'Elizabethan Times' Thursday 7 January 1943

'Elizabethan Times' Thursday 7 January 1943

Front page of military newsheet, Series 10 Issue 1. Two cents. Covering world wide military activity. Leading articles cover advances by the allied forces in North Africa and Russian successes in the East. Shorter reports on attacks on the Japanese base at Rabaul and air attacks over Burma. Other notes mention the campaign based around Malta and the shortage of fuel in the eastern American states. There is also an Odds and Ends column.

1943-01-07

One page printed newsheet

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ELIZABETHAN NEWS
Series 10, No. 1 THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1943 Two Cents
[underlined] TUNISIA [/underlined]
ALLIED ADVANCE NEAR MATEUR
Picked German troops were thrown out of strong positions near Mateur by British infantry supported by tanks and aircraft, states a message from Allied headquarters in north Africa. They occupied several high points and
[map depicting the Axis defense [sic] line and the Allied attacks]
beat off a number of strong enemy counter-attacks.
German reinforcements rushed up to assist in the attacks were heavily bombed by Allied aircraft and fell back in disorder.
A brief later message states that in another outbreak of fighting a very important line of hills 15 miles west of Mateur and 20 miles south of Bizerte have been captured after a fierce battle.
Flying Fortresses bombed Sfax, where a big power station was left in flames. Sousse was also heavily attacked.
New Fifth U.S. Army
A new Fifth United States Army, commanded by Lieut.-General Mark Clark, is being formed in Tunisia to fight with the British First Army.
U.S. AND BRITISH PLANES IN SWEEPS OVER BURMA
American and British aircraft carried out attacks on many Japanese positions throughout Burma during the day.
American planes attacked enemy positions at Mandalay and shot up railway yards and timber warehouses, while R.A.F. machines raided river and coastal craft along the whole west coast of Burma, damaging over 60 of them.
Two direct hits were made on a large Japanese ship in the Irrawady river and it was left in flames.
CHILE TO BREAK WITH AXIS
The Chile Government is expected to break off diplomatic relations with the Axis Power next Friday. This will leave Argentina as the one remaining larger south American Republic friendly towards Germany, Italy and Japan.
In the Caucasus
GERMANS FLEEING BEFORE SMASHING RED ARMY BLOWS
Moscow announced in a midday message yesterday that the Germans are in full retreat in the Caucasus following the capture by the Russians of Nalchik and that six more towns were captured during the day’s advance.
Another arm of the great Russian Caucasus offensive struck in the vicinity of Mozdok, east of Nalchik, and it is reported that 500,000 crack German troops are fleeing before the fierce attacks of Russian tanks, artillery and Cossack regiments.
In their retreat the Germans are blowing up bridges and mining roads in efforts to check the Red Army advance. Pravda says the retreat is becoming disordered and that the Cossacks are causing very severe losses to German and Rumanian troops.
Narrow Bottle-Neck
The Russians are pursuing the enemy down a narrow bottle-neck and more than 150,000 Axis troops are believed to be in danger of isolation if the soviet forces can continue their westward drive. It is thought that a number of Germans have managed to escape the trap but this does not lessen the importance of the Soviet advance.
Large quantities of German artillery have fallen into Soviet hands and many prisoners have been taken. The enemy dead is placed at a very high figure and special Russian forces are remaining in the rear to bury them.
Surprise Attack
To the south and south-west of Stalingrad Soviet troops are still moving forward in spite of desperate German efforts to stem the advance.
To the west of the city Russian forces launched a surprise blow and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy.
Forging Ahead
The Red Army is forging ahead in the middle Don area, and south-west of Velikie Luki the capture of several inhabited localities is claimed.
78TH U.S. CONGRESS OPENED
Senator Sam Raeburn of Texas was again elected Speaker of the House of Representatives by a majority of 11 votes over Senator Martin of Massachusetts, when the 78th Congress of the United States was opened in Washington yesterday.
Thousand of Bills will be dealt with during the session.
PRESIDENT LEBRUN MYSTERY
