Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 1

rj, S. WEATHER BUREAU rtCSOX AND VICIXITT: Little hnf temperature today and to- Temprature trdy: Hlith to Low 48 SmoS High 81 Low 8 An Independent NEWSpaper Printing the Newi 1 Impartially. VOL. 101 NO. 318 Caurad Mcood-cUM uM Hi Offing Tinea.

Anton TUCSON, ARIZONA, THURSDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 12, 1942 TWELVE PAGES PRICE FIVE CENTS AMERICANS, BRITISH RUSH TO MEET AXIS THREA IN TUNISIA; FRENCH RESISTANCE IN AFRICA ENDS ON ORDERS OF DARLAN; STA TUS OF VICHY FLEET IS STILL MAJOR MYSTERY OF WAR VITAL BASES TAKEN ORDERS ARE DIVERSE U. S. PARACHUTISTS MAKE LONG JAUNT TO FIGHT AT OR AN Petain Protests Ovr Hitler Occupation of All France Grow Weaker Under Pressure; Order To Resist Allies Is Repeated ON THE FRENCH FRONTIER, Nov. 11. (Hitler's sudden new march into France was protested today by Marshal Petain, but, after the return of Pierre Laval from Munich conferences with Hitler, the aged Vichy chief of state tonight was reported urging continued French resistance to the American occupation of North Africa.

After a day-long barrage of conflicting reports, the Vichy radio announced that both Petain and his cabinet called upon Bombers of Allies Strike At Units Seeking to Aid Rommel Submarines Join Planes in Pounding at Surface Craft Seeking to Assist Retreating Axis Desert Forces; British Hack Away at Fleeing Enemy Troops CAIRO, Nov. 11. (VP) While the rampant British Eighth Army continued to hack away at the fleeing Axis Africa Corps both inside Egypt and across the Libyan border today, Allied bomber squadrons and submarines roamed the Mediterranean and struck repeated blows at enemy surface forces to fight the Allies to the limit and the empire." that might have hoped to assist Rival Appeals by Radio Sent to Masters Of Ships SOME ARE HELPLESS Eisenhower Speech Is Part of Attempt To Get Action LONDON, Thursday, Nov. 12. (fP) Whereabouts of the bulk of the French fleet, who controls it and what they are going to do, with it provided a tense mystery today, 24 hours after Hitler's legions started marching across France toward its base at Toulon.

The Daily Express published a report from a staff correspondent "on the French frontier" this morn-ing that "several units" of 'the French navy, including a number of submarines, steamed out of Toulon early Wednesday morning with the. intention of joining the Allies in Africa. Authoritative British sources remained silent on the fleet's location, but some usually well-informed observers said "there is every reason to believe" that at least a "substantial part" of it is joining the forces of the United Nations, due to the influence of Admiral Jean Darlan, erstwhile commander of all Vichy French armed forces who now is being held by the Americans at Algiers. Reports Continue These reports on the departure of parts of the fleet from Toulon first began appearing almost as soon as the invasion of France was begun, and Vichy sources denied them. A Vichy radio broadcast late yesterday said the warships remained at the Mediterranean port.

White "these conflicting reports circulated ab.out Europe, the Vichy radio quoting a Havas News agency dispatch also reported that the Germans had reached all their objectives in their march through France. If this report was accurate, it would mean that German forces were in Toulon today. The Daily Express report said also that a number of merchant ships, some with cargoes aboard, had left Marseilles Wednesday morning after hurriedly rounding up crews. Although naval experts were doubtful as to the immediate value of the French fleet to either side, the Allies were doing all they could to keep these warships out of Axis hands. Lieut.

