21 Feb 1945
Page 1
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This newspaper page contains 25 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Canberra Times
Location
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Date
Feb 21, 1945
Page
1
A battered field report notes Marines establishing a bridgehead on Imo ima Guam coast facing strong Japanese resistance. Casualties are reported as considerable while Marines push to clear caves and secure the southern tip, with advancing positions at Auribackl in the extreme south.
Zurich correspondent and British United Press relay a mutter of Allied plans with four infantry divisions and a Panzer Grenadier unit cited as part of the move. An Admiral Aimite communique hints at naval and air operations, while a U.S. Army source links Admiral Nimitz to Pacific actions and invasion plans. The report notes Japanese defenses, heavy bombardment, and claims Marines and tanks landed with significant casualties.
Berne correspondent says Hitler ordered evacuation of northern Italy and the Brenner Pass area as a motorised unit moves, aiming to blunt a Soviet drive toward Vienna. Reports cite disrupted rail yards and repairs at Kila Faliapui, amid patrols and commu niques on OlN fronts.
Admiral Halsey, during a surprise Washington visit, predicted the Japanese fleet would not risk battle, believing Japan may break up eventually. He cited Allied intelligence and noted air force strength, possible negotiations, and the heavy fighting expected in the Pacific theater ahead of further moves toward the Philippines and Tokyo.
Our correspondent Frank Dexter reports Japanese forces holding Intramuros refuse to surrender as American artillery pounds the 40 foot thick scales wall. After 40 rounds a breach allowed tanks and trucks to enter the city. Fort McKinley’s capture concentrates remaining Japanese into a narrow zone. Reports say fierce fighting continues on the hills as casualties, including Filipinos, are noted in two villages.
War Department bulletin describes continued air raids over Honshu and Iwo Jima. The efforts aim to strike Tokyo radio infrastructure and disrupt enemy communications as personnel and units rotate in operations across northern and central Japan.
Washington reports the government will shut night clubs nationwide excluding restaurants from midnight February 20, citing manpower needs and wartime economy. Owners pledge cooperation though unions warn widespread layoffs may follow, with 18,000 in New York facing job loss.
London dispatch reports a photographic company handling Airgraph letters for military services and a Daily Express syndicate. It says they earned profits around £103,000 in 1842, with government rebates of about £130,000 and agent profits near 40 percent, despite disclosures of much higher volumes.
At a conference UNRRA announced plans to airlift 27 tons of medical supplies to China via the Himalayas. Agreement covers food and supplies from Australia and the United States. The meeting cited cooperation of Australia’s government and aim to ship 190,000 tons of goods for Indo-China and military operations support.
The British Government drafted plans for a broad Middle East settlement. Proposals included recognizing a federation across Iraq, Syria, Transjordan, and Nejd with Arab regions of Nablus and Jenin, forming a Jewish state with Lebanon and other areas joining a new congressional state. Leaders like Col. SniMl and Me Hadenloo discussed the proposals with delegates during the conference at the time.
A war bulletin reports Japanese assault near Myinlon on the Irrawaddy and at Mandalay bridgehead paused after heavy bombing. British and Indian forces, with West Africans, linked along the Kaladan Valley toward Haenwy, as 28th Corps extended the bridgehead north of Mandalay.
A scrambled London despatch mentions Toorak Victoria native A Gaee and a reported Australian plot connected to a Mexican search operation. Details are unclear due to damaged text but indicate international aviation or military context with named individuals and locations.
German radio reports Helmut Moll head of the Hitler Youth movement died in a fatal accident while on duty in the west.
Fragmented article reports an appeal from Admiral Donets, chief of the German Navy, urging brave young men to enlist for naval service after training. It frames recruitment as a duty to defend the regime and follow leadership, with period wartime rhetoric.
In southern England a powerful explosion wrecked a bailer plant injuring several workers and killing three directors of the Arm. Fires, debris, and panic followed as premises once used by a college were damaged. Hospitalized victims and survivors describe the blast and its aftermath.
A fragmented dispatch notes German defenses near Goch collapsing as Allied Seventh Army and Third Army push from the west and south. Reports say Canadian troops engage near Goch while Berlin says advancing forces threaten Ruhr frontier. claims of crossings and shelling near Kalkar and surrounding areas.
Report from Stockholm cites regrouped Luftwaffe over Berlin with claims of garrison strength and German counter measures. Moscow reports indicate German forces aiming defenses south east toward Frankfurt and Oder fringe, while Russians push west and north. Reuters notes limited German counterattacks and recaptured towns as both sides maneuver near the Berlin area.
Fragmentary report notes a political stand involving Roman Vor Pinel and Bhukey amid tensions. Observers in Moscow mention an attempted amity or retreat, with unclear details about the realists and the axis.
A Morgens Tidningen Berlin report states the Sweden Legation in Berlin is moving about 100 miles west to Brendal. The change marks a relocation of diplomatic staff to a more western location.
Ottawa reports that 73 percent of Canadian army supplies require destruction as obsolete. Corporalion Committee chief B. Catawell says much material remains oriented for disposal, with efforts focused on destroying surplus arms and equipment during peacetime.
A series of daylight and night raids over Western and Southern Germany targeted rail yards and industrial sites near Münster and other towns. Heavy bombers supported by escort aircraft struck chemical plants, tyres and vehicle factories with damage reported across several counties. enemy defenses claimed two planes down.
A fragmentary item reports a discovery linked to a local case, noting authorities seek to clarify the original purpose and identify involved parties. The brief hints at ongoing preservation concerns and potential reevaluation of prior notes by court officials.
A fragmentary note describes a Polish authors project exposing German occupation harms. It mentions a book funded by Polish ministries and a chapter illustrated on film, alleging mass murders of Polish people and public attitudes toward Britain and America.
Deputy Prime Minister for the Army Mr Forde is set for talks with Mr Churchill on policy matters including military and repatriation issues. He will meet Australian and New Zealand officials, likely travel to Canada and Europe, and discuss the Franco‑German situation before a broader overseas trip.
ROME reports the Prime Minister Churchill illness reference in the Commons amid Yalta planning notes. AUCKLAND items report Ralph Buchanan and his wife found dead at their Masterton home with a shooting incident.
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