Altoona Tribune from Altoona, Pennsylvania • Page 1

4f(frftAf(ft '43 BLAIR TRAFFIC TOLL '42 47. Accidents .86 49 Injured .109 $43; THREE CENTS VOLUME 87 NO: 7 Near I Wairsliips Halt So Jap ALTOONA, PA: Trap i mm 0) 5) on ritish Closimg Romme. 3 Dead Kiska orces BULLETIN LONDON, Monday, March 20, (P)A force of heavy bombers in such numbers that their roar could be heard for an hour struck across the English channel during the night apparently following up the devastating raids which Saturday night found the RAF dumping two-ton anil four-ton bombs on Berlin. German and Nazi-controlled French stations promptly went off the air last night as the planes were heard crossing the channel in a southeasterly direction. Berlin Fires Visible 120 Miles Awav 1 Maknassy Falls to American Troops Enemy Vessels Disappear Westward After Brief Battle Hundreds of Tons Of Bombs Dumped On German Capital lillllli lilt lllllilllllll! mmmmm -I sbT8'1' Advancing at the alert.

American soldiers take over the railroad station lit Maknassy in Tunisia (note sign) as they drove Axis forces hack towards the sea and threatened Rommel's line of retreat from the Mareth line. This OWI photo was radioed from Algiers. Enemy Loses 25 Planes: Japs Hurl Heavy Air Attack at Allied Base Mareth Line Outflanked by Montgomery Americans Close in On Axis Escape Corridor Along Coast By DANIEL DeLL'CE ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NORTH AFRICA, March 28 UP) A British desert column outflanking the Mareth line was only 15 miles short of trapping Marshal Rommel's fortification trodps tonight, while In central Tunisia United States forces swept into Fondouk to mount a third American threat to smash Rommel should lie elect to flee northward along the coast. At last the big Allied offensive was almost in full motion, and events appeared to be moving to ward a climax. A communique disclosed that Gen.

Sir Bernard L. Montgomery's desert troops who raced around the Mareth line had fought their way into the outskirts of El Ham- ma, 20 miles from the Axis coastal pivot of Gabes behind the Mar eth positions. BATTLE RAGING A report saying they were only 15 miles from closing the Axis escape corridor out of the Mar eth line suggested the British were on the eastern or coastal side of the town where the communique said the battle still is raging. General Montgomery's troops also gained frontally against the Mareth line, and the British First army in northern Tunisia also ad vanced. In the center U.

S. troops took Fondouk above the Amercan salient already held in the Mak-nassy and El Guetaria pass sectors. All three of these columns were poised for break-throughs to the sea to cut off Rommel from Axis forces in the notth. FOURTH THREAT A fourth threat to the Axis coastal belt was a French advance across the Ousselia valley north of the Fondouk sector. The British First army smashed back the Germans of Col.

Gen. Jurgen von Arnim in Djebel Aboid sector some 50 miles southwest of Bizerte and gained their objectives despite strong enemy resistance, the communique said. (A DNB dispatch broadcast by the Berlin radio said German troops had evacuated advanced positions in northern Tunisia after coming under flanking fire from British artillery. The broadcast, recorded by the Assocated Press, also reported that American troops yesterday occupied an important height in the Maknassy sector "threatening to open a flank of the German defensive system," but declared that German forces-recaptured the height last night. A gap made by the British Eighth army yesterday south of El Ham-ma was declared to have been closed by counter-attacking Axis troops.) CAUGHT BV SURPRISE The new thrust by Lieut.

Gen. George S. Patton American forces, which apparently caught the enemy by surprise, sprang early yesterday from the little village of Hadjeb el Aioun, 40 miles southwest of the holy city of Kalrouan. The striking force of Infantry marched almost 20 miles through a haze of dust and mist, meeting only light opposition from enemy mortars, machine-guns and artillery. Before midday the Americans had overrun their first objective and 1 by night had cleared the enemy from Fondouk, on the coastal side of Tunisia's grand Dorsal mountains and 52 miles across the flat coastal plaln'from Souesse.

MIXES TACTICS General Montgomery, mixing his tactics like a smart quarterback when near the goal line, attacked the Mareth line itself from a new direction south of the Mareth road and his battle-hardened veterans gained Ki'ound and rounded up prisoners. There were no further reports from the Wadi Zig-zaou sector, between the coastal (Cr.nliniif rt nn Piife Col, t) Surging Mass of Fire Rages in City After R. A. F. Makes Its Heaviest Attack By EDWARD D.