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, commander- of the American offensive in north Africa, yesterday broadcast a urgent appeal to the French sailors to join the Allies, warning them "the enemy is close upon you, sail at once for Gibraltar and join us." Other Pleas His message followed earlier, similar appeals from the British and it was broadcast time after time all through Wednesday. It was not clear what, if any, orders had been given to the fleet from the faltering Vichy government, nor could anyone say definitely if word had been quieUy passed to the seamen from Darlan, their longtime chief, that they should flee and join the United Nations. Darlan's swift capture stirred widespread speculation that he might swing back to the side of Allies after many months of collaboration with Germany, and his long record of leadership in th! navy made it clear that his views would carry weight with the sailors and their officers.

Xo Air Help If the fleet sailed against German wishes it did so without air protection and thus would be exposed to the deadly Nazi dive-bombers and torpedo planes until it could join Allied forces. (Continued to Page 5, Column 4.) YANKEE BOMBER FORMATION HAS NAZIS BAFFLED Fortresses and Liberators Defy Fighters With New And Adequate Guns TAKE PUNISHMENT Competent Crews and Sturdy Aircraft Seen at Base of U. S. Fliers (Thin Is the 15th of a series of articles by the editor of The Star following a trip to the Brit-lih Isles. Another will follow 1 rrwy).

Br WILLIAM It. MATHEWS Official communiques have been telling stories about the operations of our four-engined bombers, the Flying Fortresses and the Consolidated Lib-trators. What I saw of these planes in England is worth recounting, because it gives wme idea of American organization, American spirit and American ambitions. I hart delayed going out to a Fortress base because I wanted, to an actual operation. Early one ifternoon I was advised that if I would go out to a certain community In England I would be ad-Bitted the next morning to an American bomber base to see an Ktual operation.

Because of the ihortage of motor transportation, 1 bid to go by train. Greeted by Raymond I was on hand the next morning ind was greeted by Captain Gene Raymond, Jeanctte MacDonald's hmband, who Is a special service officer on this particular base. He bid bad news for me. The pros-Hctlva bombing had been "called iff because of bad weather over frinca'but I was welcome to see that I could around the base. I hart written previously about how, by pure chance, I met Mar- Eirtt Bourke-Whlte at lunch and tird for the first time that she ind her husband had bought a homa In Tucson, and how I found tht Major Herbert Chambers and Captain Paul Klingenberg were on duty at this particular base.

I can Bow with complete propriety tell lomt of what 1 saw at this base. Captain Raymond thought I Wtfit be Interested In seeing the flying Fortress that had limped homt on two engines from a bomb-H trip over France. Would I be Interested In seeing It? would ind I did. Iliidly Shot l'p This Flying Fortress was being Plred. The big fin In front of II tail was so nearly shot off that Hi fin had been removed.

The war half of the fuselage was gashed lth 20-mm cannon fire, and the we part of the fuselage was pepped with small caliber machine-Pin fire. There were some b'g fit In the left wing, while the lnj flaps of the right wing were by thin shreds. "his big machine had limped with a dead gunner In the Wly turret and two wounded gun-wrs. Captain A. I J.

Hughes of Ja had been Its pilot and he "Plained to me what had hap-Pned. He had been compelled to drop of formation while over the rjet area In France and as a re-ut lome German Fock-Wolfes had Ponced down on him. His men Pt up a brave fight. His gun Insisted they had knocked imI two of tlle German planes wJdamaged several others. They Jw they had been attacked bv lo S.

'ock-Wolfes with their fh cannon and four When I asked one of i VunK gunners how he knew kncked down one of the jroians he replleij. 'Why. sir, I u7 Hy "Whine Run burst knock PUot out of his scat." Engine Damaged to lluKhos explained how onKins were completely fln out aml now a third 4 nad its supercharger rcn- useless. He said that 'thi Kot dowrt to 10,000 feet wa enlne cut In and he ole to get home. One of the Members of this crew told dlM of the belly turret Mint tho loss of blool when a 5 from a part of the plane 8er i an artcry- Another cxPlainlng how close one had come, said: tnron a coffee cup the window and hit him." U.

S. Army Units Hurry 110 Miles 'East Of Algiers CORSICA IS INVADED! Planes Ferry Men Ove Mediterranean To Face U. S. Army LONDON. Nov.

