Oran Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 22, 1943, Oran, Oran                               Vol. I no. 168 wednesday 22. 1943 one franc oily newspaper for u. S. Armed forces  dangerous Road 6ds worst raid 414 tons of bombs poured on Supply Encampment areas Allied South Pacific Headquarters dec. 21�?while Texas invasion troops yesterday blasted the japanese out of the Akrawe Airfield on the new Britain Southwest coast powerful formations of United states bombers rocked Cape Gloucester on the Island s Western lip with the most devastating bomb Load of the Pacific War. Jug two Waves of u. S. Liberators Mitchells and marauders sunday threw 414 tons of High explosives and incendiary bombs on the Gloucester Landing Fields and encampments. Biggest previous bomb cargo of the Pacific war�?356 tons a Shook Akrawe Harbor last week shortly before Texas forces swarmed ashore. Other targets in the area included Ai drome Supply and bivouac areas gun positions and nearby coastal villages. Pilots reported that a huge Blanket of flames and smoke settled Over the Harbor other United nation sky squadrons hurled new blows against Gamata in the containing offensive against the Southwest new Britain coast. Over the Akrawe invasion area Jap fighter bombers kept a coming in but american fighters drove them away. New zealand fighter formations have been in action 4iyer Rabaul mighty nip ponese artery for sea and air operations on the Northeast tip of new Britain an Allied spokesman  of the Akrawe Airfield which lies about six Miles North of the Harbor came within four Days after the original landings. While supporting u. S. Fighter bombers strafed trails and Jap installations in the area Texas patrols began fanning out from the Airstrip. Across the Vitiaz Straits on new continued on Pago 4 defences to menace Vitebsk. Advance to capture it. Spinucci Allied Force Headquarters. Dec. 21�?while Allied troops consolidated recent gains West of san Pietro yesterday american infantrymen mad an Quot appreciable Advance Quot farther North to capture wehrmacht Mokes new attacks to Kiev salient along the Venafro Road my pfc. Orval r. Mcdowell a Providence. Ky., warns pvt. Harvey Williams Wilmington Del that the Rente ahead is under enemy hellfire. A Moto of Roi it crts through i it with outskirts of san Vittore. It. Spinucci Lour Miles West of Filigno no. The 2,600 foot Mountain is two and a half Nules West of the Village of Legonci captured Friday and seven Miles North of the Rome Cassino Road where the big 5th army drive had reached London dec. 21 a soviet troops driving Forward with such fury that German attempts. To make a stand were quickly overwhelmed. Today a Gan the third Winter of the War a with new advances toward Vitebsk in Northern White Russia. The offensive which began at for railway Union presidents Confer Washington dec. 21�?president Roosevelt held an unannounced conference yesterday with presidents of the five operating Railroad brotherhoods whose 350,-000 members have voted to begin a nationwide strike december 30. The session came Between one held sunday at the White House attended by representatives of labor and management and another labor management meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning. The results of yesterday s meeting were not announced. Leaders of More than 1,000,000 non operating railway employees were expected to set their own strike Date today or tomorrow. Meanwhile the Senate approved a Resolution granting an eight cents an hour wage increase to railway workers which was denounced by administration officials As wrecking wage control machinery. It was doubtful that the House would even consider the Resolution since most congressmen Felt that the president would Settle the wage dispute by administrative action before january 10 when Congress three week recess ends. Joseph b. Eastman defense transportation director predicted yesterday that no rail strict a would materialise declaring that one would do More harm to the War Effort than our enemies Pouf Modo. A Ltd Allied bombers deliver heavy blows 0� Bremen Frankfort  London dec. 21�?strong formations of heavy bombers of the Raj and the american air Force ranged far into Germany yesterday and struck hard at important Industrial cities. More than -2,000 tons of High explosives and incendiaries were dropped last night by the Raf on Frankfort chemical and armament Center. Raf bombers also raided the twin manufacturing cities of Mannheim and Ludwigshafen on the Rhine while mosquitoes bombed Western Germany. Forty two Raf planes were reported missing. Yesterday morning Large numbers of american flying fortresses and Liberator bombers attacked Bremen in a raid described by participating Crews As an outstanding Success. Great fires were started in the much bombed City a manufacturing and ship building Center and one of the principal ports of Germany. Protected by fighters the heavy u. S. Bombers made the 800-mile round trip in bitter cold weather encountering temperatures As Low As 50 degrees below Zero. Enemy fighter opposition was described As moderate but flak was intense. Visibility was Good and the fliers reported they could see their bombs strike the target area. Twenty one German fighters were shot Down by the bombers while escorting fighters accounted for 19. Raf and Canadian fighters in supporting sweeps destroyed two enemy planes Twenty five of our bombers and eight fighters failed to return. Following up the attack on Bremen Waves of Guiod medium and Light bombers and fighters attacked targets in Northern France throughout the Day. Eight German fighters were shot Down and three / Nied fighters were reported missing. Watchful waiting for u. S. On Bolivia Washington dec. 21�?the stale department took today what International news service described As Quot a cautious attitude of watchful waiting with respect to the new bolivian regime. Secretary of state Cordell Hull explained that until More information from Lapaz was available it would be impossible to comment on the u.  position on the coup. According to dispatches reach ving Washington major Villaroel said the revolution had been brewing for months but the Date was pushed up after Quot president per Aranda cancelled the municipal election in la Pas. That said major Villaroel. Was the tast Straw. Chinese exclusion. Act repealed by