BALL LONDON, March 28 (AP) Berlin shuddered and exploded under the shattering impact of the RAF's heaviest raid last night, an attack described officially as twice as heavy as anything the Luftwaffe ever inflicted on London, and U. S. bombers pitched in today to up, the revitalized pre-inva i against the continent with a heavy daylight assault on the French rail center of Rouen. A great force of British bombers numbered in three figures cascaded 900 tons of explosives on the German capital at the rate of 30 tons a minute in a devastating half-hour assault which was reported to have left the city sporting a surging, volcano-like mass of flame. After the nighthawk crews returned, the heavy bombers of the 8th U.

S. army air forces, with an Allied fighter escort, took up the assault with their blow at Rouen, 45 miles Inside France, slanting their bombs' on the junction of main rail lines running to Axis bases along the coast. On the trip home they and their protecting fighters tangled with swarms of Focke-Wulf 190s. Several enemy planes were shot down, while one bomber and four fighters- were lost from the raiding force. "Bombing results were good," said a U.

S. army headquarters communique, describing the attack on Rouen, which had been pounded twice before this month by American and British bombers. The RAF took up the Allied round-the-clock aerial offensive later today with a light bomber attack on shipping and shipbuilding yards at Rotterdam, big German-held Netherlands port on the north sea. An authoritative announcement said all the planes returned. The latest Berlin raid was the sixth this year and the 59th of the war, and the air ministry said the total of explosives was about double the quantity dumped by the Germans in their heaviest assualt on London.

Nine RAF bombers were lost. (The German high command, In a communique broadcast from Berlin and recorded by the Associated Press, said the raldcrg penetrated the greater Berlin area, causing fires In residential sections, destroying public buildings and "places of culture," and causing losses among the civilian population.) A Reuters dispatch from Stockholm quoted the Berlin correspondent of he Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet as saying last night's raid was "at least as large In scale as the previous one and lasted twice as Ions." By EDWIV SIIANKE WAK INDUSTRIES TARGET STOCKHOLM, March 28 UP) The i British heavy bomber raid on Berlin last night was concentrated on the outskirts of the German capital, where many of the city's great war industries are located, and left central Berlin practically undamaged, the newspaper Aftonbladet said today. In dispatch from Berlin, the newspaper said that lRst night's (Continued on Pfijtf- 9, t'ol. 2) Jap Cruisers, Destroyers And Cargo Ships Were Headed For Kiska In Aleutians WASHINGTON, March 38 (P) Shelling Japanese cruisers and destroyers at long range, American surfuee vessels in the north Pacific have halted, or at least diverted, an enemy force headed for the Aleutians. The navy reported today the engagement first surface exchange between ships in the Aleutianswas fought Friday in the murky weather which has concealed much of the operations there since the Japanese first established a base at Kiska near the.

western end of the island chain, OPEN FIRE Shell after shell whistled through the fog at the enemy force of two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, four destroyers and two cargo vessels. They were located and engaged by a light force of U. S. patrol craft just west of Attu, which is 200 miles west of Kiska. "When the engagement was broken off, the Japanese forces were observed heading westward," the navy's communique said.

However, that statement does not necessarily mean that the enemy force was driven back. In the maneuvers attendant upon sea battle it was considered possible that the Japanese commander might have swung to the west 'to avoid a short-range encounter in which the cargo vessels could have been damaged. Credence to that possibility was given by the size of the enemy force which accompanied only two cargo vessels. This indicated their cargoes were of exceptional value to the Japanese garrison at bomb-battered Kiska. Possibilities were that the cargo consisted of planes or replacement parts for Japanese bombers and fighters damaged by the 39 bombing raids (Continued on Page Col 1) Fi remen Called On 7 Alarms Over Weekend City firemen had a busy weekend, answering seven calls Saturday and Sunday.

Damages was small considering the number of i fires. Four were for grass fires and I three were property fires. I No. 5 extinguished a flue fire at the residence at 2120 First avenue at 9:28 o'clock Saturday morning. A general alarm from box No.

76 called Rodgers No. 1 and Juniata No. 2 and truck for a grass fire at Fourth alley between Eighteenth and Nineteenth streets, Juniata, at 8:44 p. m. Saturday.

No .1 was called to the home of Max A. Wolfberg, 1300 Twelfth avenue, at 2:55 yesterday morning when a davenport and chair caught fire in an undetermined manner. Firemen used a couple of buckets of water in putting it out. No. 6 was called to Twentieth avenue and wenty-first street for a grass fire at 12:09 m.

yesterday. A general alarm from box No. 34 sent companies Nog. 1 and 6 and truck A to the hcrne of S. Williams, 1817 Thirteenth avenue, at 3:55 p.

m. yesterday for a fire in the wardrobe. One booster tank was used. A general alarm sent companies Nos. 5 and 6 and Truck to Walnut avenue and Thirtieth street for a grass (lie.

The cell came from box No. 413. Company No 9 went to the (Contii'iiee. on Fxgn 9. Col.