11. fiTO German and Italian troops swept through Vichy Franca to the Mediterranean snort tonight, invading Corsica and infiltrating Tunisia by air, while the United States armies clinched their vast North African position by getting a cease-fire order from Admiral Jean Darlan to all French forces on the continent. American columns reinforced by crack elements of the British First Army dashed at least one-third of the way from Algiers to the Tunisian borders in a determined effort to get there first with tht most men. Field reports indicated th Germans had about 1,000 airmen, wlUi dive-bombers and fighters, in Tunisia, plus some Italian marines. Earlier reports that German air infantry had reached Tunisia, it was indicated, may have been pr.

mature. Rommel Watched However, it was believed that German Marshal Erwin Rommel was trying to reach Tunisia by land with what he has left of th army which was beaten in Egypt. Back in dismal Vichy, Marshal Petain's first shocked protestations against the occupation of the "ui occupied" zone diminished In di rect ratio to the general advance of the German division to "all objectives" in France. With high German officer all around him, Petain and his cabinet Issued a communique which said the marshal was "counting on" the French army in Africa continue the struggle to the limit of Its forces." With Petain was Pierre "Laval, Just back from conference with Hitler in Munich. Darlan Gives Order The "cease-fire" ordet from Admiral Darlan, however, was clear recognition that after 77 hours, th American-Vichy "war" across mors than 1,000 miles of Atlantlo and Mediterranean coast was at an nd, U.

S. troops, by then, had posse sion of every Important center of resistance. Darlan, who as commander-in-chief of all Vichy armed forces fell into American hands In AW gerla, ordered all resistance to cease after conducting secret negotiations with U. S. Mark W.

Clark. Hitler Act In the early hours of this dramatic day, Adolf Hitler had turned the clock back to June, 1940, destroying his armistice with Francs on the grounds it was immediately threatened by Allied invasion from the North African coast. Hi3 divisions were moving rap-Idly through the so-called unoccupied zone of France to the great port of Marseille and the naval station of Toulon, by way of ths Rhone valley and the. Midi. They also were spreading out along the Pyrenees border between France and Spain.

This evening the Germans announced their troops had reached all their objectives, presumably including the Mediterranean ports, within 12 hours after crossing ths demarcation line. Italians Advance Italian troops, doing Hitler's bidding, advanced eastward along the French Riviera to Nice, and others were reported to have landed at Bastia, on the northeast coast of Corsica. This island home of Napoleon, 100 miles from Nice, is being taken under Axis "protection," Hitler announced. He claimed the American-British force in Africa planned to occupy Corsica first, then proceed to southern France. A French warfleet of three battleships, seven cruisers, a seaplane carrier, 25 destroyers and other units evidently still lay off Toulon.

Its fate was in doubt. U. S. Moving East Across the Mediterranean harrier the American armies under Lieut. Gen.

Dwight D. Eisenhower raced eastward along the Algerian coast, occupying Bougie, 110 miles east of Algiers, on the way to Tunisia. Italian marines were said in Allied quarters to have entered Bi-zerte, Tunisia's key port. Berlin claimed that U. S.

forces had been attacking Tunis, the capital, for a day, but this was not borne out. French resistance to the American forces in Morocco and Algeria ceased with the capitulation of Casablanca, first city of Morocco, which was attacked by land and sea since Sunday. Rabat Occupied Rabat, above Casablanca, was firmly occupied; Algiers and Oran, main cities of Algeria, already were (Continaed to Paf 3, Column 2.) By WES GALLAGHER U.S. Correspondent with AXJ. In Africa ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN FRENCH NORTH AFRICA, Nov.

11. (JP) American parachutists staged the longest invasion in history when they flew in transport planes 1,500 miles nonstop from England to participate in the assault on Oran. It was disclosed tonight that the parachute troops, led by Col. Ed. Raff of New York, 34-year-old West Point graduate, and wearing camouflaged battle suits, boarded planes early Saturday night and flew continuously for eight hours across Europe and the Mediterranean to land at dawn Sunday near Oran.

