Pacific News-Review

Notes And Comment On

The Progress Of The War

From Mar. 16 To Apr. 14

Mar. 16: The whole German front in the Ukraine is collapsing. The Red Army has crossed the middle reaches of the River Bug, leaving Marshal von Man stein no option but to continue the costly German retreat to the Rumania border.

Mar. 16: The Japanese have suffered further heavy losses over the Wewak area. They lost 65 planes in three days.

In the Talasea area (New Britain) there iiave been new landings by US Marines.

Mar. 17: After 3,000 sorties were flown by Allied planes over Cassino (Italy) fierce infantry fighting developed near the town (75 miles south-east of Rome).

Mar. 17: In New Guinea, the Austra lians are near Bogadjim (main enemy base east of Madang).

Mar. 18: New Zealanders (spearhead of the assault) have fought their way through the town of Cassino, Italy, to its south-western outskirts.

Mar. 20: Great Russian forces, in a far reaching break-through on the Ukraine front, have crossed the River Dniester, which marks the 1939 Rumanian border.

Stalin has announced the destruction of the second German Sixth Army (the first Sixth Army was liquidated at Stalingrad last year).

Mar. 20: British air-borne troops have landed behind the Japanese in Burma and have established airstrips and a supply base.

Mar. 21: The Germans reinforced their positions at Cassino in Italy, and after fierce fighting recaptured one hill. New Zealand and Indian troops in one sector have advanced beyond the town.

Mar. 21: The Russians now are pour ing through a 30-miles gap in the Ger man Dniester defences, and tanks, infan try and guns are being rushed up for a drive across the River Pruth (1940 Rumanian border).

Mar. 22: The German Army has occu pied the Axis country of Hungary and has seized hostages, including the Regent, Admiral Horthy and the Prime Minister, Dr. Nicolas Kallay.

The Germans, of course, must occupy both Hungary and Rumania if they are to successfully defend the Carpathians line.

Mar. 22: Russian armies are fanning out into Bessarabia from their Dniester bridgehead. It is apparent, from the speed of the Russian advance that Ger man and Rumanian resistance was dis organised and weak.

Mar. 22: Finland has rejected the peace terms offered by Russia.

Mar. 23: Following swiftly their occu pation of Hungary, German troops have seized key positions in Rumania and Bulgaria.

Mar. 23: Japanese patrols have crossed the frontier Into Assam (eastern India) from north-west Burma.

Mar. 23: United States Marines, from Solomons bases, landed at Emirau and Elomusao Islands, just north-west of Kavieng, in New Ireland, on Monday.

Mar. 25: In 24 hours, 5,000 Allied planes raided targets in western Germany and northern France, and dropped an aver age of four tons of bombs per minute.

Mar. 25: Marshal Zhukov’s armies, 100 miles north of where the Russians crossed the Dniester last week, are advancing on a 40-miles front, and are nearing the upper reaches of the Dniester.

Mar. 27; The Germans have now had five days of intensive, unabated air-war.

Berlin is a mass of flames. Kiel suffered heavily. On Friday night alone, 73 RAF bombers failed to return. London’s heaviest raid for some time also occurred on Friday night. About 100 enemy bomb ers were over the city in an apparent

attempt to cause widespread fires.

Mar. 27: Three large Bessarabian towns fell to the Russians over the week-end, including Nikolaev (important port at the mouth of the Bug). The Germans are retreating blindly as Marshal Koniev’s forces advance on Rumania.

Mar. 26: In a world broadcast, Mr.

Churchill said that the hour of invasion was coming near. He stated that he believed that the end of the war in the Pacific would not be so long after the downfall of Germany as he had thought last year.

Mar. 28: With the Russians preparing to enter Rumania, Russian shells are, for the first time in this war, falling on soil that is not Russian. Red Army units are lined up along the River Pruth (pre-war boundary of Rumania).

Mar. 29: In an advance of 40 miles, Marshal Zhukov’s forces have reached the River Pruth (Rumania). Marshal Koniev’s forces reached the Pruth, fur ther south, on Sunday. Large German forces have been cut off between these two Russian forces.

Mar. 29: Some Army journals describe the recent Allied operations at Cassino, in Italy, as a total failure.

Mar. 30: Kavieng and Rabaul are being pounded almost daily by the Allied air forces, operating in force from the Solo mons and from Emirau Island (which we occupied 10 days ago).

Mar. 31: The Russians reached the Carpathians (Hungarian border), thus cutting off the Germany Army in south ern Russia from that in lower Poland.

Apl. 1: US naval and air forces raided the important Japanese naval base, Palau (western Carolines). Heavy bomb ers caused severe damage and destroyed 54 planes at Truk: US Navy Catalmas started large fires in the Carolines (Woleai Island) and 118 enemy planes were destroyed at Hollandia (Dutch New r Guinea). , ..

Apl 3: The Germans are looting the great Black Sea city of Odessa, as the Red Army draws near. .

Apl 3: The Japanese who were driv ing against Imphal (capital of the Indian State of Manipur, in Assam), have been halted by RAF bombings.

Apl. 4: The Germans are rapidly evacuating Odessa sector, through a narrowing escape gap. . .

Apl. 4: In Assam, a substantial Japan ese force is moving on the important junction of the Assam railway and the road from Imphal. This directly threat ens British communications.

Apl. 5: The Russians are pouring into Rumania on a 60-miles front. They have penetrated 15 miles inside the border.

Apl. 5: Washington announces that the naval raids last week sank or damaged all the Jap ships anchored at Palau, Woleao and Yap. , Apl. 6: 300 aircraft on Monday dropped 400 tons of bombs on Hollandia (Dutch New Guinea). The entire Japanese force of about 290 aircraft concentrated in this area now has been wiped out.

Apl. 8: Stalin announced that the Kea armies have reached Czecho-Slovakia, along 132-miles front, where it meets Rumania, after having routed the enemy forces in the Carpathian foothills.

Apl. 9; Japanese attempts to make outflanking landings along the Bay Bengal coast, to reinforce their drive on India, are forecast. A large British fleet is believed to have congregated in the Indian Ocean, to counter any move m this direction. . , . .

Apl 10: US task-force which attackea enemy bases in the western Carolines and Palau Group, between March 28 ana

March 31, sank 25 ships and destroyed 126 planes. Seventeen other ships were damaged and 54 planes were probably destroyed. The Americans lost 25 planes and no surface craft.

Apl. 10: Allied destroyers attacked Japanese bases along the northern New Guinea coast —at Hansa Bay, Alexishafen and Madang. Large bombers made a co-ordinated attack on the same bases.

Apl. 11: The Red armies have captured Odessa, the last big Russian city to be freed. Loss of the city is admitted by Berlin.

Apl. 12: The major portion of New Britain is now in Allied hands, and the Japanese forces are withdrawing quickly to the Gazelle Peninsula, and preparing for a final defence at Rabaul.

Apl. 13: An air attack upon Germany and German-occupied countries has been proceeding for five days and nights. RAF and American air forces are keeping up a non-stop offensive against the railway systems on which Germany must rely to supply the defenders of the Continent.

Apl. 14: More than one-third of the Crimea now has been recaptured by the Russians, who are virtually at the gates of Sebastopol fortress.

Apl. 14: Australians have captured Bogadjim, near Madang, the most east erly enemy base on the northern coast of New Guinea. The Japanese are with drawing westward.