2) Local Flier Awarded Air Medal in Africa Master Sgt. Carl P. Novosel of Sugar Run road, AUoona, received the Air Medal for outstanding aerial action in the north African war zone, it was announced lust night by the War department. Sgt. Novesel, 23 was graduated from Altoona High school in the class '39 and enlisted in the army November 22, 1940.

He was stationed at Maxwell Field, Alabama. He spent most of his time on the military police force and was in charge of motor cycle patrol. On January 15, 1941, he was transferred to Fort Douglas at Salt Lake City, Utah, and there was assigned to the Thirty-ninth Bombardment group, Sixty-second bombardment squadron. While at Fort Douglas he was promoted to P. F.

C. On June 6, 1941, he reported to Felts field where he stayed for several weeks and then was transferred t0 Geiger field, Spokane, Washington, and was made aerial engineer of the combat crew. He was promoted to corporal which he held for two months until he was promoted to sergeant. September 12, 1941, he entered the Boeing School of Aeronautics, and upon graduation became a flying sergeant. He became a master sergeant while in north Africa.

Officers Are Elected by Consistory John J. Gluntz was re-elected president of the Blair county club of Harrisburg Consistory, which cunsists of thirty-second and thirty-third degree masons, at their fifth annual dinner and election, Saturday evening at the Penn Alto hotel The following officers were prea-ent from Harrisburg: S. S. Licby, commander-in-chief, E. E.

Ehler, first lieutenant commander, Frank C. Fonse, secretary, in addition to a number of minor officers. In addition to the election of Mr. Gluntz, the following men were elected for Altnona: J. Milton Snyder, treasurer; Walter W.

Coy, secretary; Norman R. Snyder and James K. McNeal, vice presidents. For Belhvood, Henry H. Myer was elected vice president, J.

Scott Homer and Benjamin H. Jones were elected vice presidents for Tyrone, Harry Jacobs and J. Rudy Fink were elected vice presidents for Holli-daysburg, Herman L. Snively was elected vice president for Dun-cansville, Herbert S. Behman was elected vice president for Williamsburg and William H.

Burch- field was elected vice president for Martinsburg and Roaring Spring. The advisory board consists of: Howard H. Clark. Lynn Y.Moses, Jes.e C. Fredericks, Samuel T.

Watts, David E. Fonner, Herman S. Ende, John S. Bankert, Luther E. Mitchell, David S.

Miller, George Breham, J. Lester Laugh-Hn, Charles W. Clugh and Robent Dively. Plans for the spring reunion to (Continued on 1'agi" 9, Col. 1) New Pumper Arrives For Fire Department Councilman Jacob Weber, director of public safety, announced last night that the pumper ordered for the fire department last year had arrived at the Keller Motor Sales company yesterday.

Official delivery of the 750-gal-lon, triple combination pumper, Will made today. LONDON, March 28 (IP) RAF bombers churned all of Berlin into flame and destruction in their biggest assault on the Nazi capital lust night, leaving fires visible 120 miles away, Major Sidney S. Bart-lett of the V. S. army air force, who went along as an observer-supernumerary bombardier In a Lancaster crew, said tonight.

"We got there with the first hundred bombers and were the last to leave. When we were 120 miles on the return trip you could still see the red hot glow of Berlin burning," said Bartlett, former Hollywood movie writei who was the first American army officer to participate In a raid on the German capital. "That 900-toh dose of bombs gave the Hun a bad case of indigestion: they really got sick to their belly," he declared. DROPS 2-TON BOMB Bartlett, who rele aged his plane's 1 squarely on the target, gave his bombardier's-view account at U. S.

army headquarters. At hia side was his wife, Actress Ellei Drew, who is over here on an entertainment tour of army bases. "When we first got there, a series of fires was burning and soon our blockbusters were cascading right down the lane. "The flak came In spurts, with Jerry apparently taking pot shots between visits to the "Meanwhile the fires below built up and built up; usually they aro spotty, but not in this raid it was one hell's brew of solid flame. "We got over at 11:10, bombed at 11:19, and stooged around until 11:30." "The weather on the way over was bad all the way," Bartlett said, "and then the most astounding thing happened.

Twenty-flva or 30 miles out some magic hand tore away the clouds and there was Berlin. "Outward bound one of our motors quit and then a second one went out on way back. But we kept going and got back about seven and a half hours after the takeoff." Yank Infantry Advances OnKairouan By HAROLD V. BOYLE WITH U. S.