None of the paracliutlsts except Raff knew when they started where they were going. Despite the long night trip the troops arrived fighting fit The longest known previous airborne troop movement was in the Norwegian Invasion w-hen the Germans flew parachutists from fields near Namsos to Narvik, which is less than 400 miles. Nazi parachute troops attacking Crete had only a short jump. RED 'CHUTISTS SET FIRE TO 23 GERMAN PLANES Cold Weather Proves Aid To Defense Problems On Soviet Front MOSCOW. Thursday.

Nov 12. (JP Cold weather and a bold parachute ire raid on a (ierman airdrome cneerea Russians today while their lines held firmly all along the front. The broad picture was one of limited activity and mcreas ing cold that is counted on to simplify the Reds defense prob lems, particularly at Stalingrad, and multiply the hardships of the German invaders. Dramatic spot of the high com mand midnight communique was the brief account of a parachute raid on a Nazi. Black Sea air port which told how 23 enemy planes were put to the torch, 13 of them being destroyed and the others damaged.

Soviet bombers flew over this target several times to bring on the lights and start the anti-aircraft guns to banging and then at tack planes dived in to smash the Hghw and silence the cannon. 'Chutist Land Immediately after this "para chutists jumped from transport planes and when landed set fire to planes on the airdrome and then made their getaway. The high command said several attacks were repelled in the Stalin grad sector but reported only 200 Germans killed, indicating that these thrusts were in relatively light force. German thrusts also were de clared to have been turnM back in the Tuapse area along the Black faea and sharp tank fighting was reported southeast of Nalchik in the eastern Caucasus with no German advances acknowledged. Take Initiative In the Stalingrad area the Reds also took the initiative in one assault, reporting that two Hitlerite companies were wiped out in this and In addition more than a platoon of Germans came over voluntarily to the Red army.

me DanKs ot tne voiga were frozen, and great chunks of ice in the middle of the stream presaged an early freezing that would aid the defenders of the battered city. The Stalingrad garrison shortly can be supplied vast quantities of material across the frozen river. Yesterday's midday communique told of sharp fighting Tuesday southeast of Nalchik, when Ger man infantry with tank support aiiacKea ttussian positions in an attempted drive toward Ordzhoni kidze, northern terminus of the Georgian military highway through the Caucasus Mountains. The as sault was the com munique said, with the los3 of 300 Germans and damage to 21 tanks. TRANSPORTS SIGHTED LISBON, Portugal, Nov.

11 (JP) A large force of transports, bombers and gliders was. sighted off the Portuguese coast early this afternoon, flying in a north to south direction. (There were no other details in thi3 brief dispatch, and the nationality of the aircraft was not given). RAIDS HINTED LONDON, Nov. llMrV-German radio stations at Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart went off the air tonight, indicating possible air action over Germany.

the colonials in North Africa in the interests of France 12 JAP PLANES ARE DOWNED IN PACIFIC FIGHTS 'Offensive Operations' On Guadalcanal Told in Navy Report WASHINGTON, Nov. 11. (P) Destruction of 12 Japanese planes by aerial attacks in the north and south Pacific was announced by the navy today in a communique which also reported that American troops on Guadalcanal Islands in the Solomons were conducting "offensive operations" on both their eastern and western flanks. Damaging of two enemy cargo vessels by aerial bombardment also wras announced. There was no explanation of the meaning of "offensive operations" and it was not clear whether fighting had once more broken out between the main Japanese and American forces to the west of Guadalcanal airfield, or whether it was merely meant, that an ad: vance had been made "with little or no opposition.

Planes Help On both flanks the ground operations were supported by United States Army planes. The action to the eastward of the American positions presumably was a continuation of the advance under way In that sector for several days, with the apparent purpose of bottling up Japanese forces recently landed there. Seven of the 12 planes destroyed were float-type Zeros caught on Holtz Bay, Attu Island Monday (Washington time). The Japanese abandoned that Aleutians outpost in mid-September, and a naval spokesman said that the reconnaissance which disclosed the presence of the Zeros disclosed no other sign of enemy activity there. It was presumed, therefore, that the Japanese had made no attempt to reoccupy the island.