for Washington a president Roosevelt signed the repeal of the chinese exclusion act declaring it was Quot another meaningful display Quot of Friendship Between two great Powers fighting a common foe. The measure which lifts the ban against chinese becoming naturalised citizens and permits them to enter on a quota basis was recently passed overwhelmingly by Congress. San Pietro captured saturday in the Advance toward san Vittore was bombed twice yesterday of enemy aircraft of which three were shot Down. A Quot specially trained Quot a unit of american and Canadian troops is now in action on the 5th army front it was announced to Cav. There Deere no details on the area where the unit was or the Type of fighting it was doing. In the Adriatic sector 6th army troops advanced a Short distance , five Miles West of the coastal town of Ortona and three Miles above the Ortona Orsogna Road. Eighth army positions at Ortona were reported Quot improved Quot after Savage fighting at a Uoss toads one mile South of the a own. Trie enemy was1 using tanks in considerable numbers in the defense of both Ortona and Orsogna. Heavily fortified Anchor Points at each end of the 15-mile front Between the Adriatic and the Makeila mountains. A military observer just returned from the italian Battlefront. Said today he was Quot astonished Quot that Allied transports noved on front line roads in Range of German guns without being pred upon he attributed this to Quot an enemy shortage of either artillery or  the observer said he was impressed by the Allied  of not attempting an action where the probable loss of lives would outweigh the value of the objective gained. He said this  sharply with the policy in world War i. He said the allies surrounded enemy Hill positions or Cut off Supply lines feeding then instead of attacking by direct assault. Small Adriatic town is Home to one yank typhoid epidemic Harrodsburg  a Large percentage of the nation s population is ussling with the Fiu and Grippe Harrodsburg and Mercer county Are in the throes of a typhoid fever epidemic. County health officer or.  L. Tanner reported 54 cases and two deaths. He said that several of the c4 patient Are critically ill and that As Many As three in the seme family have typhoid fever it red Cross is sending six nurses to assist or. Tanner. By sgt. Ralph g. Martin stars and stripes staff w Rilar pfc. Nicholas Laverghetta is going Home for Christmas. Home does t mean Union City n. J., where he has lived for the past five years. Home Means the Little italian town of Estonia pm the Adriatic coast 20 Miles South of the Sangro River. Nicholas was bom there lived there for 18 years. Quot i just want to walk in and Surprise everybody my grandparents and All my cousins and uncles and aunts. Nobody Ever struts the door in my House so 111 just walk in and yell merry Christmas everybody if they re still alive. Quot there s been a to of fighting up  he explained t tiered been a Tot of bombing at shelling aim Road Moling so Fin not sure i Don t know who s alive m who s dead. I done to even know if my House is still  he said. A we be got a red Brick House near the Junction of >1 a to i. S from my room i could the a Nicholas smiled. Quot my Grandfather has been fishing up and do in that coast Fot More than 60 Yean re. An old Man my Grandfather a he is 87 now. He took out All so pensive looking pipe Quot thl is for my Grandfather Quot he sri Quot when i left for America lie Only asked me one favor. He said that if i Ever came Back to Italy and be was still alive then he wanted me to bring him i Good Pifie Quot then in be got sonic pre. A is Lor my girl s grandparents v  also in Union City now. She a in to America first and i Folio eds year later we be been in Tove ctr Tumoe m Fate a Nevil a week ago has now reached a Point Only 20 tiles North of Vitebsk regarded As one of the strongest a a bastions on the Eastern Iron. This stronghold guards the Road to Poland and the Baltic states and anchors the last German defense line Short of Minsk. Attempts to Stem the soviet drive were beaten Down last night correspondents reported and the germans were forced to abandon urge quantities of equipment and a a munition. While a powerful russian column pressed southward toward Vitebsk another spearhead is pushing Southwest toward the last major railway linking Vitebsk with the rear. If this line pm be Cut the German Garrison will be virtually isolated. The soviet offensive has now broken through positions which the germans apparently thought they could hold All Winter. The russians found elaborately built dugouts with Hardwood floors mirrors and armchairs. Cd Long fortifications minefields barbed wire and Trench networks protected these dugouts. After a Lull of several Days German Panzer units struck again in the Kiev salient yesterday concentrating their attack around Korostek North of their previous heavy assaults. The nazi tanks gained slightly in the morning Moscow reported but Gen. Nikolai Vatu in a forces later in the Day pushed the germans to their former lines. The new wehrmacht thrust apparently is aimed at forcing the Highway running from Korostek to Kiev. Below the salient in the diet or Bend strongly reinforced German armoured Diol Sions with about 2.-000 tanks Are attacking in an Effort to turn Back the Sov drive on Kirovograd. The nazis Luve been gathering their forces observers said for a supreme cd fort to hold up further russian Advance toward the South Voston Corner of the Ukraine reports from m v a a a. Indicated a possible Russim co it 4 at the Mouth of the Dnieper River after the German  of their Bridgehead opposite Kherson the soviets Are within 100 mite it Rise rumanian Border at the  of the russians were Able to Torce a Cross it the Naris would hive no defense line Short of the River Bug. 30 mite to the West Russia adapts new National Anthem Moscow dec 20- pie Boitor Nitto nol so to of the Marx St movement since ion Aid National a a then of Russia since Rhc revolution has been rep leed or a new pus Tan National Anth n called the hymn of the soviet Union tie Moscow radio Aid tin change wis voted by he Quot tonnes a Peoples commissars and sex primed that the internationale i a a not express the rss Enlil Principia now prevailing in a amp it a radio said the Yntema uoti it be does not stress the socialist nature of the soviet Statcy