique, issued in Hanoi, capital of French Indo-China, said. camper. The pilots, Captain nr 1 AltaHpna whn ALLIES INCREASE GAINS ON SICILY COAST was ridinff with Lieut. Fergus, and Second Lieut.

Lloyd E. Bergstrasser the Army's resident representative 0 50 irstXriticflLeiiod were Kinea. STATUTE MILES poration's Lockland, plant has todays Allied headquarters communique. (The Morocco radio, in a broadcast recorded by Reuters in L'ondon, said that the Catania airdrome had been captured. There was no immediate confirmation of the report, but earlier dispatches said Allied forces were near Catania.) American troops in the Gela area beat off counter-attacks by the Italians' Fourth Livorno Division and 45 tanks in the heaviest; of all the seven enemy counter-blows.

The 54th1 Napoli Division was' driven 6ut of Syracuse" the British a lightning blow at the end of the second day of the Allied invasion, which appeared to be a serious handicap to the enemy in bringing up reinforcements to meet a rapidly swelling penetration into.the interior of the island. The civilian population "seemed more pleased to see us than they had been to see the Huns," said one observer. The swift occupation of the string of ports and towns along a 100-mile stretch of Sicily's southeastern coast was accompanied by a furious air action yesterday in which fleets -0 Passed, Says Premier OTTAWA. July U.t-(JP) Prime Srt ijunos I I ML USTICA been removed because of the Truman committee's disclosures. INSPECTION INCREASED Patterson said the officer in Minister W.

L. MacKenzie King told the House of Commons today that the "first critical period has passed" for the Canadians engaged witn Al charge of the inspection section at the Wright Field, headquarters for airforce procurement, also was lied forces in the invasion of Sicily but "the' most critical period is to come. Continued Page 2, Col. 6 Cissie Loftus, Noted Actress, Is Dead NEW YOEK, July 12. Cecilia (Cissie) Loftus, 67, stage and screen actress for more than half a century, died today of a heart ailment at her home in the Hotel Lincoln.

Miss Loftus started her career at 15, and at the turn of the century was considered to be one of the most'yersatileftaetresses in her native Britain and adopted America. She played comedy arid tragedy, and her entertainment ranged from portrayals of famous roles in Shake of fast new American A-36 fighter-bombers smashed vehicles endeavoring to rush up troops and supplies for FOLKS AT HOME MUST REDUCE APPETITE FOR CHEESE AND BUTTER ERE LONG tacks, and heavy blows were rained by four-engined and me dium bombers on Catania and the Sicilian airdromes of Milo, Sciacca and Gerbini, and two other airdromes at and near Reggio-Calabria on the Italian mainland. WASHINGTON, July 12. (JP) speare to hilarious impersonations Large-Scale Landings Continuing The War Food Administration announced today that for the. 12 months beginning with July civilians would have to get along with less butter, cheese and most kinds AIRDROMES' BOMBED consumption last year was pounds.

Of the 69,000,000 cases of evaporated milk expected to be available during the next 12 months, or 4. cases out of 10 have been allotted to civilian use. Military and war services will get slightly more than 24,000.000 cases or 3 of every 10 cases. The apparent civilian consumption last year was 2,301,000.000 pounds while the allotment this year is approximately 1,305,000,000 pounds. LESS CONDENSED MILK The condensed milk allotment was of processed milk.

'The butter cut Swarms of Allied fighters patrolled the beaches, protecting the operations, however, and 45 enemy aircraft were shot down yesterday. Only nine Allied planes were lost. Casualties among the Allies continued much less than might normally be expected in such a sweeping offensive, it was said at Allied headquarters, and a number of hospital. will be 40.4 million pounds under the previous yea'with the supply ships were still waiting in reserve. reported at 1,670,000,000 pounds, compared with "apparent, civilian consumption of 2,074,000,000 in the previous 12 months.

The armed forces have been allotted lMs pounds out of every 10 pounds 'of butter produced and the As a result of the swiftness of Allied action, it was said Continued Page 2. Col. 1 TWO AIRDROMES' set at 212,000,000 pounds compared to 267,000,000 pounds last year while AIRDROMES N.HozzanovJ of Bernhardt, Ethel Barrymore and the theater's great. She is survived by the son of her second marriage, Peter John Barrie Waterman, London theatrical producer. WHERE TO FIND IT Classified Advertising ........18 Comics ....16 Crossword Puzzle 14 Editorials and Columns 24 Financial 17 Fraternal Notices .23 Gardens 14 Geraldine .,...14 Mackenzie 24 Magazine Features ,.14 Radio Schedules .......16 Rationing: Timetable 13 Society and Clubs 15 Sports 10 Steinbeck 5 Theaters: Wood Soanes '9 Uncle Wiggily 1 Vital Statistics ...23 Weather Talk 13 CAPTURED NEAR GELA Pachino CAPTURED the civilian share of dried whole ALLIED HOSPITAL SHIP, FULLY LIGHTED, Russian Army will receive half pound, leaving approximately eight of every 10 pounds for civilians.

ALLIES GET MOST milk Was put at 20,000.000 pounds compared with 17,000,000 last year and two kinds of dried skim milk at 90.000.000 pounds compared with 305,000,000 pounds last year. SUNK BY AXIS; 400 WOUNDED SAVED ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NORTH AFRICA, July Civilians will get 508.000,000 pounds of cheese, 5 Mi out of every 10 produced, and the remainder The WFA said the allocations were made on the basis of relative urgency of all claims. It was said the allocations were 12. (IP) An Allied hospital ship which was fully lighted The Allies have occupied 110 miles (shaded area) of Sicilian coast, 10 miles deep; captured 10 cities and towns, including the port of Syracuse, driving out an Italian division and German garrison troops, and Gela, where U.S. forces routed another Italian division occupied Bix airdromes, at least one of which, Pachino, is already irf use.

The British force raced north from Syracuse toward Catania, where the bomber airdrome may have been taken by glider-borne paratroopers. U.S. forces have engaged 30,000 Ger mans near Raguea, 4- based on expected production and will be divided among the armed forces, countries receiving aid, the Red Cross and U.S. territorial possessions, with the Allies getting the largest share. The apparent civilian and anchored three miles off the coast of Sicily was sunk Saturday night by enemy bombers, but 400 wounded who were aboard were transferred successfully.

therefore would be "firm" for only three months. I.