Cargo Ships Bombed The two enemy cargo vessels were caught at Kiska, the foe's sole remaining Aleutians base, also on Monday. One of the army planes wrhich damaged them was itself damaged by enemy anti-aircraft fire, but managed to return to its base. The navy's report on the South Pacific increased the total of Japanese planes previously reported destroyed during an attack by American aircrat on an enemy cruiser-destroyer formation in the Solomons "last Saturday. The original report said five float-type Zeros and seven float-type biplanes were shot down. Today's report said eight craft of each type were destroyed, a net increase of four planes.

In addition, the navy said that on the morning of November 10, two Grumman Wildcat fighters dived through a flight of 15 Zeros at an altitude of 27.000 feet near Guadalcanal. One Zero was shot down. United States aircraft also attacked a force of five enemy de-strovers to the eastward of New Georgia island, in the Solomons, on Tuesday afternoon, but results were not observed. Maj. Gen.

Lloyd F. Fredendall, whose troops overcame the resistance of Oran, has ordered that all French troops who opposed the United States should be treated with leniency in conformity with the general policy of the commander-in-chief. 4. During intermittent attacks In the Algiers area, 16 Axis aircraft are now known to have been destroyed. Bougie is now occupied by Allied forces." WASHINGTON, D.

Nov. 11. JP) Text of Communique No. 1S8 issued today by the Navy Department: North Pacific: 1. On November 9th: "(a) U.

S. Army planes destroyed seven float-type enemy "Zeros" in an attack on Holtz Bay, ttu Island. No opposition (Continued to Page 4, Col am Vichy broadcast this hrlef communique on the cabinet meeting: The marshal and the government have rendered homage to the fidelity and bravery of the army in Africa and they are counting on it to continue the struggle to the limit of its forces in the interests of France and the empire." Defeats Admitted The radio acknowledged that the situation of the African troops was serious and admitted that Casablanca had asked for an armistice. Upon the return of Laval the Vichy radio dropped all mention of Petain's protest to the Germans? In connection w-ith Laval's trip, it was noted that Hitler's declaration that "all special questions" would be settled "in accord with the French authorities" had inspired immediate speculation that Lar val had brought back some outline of terms for peace. There was no confirmation of this, however, and everything depended on further decisions of the cabinet, which continued in session.

Offer Rejected It was learned Marshal Petain had rejected an offer from Hitler to take up residence in Versailles. The Fuehrer had informed Petain that he now had no objection to the Vichy government putting Its headquarters in Versailles. The call to the colonials came soon after Laval stepped out of a plane bringing him back from conferences begun last Monday with Hitler- in Munich and it; came almost simultaneously with the announcement from north Africa that the "captive" Admiral Jean Darlan had ordered all the French colonials to lay down their arms and return to barracks. German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop and Italian Foreign Minister Count Galeazzo Ciano were reported to have sat in on one of the talks Laval had with Hitler. The German dash into the unoccupied zone breached the 1940 French armistice on Hitler's pretext of sealing off the Mediterranean coast and Corsica from imminent invasion.

Fleet Watched Meanwhile the capitulation of Admiral Jean Francois Darlan, head of all the Vichy armed forces, (Continued to Page 5, Column 2.) JAP TROOPS AT OIVI FACE TRAP Another New Guinea Unit Enveloped by Forces Of MacArthur GEN. MACARTHUR'S HEADQUARTERS, Australia, Thursday, Nov. 12. (JP) Jap forces have been routed at Oivi and face entrapment while another enemy group at Gorarl has been enveloped and destroyed in battles for control of northeastern New Guinea, the high command announced today. As the climax of a week-long battle at Oivi, 55 miles southeast of the coastal base of Buna, Australian troops which have been battling their way across the Owen Stanley mountains, forced the Japs from their positions, inflicting heavy losses.