FORCES IN CENTRAL TUNISIA, March 27 (Delayed) lP) By truck and afoot. United States infantrymen marched 20 miles from Hadjb El Aioun today along the ancient route to the holy city of Kalrouan, seven visits to which the Moslems reckon as the equivalent of one pilgrimage to Mecca. (Allied headquarters announced Sunday that American forces had captured Fondouk, southwest of Kairouan.) The attack was the third launched in 10 days by the American forces, who previously tightened a noose on German and Italian units to the south by a successful drive beyond Maknassy and a spectacular smash through Axis hill positions east of ElGuetar. A hot spring sun gave the sweating riflemen more trouble than the relatively meager enemy mortar, machine-gun and artillery fire along the historic Kairouan road and their progress was more limited by the weight of the packs on their backs than by shot and shell. Driving up front we came across a sight which remains the most moving of the war long parallel columns marching silently forward through swirling, yellow dust clouds to battle.

As an ambulance came back carrying wounded soldiers the long line of men moved aside to give it room without even a glance. Dismounting from the jeep, Pierre Huss (Ins. correspondent) and I plodded more than a mile to reach a ridge from which we could see the farthest advanced elements in the plains below, only two miles from the French village of Fondouk. Across the road reinforcements beins brought up dived to the ground when an Axis machine-gun opened up, but its chattering soon was silenced. A cluster of five Axis shells burst in a while cloud behind them, but none was hitv American artillery began laying down a' systematic barrage on the hills to the right, from which had come some bothersome small arms fire, and shells searching for foxholes of Axis infantrymen climbed the slopes as if on an escalator.

Turning back from the ridge (Continued on Pnge 9, Col. 4) WEAR SIMMS DIAMONDS AND is "out of action," and themselves suffering "extremely light" losses, i.he announcement said. Casualties on the sunken and damaged Allied ships were light, the communique said. The Japanese armada of 25 medium and 15 divebombers flew In just before noon in precise formations with a heavy umbrella of Zero escorts. Preliminary reports indicated that 13 planes were destroyed definitely and 12 probably.

Most of the Allied bag consisted of Zeros. Although the number of escorting fighters were not yet reported the Allied pilots may have knocked down -or damaged half of the enemy's escort, a remarkable day's work. Russians Hold Donets River Line LONDON, Monday, March 29 (JP) Russian troops smashed diminishing German efforts to force their Donets river line east of Kharkov in the Ukraine and scored local gains on the central front, Moscow announced today, while the German high command said its troops had recaptured Sevsk in a Red army salient below Bryansk. The regular midnight Moscow communique recorded by the Soviet monitor said there were no substantial changes on the long front, but that one German infantry company was wiped out in the Chuguev sector .22 miles southeast of Kharkov in an attempt tj cross to the eastern bank of the northern Donets. In the central front drive toward Smolensk Soviet troops for some time have been hampered by spring thaws which bogged down ramored equipment and even wagons.

For two days now the I Soviet communiques have said no essential changes were made on the front, and there were many Indications that muddy roads would curtail military operations for some time. It seemed evident that the Red army was reluctant to give up its (( ontini.rd on Pe t'ol. 1) By MUR LIN SPENCER ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN AUSTRALIA, Monday, 1 March 29 (P) The Japanese In their most ambitious sin gle attack yet in the New Guinea sector hurled 40 bombers and strong fighter escort against Oro bay yesterday to sink a small Allied merchantman and damage un-other, but it cost them at least 13 planes and probably a 4jotal of 25, the Allied coin- niand announced today. "In a series of brilliant interceptions," Allied Kittyhawk and Lightning pilots roared up over the cocoanut-f ringed base south of Buna to break up the enemy formations, shooting 25 raiders Restrictions Lifted From Some Foods By The Associated Press Meat rationing starts today with scant supplies to meet the demand in many parts of the United States, but there's a silver lining for housewives they will be allowed to buy a score of foods that have been since February 18, along with butter and other fats removed from sale for the last week. The foods returning to grocery shelves after nearly six weeks' absence are various kinds of canned fish and canned meats.

These will be sold on a point-rationing basis, along with beef, veal, pork, Iamb, mutton, hard cheese, butter, margarine, shortening and oils. The meat shortage, accented by hoarding and the fact that about 30 per cent of current slaughterings do not reach the civlli-in trade, left many families' with makeshift Sunday dinners and with little if any of such sUple3 as bacon. OPA executives, warn that n. will take probably- two weeks for point-rationing to spread supplies so that a variety nf meats available. But starting today, the hoarders cannot buy all the meat thsy (Continued on TK" nI' VOU WEAR THE FINEST Terry Goodwin, 22-year-old RAF sergeant-pilot from Wyncote, In an interview at an RAF bomber station, said It was his third trip over Berlin, and one'nf the liveliest shows of his nearly two years service with the RAF.

"It was quite concentrated, lasting not more than 40 minutes, I'd say. I saw one terrific explosion. One of our must have dropped on a big pas holder or tank, because flames leaped at least 3,000 feet into the air. "It was just ss If you had dropped a tremendous brick In an even more tremendous vat of water, causing great splashes. (Cnnllnupd on Tate 8, Col.