Pacific News-Review

Notes And Comment On

The Progress Of The War

From July 18 To Aug. 15

July 18: Tokio Radio to-day made the dramatic announcement that General Tojo has been removed as Chief of the Japanese General Staff.

July 18: Russian forces have entered Latvia, thus intensifying their campaign to free the Baltic States.

July 20: British and Canadian troops who broke through the German defences on the east bank of the Orne River, in Normandy, on Tuesday, are now within half a mile of Troarn and are driving for Vimont.

July 20: Following the resignation of Tojo as Chief of Japanese General Staff, the whole of the Japanese Cabinet has resigned. General Kuniaki Koiso, former Governor-General of Korea, and Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai, a former Premier, have been chosen to form a Cabinet.

July 20: An unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Hitler “by explosives” was made. Hitler was slightly, and several members of his staff seriously, injured.

July 21: US Army and Marine assault troops have landed on Guam (120 miles south of Saipan, in the Marianas). Beach-, heads have been established and the landing is going to programme. A heavy naval and aerial bombardment preceded and supported the landing.

July 23: Following the attack on Hitler, there are many reports of revolt in the Germany Army. The position is obscure.

July 23: The Germans’ east front now is collapsing, as the Red Army sweeps for ward on a 1,100-mile front. Russians are reported in the suburbs of Lwow.

July 23: Premier of the new Japanese Cabinet is General Kuniaki Koiso, former Governor-General of Korea. The new Cabinet has pledged itself to fight to the finish against the Allies.

July 24: The Russians, driving into Poland, are 50 miles from Warsaw. The German fortresses of Bialystok, Brest Litovsk, Lublin and Lwow have been by passed, miles behind the front lines, to be cleaned up by the second wave of Russians.

July 24 American troops have made another landing in the Marianas, at Tinian Island, 18 miles south of Saipan.

July 26: Warsaw is reported in flames as the Russians close in against the city from east and south. German resistance is broken everywhere along hundreds of miles of front.

July 26: Local advances have been made by the Americans west of St. Lo, in Nor mandy. German counter-attacks in the Tilly-Campagne sectors have forced the British to make slight withdrawals.

July 26: US troops have wiped out the last pockets of resistance around their beach-heads on Guam and have linked their two assault forces July 27: Russian infantry to-day swarmed across the Vistula, last natural German defence line before Warsaw.

They used thousands of amphibious trucks. The offensive towards East Prus sia has been resumed.

July 27: American armoured columns and infantry which broke through the enemy defences west of St. Lo are driv ing forward on a narrow front without serious opposition.

July 27: Three destroyers and a Nether lands cruiser went into Japanese-held Sabang Harbour (Sumatra) on Tuesday to engage targets at close range. They were supported by carrier-borne aircraft and left the port in flames.

July 30: The British are making pro gress in a new drive in Prance on a wide front east from Caumont.

July 30: New Zealand troons forming the spearhead of the Allied drive on

Florence (Italy) have inflicted heavy enemy losses.

July 31: In their twin drives in Nor mandy both British and the Americans have made rapid progress. The Ameri cans are in Avranches and the British troops are east of St. Martin-des-Besaces.

Aug. 1: The Allies are making rapid progress in France. American columns are across the border into Brittany; and the British bulge south-west of Caumont has almost doubled in 24 hours.

Aug. 1; Russian and Polish troops, under an umbrella of planes, are attack ing the Warsaw suburb of Praga.

Aug. 1: US forces landed unopposed in the Cape Sanapor area, at the extreme western tip ol Dutch New Guinea. They have cut off 15,000 Japs and are now 675 miles airline from Mindanao (Philip pines).

Aug. 2: Turkey has broken off diplo matic and economic relations with Ger many.

Aug. 2: Mr. Churchill announced that 4,735 people have lost their lives through flying-bombs and those injured total 14,000. Punishment of the Germans will be appreciably increased.

Aug. 3: Americans have taken Rennes (88,000, capital of Brittany).

Aug. 3: The Russians have reached the East Prussian border and are shelling German territory.

Aug. 4: Red Armies, driving for Silesia, have crossed the Vistula, 120 miles south of Warsaw. The Polish Underground Army has seized parts of Warsaw.

Aug. 6: Americans in northern France, racing across Brittany, have reached Brest (naval base at the western tip of the province). They are within 15 miles of Lorient and 18 miles of St. Nazaire.

Aug. 6: The battle for Guam is almost over. A gigantic man-hunt is being car ried out by US troops, as they move in on the battered remnants of the Japanese garrison.

Aug. 6: South African troops have penetrated to the centre of Florence, in Italy. Germans say their troops have been withdrawn “to spare the historic town.”

Aug. 9: British and Canadians launched a big offensive south-east of Caen. A German counter-attack, trying to reach the sea at the foot of Cherbourg Penin sula, was disastrously defeated. The Allies have moved in to pin the Germans against the River Seine.

Aug. 7: Americans in Brittany have wheeled left and are driving east towards Le Mans and Paris.

Aug. 7: US naval task force bombarded the Bonin Islands, 600 miles from Tokio; wiped out an enemy convoy and heavily damaged installations.

Aug. 9: The Canadians in France advanced 12 miles, smashing through the German “hinge” south of Caen. The Americans are near Le Mans.

Aug. 9: Moscow announces that the Russians have crossed into East Prussia and fierce fighting is in progress.

Aug. 9: The American flag flies again over Guam.

Aug. 10: Americans have reached Nantes (mouth of Loire). Other Ameri can units, beyond Le Mans, are only 87 miles from Paris. Canadian and British are advancing south and east, and the Germans are threatened with a gigantic pincer movement.

Aug, 10: President Roosevelt has been in Pearl Harbour conferring with his Pacific Service chiefs (including Admiral Nimitz and General MacArthur).

Aug. 11: Super-fortresses based on China attacked Japan for the third time.

They raided industrial targets in the

Nagasaki area, key centre of aircraft and war production. Other Fortresses from south-east Asia attacked targets near Palembang (Sumatra).

Aug. 13: With the elimination by the Russians of the German salient east of Warsaw, a new Russian threat to East Prussia has developed.

Aug. 13: The Germans, under a terrific and pitiless air bombardment, are retreat ing from the Normandy bulge, trying to escape encirclement by American troops driving north from Le Mans and British troops driving south past Falaise.

Aug. 15: The escape gap in Normandy between Falaise and Argentan is now only 10 miles wide. The Canadians have advanced to within three miles of Falaise and the Americans have entered Argen tan. The enemy’s position is critical.

Aug. 15: British, French and American troops landed on the Mediterranean coast of France to-day, on both sides of Toulon.

By mid-morning all landings were pro ceeding successfully against light onposi tion. The full weight of the Allied Medi terranean air force was used to blast a way for the landings. The largest air borne force ever used (over 14,000) was successfully landed two miles behind the enemy defences, and met little opposition.