Retreat Blocked But the Japs' only course of retreat is into the hands of American troops which were flown by aerial transport to the vicinity of Buna. Allied planes were active near Jap coastal bases at Lae and Sala-maua on the north New Guinea coast above Buna and also attacked supplies and troop concentrations between Oivi and Buna. "The enemy was forced from his main positions near Oivi with heavy loss," the high command announced. "His retreat has been blocked by our enveloping troops astride 'the main track and he is endeavoring to cut his way through to the rear. Simultaneously our forces enveloped and destroyed enemy forces trapped south of Gorari." Destroyer Bombed Off Lae, Allied planes bombed a Jap destroyer last night, but did not observe results.

Off Salamaua, Allied planes shot down two out four Zeros which attempted interception. Near Shortland island in the Solomons, Allied planes shot down two enemy planes out of a formation of 10. In the Buin-Faisl area, In Portu guese Timor, Alied heavy bombers attacked shipping and shore installations with unobserved Marshal Erwin Rommel in his painful retreat westward. A British submarine under command of Lieut. J.

W. D. Coombe reported scoring two torpedo hits on a force of three cruisers and three destroyers east of Sicily, while torpedo planes operating from Malta reported two hits on a cruiser south of Cape Sparta-vento. Afterward, fighter planes on a broad sweep from Malta declared there was not an Italian vessel in sight. Few Reports Although there was no word here as to the progress of the battle within Libya, where General B.

L. Montgomery's advance forces were attempting to head off and destroy the Nazi army to the last man and machine, it was indicated that operations were proceeding satisfactorily. There was no suggestion that the British had been delayed or had lost contact with the remnants of German armor. A joint British headquarters-RAF communique said that a Nazi rear guard was driven from Sidi Barrani yesterday and that another Axis delaying force had been engaged at Buoqbug, 25 miles further west and about 30 miles from the Libyan frontier. (A communique of the Italian high command at Rome said that military movements on the Egyptian- front "continued according to Bombers Active Allied bombers continued to at tack retreating Axis transport columns tnrougnout the Dattie area, piling up destruction, while single-motored fighters swept the skies in thorough protection of the bombers and the pursuing Eighth Army on the ground.

RAF fighters were reported to have shot down one Messerschmitt and an Italian Macchi out of six enemy planes encountered yesterday. Four British aircraft were reported lost in all operations. NATIONS STAGE HOLIDAY RITES President Welcomes Help Of French Fighters in Arlington Speech By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The democratic nations commemorated the 24th anniversary of the last armistice yesterday with the expressed determination that this conflict shall end victoriously in a lasting peace. President Roosevelt, standing bareheaded before the tomb of the unknown soldier in the national cemetery at Arlington, asserted that victory was inevitable as a conquered France appeared to be rising from her knees to join her Allies of other years. "On this day of all days." declared the President, "it Is heartening for us to know that soldiers of France go forward with the United Nations.

Unknown Soldier's Dream "American soldiers are giving their lives today in all the continents and on all the seas in order that the dream of the unknown soldier may at last come true. All the heroism and all the unconquerable devotion that free men and women are showing in this war shall make certain the survival and advancement of civilization." Beside him stood General John J. Pershing, Secretary of the Navy Knox. Secretary of War Stimson, Admiral Ernest J. King, commander-in-chief of the fleet; George C.

Marshall, chief -of-staff, and Lt. Gen. Thomas Holcomb, commandant of the marine corps. Production Continues Taps were sounded in Arlingtop Cemetery, but there were no taps for the machines of Allied war production. Four new U.

S. destroyers slid down the ways of the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. In Kearney, N. within 28 minutes in the swiftest quadruple launching on record. At McKeesport, Secretary of the Navy Knox, calling for vastly increased war production before an American Legion Armistice Day gathering, said that the increase could amount to 20 to 25 per cent without Increasing labor hours or reducing profits.

