FIGHTER PLANES LEAD WEEK’S RAIDS AGAINST JAPS IN BURMA By Corp. ROGER L. WHEELER Roundup Staff Correspondent Fighter planes played the important roles as the Tenth Air Force put on another aerial show over Japanese-occupied Burma this week. Carrying light bombs and Machine-guns, the fighters swarmed over their appointed targets in one formation after another to score accurately and effectively on the enemy. Bombers made their presence felt, too, concentrating most attention on railroad rolling stock. Fighter planes armed with machine-guns and light bombs attacked enemy installations and motor vehicles in northern Burma on Feb. 15, leaving heavy casualties and loss of supplies to the enemy. The first of three formations of fighters strafed 20 trucks loaded with bridge equipment on the road south of Hpunginzup. Another formation found 20 additional trucks in a parking area near Hpunginzup and reported direct hits among them. Hpunginzup itself was subjected to low level attacks which resulted in great damage from four large fires. The third formation concentrated on Japanese headquarters at Nsopzup where large numbers of troops were quartered. Bombers attacked railroad rolling stock at Ywataung in central Burma on Feb. 18, while fighters attacked enemy headquarters at Maingkwan. Another formation of fighters on the same day observed and made a low level attack on a concentration of enemy troops north of Taro while a third formation strafed and burned sheds where many rafts were being built at Mezalican on the Irrawaddy River. As a result of these attacks it is believed that the enemy has been forced to utilize rafts on the rivers because of damage to his rail communications. Fighter planes resumed their attacks on Feb. 19, top strike at a Japanese headquarters at Hupinginka and near hits were made from an attack on a new bridge there. As a result of these strafings, enemy anti-aircraft fire was silenced and many hits on buildings in the town were seen. West of Meza another formation dropped bombs along a defile through which the railroad passes causing landslides and burying the tracks to an estimated depth of 20 feet for a distance of 100 feet. In central Burma, on Feb. 19, bombers attacked rolling stock and railroad installations at Sagaing, scoring direct hits and near misses. No personnel or aircraft casualties were sustained on any of these operations. Our fighters again struck heavily on Feb. 20 when they made an attack in force against an enemy headquarters at Sahmaw in northern Burma. Buildings, barracks, oil tanks, and railroad installations were destroyed or severely damaged and more than thirty fires were seen to be burning when the planes turned back toward their base. Another formation of our fighters attacked the railroad defile near Meza where tools and equipment assembled to clear the rail line were strafed, and hits were secured on a locomotive standing south of the cut. A cavalry station near Kamaing was also subjected to low-level attack and Japanese cavalrymen were seen to dash for cover, abandoning their stampeding horses. |
Eberstadt Dismissed From Production Job By Donald Nelson WASHINGTON - (UP) - At the request of Donald Nelson, chief of the War Production Board, Ferdinand Eberstadt has been replaced by Charles B. Wilson as Executive Vice-Chairman in charge of all WPB programs. Capitol observers consider Eberstadt's dismissal as the latest casualty in the struggle between the WPB and the armed services over control of war production, since Eberstadt repeatedly made unnecessary demands on civilian economy while controlling allocation of scarce material. Nelson said the dismissal of Eberstadt will "bring harmony." Likewise, Lou Holland resigned as chairman of the Smaller War Parts Corporation. His successor, Col. Robert Johnson, told newsmen his primary duty will be to spread contracts among small plants, despite possible conflicts with Army superiors. |
|
|
|
OWI REPORTS TOTAL WAR CASUALTIES WASHINGTON - The Office of War Information announced that the total casualties of the United States armed services totaled 65.380. The figure includes 10,150 dead, 10,959 wounded, 38,049 missing, 6,132 prisoners and 90 interned in neutral countries. The Army's list, complete through Feb. 7, totaled 41,948, including 3,533 dead, 6,509 wounded, 25,684 missing, 6,132 prisoners and 90 interned. Of the wounded, 743 have already returned to active duty. The Navy, Marines and Coast Guard list, complete through Feb. 19, except where the next of kin is still being notified, totals 23,432. Navy casualties include: 5,083 dead, 2,087 wounded and 10,197 missing. Marines, 1,483 dead, 2,344 wounded and 1,994 missing. Coast Guard, 51 dead, 19 wounded and 174 missing. |
|
|
A general has to line up for his chow on some occasions. At the head of this line getting his handout of Army field chow at a bivouac id Brig. Gen. Hanford MacNaider, who commanded one of the U.S. Army task forces in New Guinea. |
British soldiers supported by U.S. tanks, advance to new positions in the Allied drive against the Axis in Tunisia. The Germans have put up much more resistance than they were expected to display on this front. Rains also hampered Allies. |
Dock installations at Naples, Italy feel the impact of U.S. bombs during an attack by American bombers. Heavy anti-aircraft fire and fighter planes did not mar the accuracy of the attack, shown by rising columns of smoke from dock area. |
U.S. airmen battle difficult weather conditions, besides Japs in the Aleutians. Here, a soldier, carrying tent stakes, splashes through mud. |
Wading into icy water is just part of a day's work for this U.S. Navy ground crew whose job it is to keep PBY patrol bombers flying over Alaskan waters. The craft is maneuvered ashore by the pilot, whose head appears just above the star. |
Eager hands of French children reach out for cans of condensed milk being distributed by an Army sergeant in Algeria. Allied forces have also made available a quantity of powdered milk to be distributed to children in North Africa. |
Lieut. Gen. Robert L. Eichelberger, commander of U.S. ground forces in New Guinea, inspects carriers bringing supplies to the front. |
Pressing into service every kind of marine transport, U.S. soldiers arrive at a New Guinea port in a wooden schooner. Shipping for troops and supplies has been one of the most acute problems for the Allies to solve. |
Carrying their duffle bags, members of a U.S. Army task force land from their transport on the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific. These troops are now entrenched on this heretofore unfortified base and are now ready for the call that will send them into what might wide-scope action on this battlefront. |
Relaxing between combat missions, U.S. Army fliers, who played an important role in supporting Australian and American ground forces in New Guinea, bask in the sun. Phonograph recordings and a card game pass the time as they wait their next call for aerial action. |
|
|
|
|
|