The Fighting French radio at Brazzaville stated yesterday that President Lebrun had arrived in north Africa.
Rallying Effect
This was denied in London although it was pointed out that if the President did reach north Africa it would have a great rallying effect on all Frenchmen everywhere.
12,000 TONS OF BOMBS ON MALTA DURING 1942
More than 12,000 tons of bombs were dropped on Malta during 1942 by Axis aircraft, it was revealed yesterday. In reply the island ground and air defences destroyed 955 enemy aircraft, and there were 300 “probables.” R.A.F. fighters destroyed 773 of the planes, while 182 were shot down by ground defences. R.A.F. losses were 195 planes, but the pilots of 89 were saved.
Convoy Attacks
In addition, island-based planes attacked 46 enemy convoys, 6 single ships and 5 naval vessels. More than 50 ships were definitely sunk and 40 probably sank after attacks. Eighty-three ships were set on fire and their cargoes destroyed.
BRITISH NEARING MISURATA
An unconfirmed report by Radio Morocco says that the British Eighth Army is on the outskirts of Misurata, 125 miles from Tripoli and less than 200 miles from the Tunisian border.
[underlined] SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC [/underlined]
JAPANESE SHIPS BLASTED IN RABAUL RAID
Allied aircraft made a very heavy raid on Japanese shipping concentrations at Rabaul on Tuesday, according to a south-west Pacific report. The planes attacked in two waves and bombed the targets from medium height, destroying nine and probably ten Japanese ships, totalling more than 50,000 tons. They were set on fire with direct hits and when last seen were in a sinking condition.
Seven Planes Destroyed
Munda, on New Georgia island, and Bougainville were also attacked by Allied planes. Seven Japanese planes were destroyed during the raids for the loss of two American fighters.
Japanese Fleet Massing
Messages from the south-west Pacific indicate that the Japanese are massing a large fleet in the Solomons – New Britain area for another attempt to land troops on Guadalcanal to try to seize Henderson airfield.
NEW EASTERN STATES’ PETROL AND OIL FUEL CUTS
The O.P.A. announced in Washington yesterday that all pleasure motoring will cease on the eastern seaboard from noon on Thursday.
Heating Cuts
Heating fuel cuts in the eastern States are expected shortly and it was stated yesterday that people would have to decide between running their cars or heating their houses.
Massachusetts Shortage
Oil fuel is reported to be so low in Massachusetts, says a Boston message, that many houses and apartments will be soon untenable.
United States shipyards are now launching four merchant ships daily and by May the figure will be raised to five a day.
ODDS AND ENDS
PETS
A column in a London newspaper headed “Unlovable Pets: No. 1, The Goat”, ended: “Goat’s milk is very rich, nutritious, unappetising and obnoxious. It turns red litmus paper blue. So do goats,”
At the foot of the column was added: “(Tomorrow – No. 2: Pierre Laval.)”
[symbol] “He made his bed, now he’s lying out of it.”
EMBARRASING
A man was troubled by an inability to remember names, at times even those of old friends. He was dining one day and looked up from his newspaper to see a familiar face. But the name escaped him.
He stood, shook hands warmly with the man, and said: “How are you, where have you been? Will you join me?” and other polite remarks while he was trying to recall the name.
“I’m the waiter, sir,” said the embarrassed fellow.
[symbol] Married life is like a bath – not so hot after you get used to it.
COULD BE
Golfing on links adjoining the Paramount studios, Bob Hope passed a set where a Western mob scene was being filmed. The crowd of extras, ugly, tough, unshaven, had little to do except shout and shake their fists.
“Paramount shareholders, I presume,” said Hope to his companions.
[symbol] “Her waist, like the Equator, is an imaginary line.”
BLOOD CURDLING
A practical joker stepped into a hotel elevator with a friend and began talking as though continuing a conversation: “So I turned on the light and there was this girl in the middle of the floor. Her throat was slit and there was a great puddle of blood. Beside the body was a knife. I was in a spot. If I called the police, there’d be a nasty row, and if I didn’t somebody’d find me there. So I took out my handkerchief and carefully . . .”
At this point the elevator stopped and the two men stepped out, leaving everybody in the car goggle-eyed with astonishment.