The Fighting French organization in London asked their fellow countrymen in the home country to observe the day with quiet and (Continued to Page 4, Column 3.) CHURCHILL SAYS CHANNEL FRONT STILL PLANNED Attack To Be Hastened If Germany Becomes 'Demoralized' LONDON, Nov. 11. (P) The moment Germany becomes "demoralized" by Allied pressure in Europe and Africa she will be struck by invasion across the English Channel or North Sea, Prime Minister Winston" Churchill promised the House of Commons today, while the Nazis were over-running all of France. "An attack which will be made In due course across the channel or the North Sea requires an Immense degree of preparation," the prime minister told the electrified chamber. "All this is proceeding, but It takes time.

"Of course, should the enemy become demoralized at any moment the same careful preparations will not be needed. Risks could be run on a large scale." Kings With Optimism In ajnessage ringing with optimism, Churchill told the house it could be sure "that many things are going to happen In the next few clays," and sounded an ominous warning to the Nazis' nervous ally when he said "we shall shortly have far greater facilities for bombing Italy." It was necessary at times for the prime minister to depart from his et speech, as news of important events continued to reach him even as he addressed the opening session of parliament. He told commons that the news of the fall of Casablanca to American forces was given him Just as he entered the chamber. "Today news reaches us that Hitler has decided to overrun all of he said, "thus breaking the armistice to which the Vichy government had kept such pitiful and perverted fidelity at the horrible cost even of sacrificing their ships and sailors In firing on American rescue ships. Liberation of France "Here is the moment when all Frenchmen should sink personal views and rivalries and think, as General De Gaulle Is thinking, only of the liberation of their native land." Describing Axis losses in the battle of Egypt as "mortal." he said that the wide encircling movement of British and American forces in North Africa had as its primary object the "exposure of the underbelly of the Axis, especially Italv, to heavy attacks." Churchill revealed that on his first trip to Washington after the United States entered the war the project of an American operation in North Africa was advanced by President Roosevelt, and that he agreed it was the correct strategy.

Plans were completed, he said, when General George C. Marshall, American chief of staff, and Admiral Ernest J. King, chief of naval operations, came to England last July. Trip lo Moscow He admitted it was with some trepidation that he flew to Moscow in the summer to notify Premier 'Stalin that the Allies did not plan an Invasion "of the continent in 1342. "Although the news that I brought was not welcome and not considered by them adequate, nevertheless the fact remains that we parted good friends, and In the words which Stalin uses, complete understanding exists between us.

"The Russians bore their disappointment like men. They faced the enemy and now they have reaclftxl the winter successfully. Task at Murmansk In recounting the difficulties of transporting great quantities of supplies to Russia, Churchill saii that 77 warships were required to protect the last convoy to Murmansk. This wa another front, he said, which had been "very cost-ly" to.maintaln. The cost, though, was fully Justified, he added.

"My heart bled for Russia. I have felt what almost everyone in this house must have felt that Intense desire that we should be suffering with her and that we should take more wieght off ner. Official Communiques WASHINGTON, Nov. 11. (JP) The text of the war department communique No.

237: "North Africa: "1. Admiral Jean Darlan has issued to all commanders in French North Africa, including Morocco, an order to cease hostilities. The order was issued after a conference at Algiers between Maj. Gen. Mark W.

Clark, representing Lieut. Gen. Dright D. Eisenhower, commander-in-chief of all Allied forces, and Admiral Darlan. "2.

In the Casablanca area French army forces have capitulated. "3. The residents of the city of Oran have welcomed out troops enthusiastically. All prisoners have been exchanged. Instructions have been issued to the local civil government to continue to function.

The commander of the center task force, mZrllt this experience, The IDr. a uus crew were surely confident of the future. wnat mistakes they of (U aoyve everyinnig flfM wy knew that could pack; that they had some-m to fight with. n. Saffty ne of the other pilots Joined group, and although he had "card the con-what the other boys had bussed to Page 2, Column 7.).