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Newspaper
Decatur Daily
Location
Decatur, Alabama, United States of America
Date
Dec 04, 1944
Page
1
Weather outlook and community items from Decatur include cloudy nights with rain, RAF trainee Pvt Roy Horton from Hillsboro, and Sgt Ernest Rodgers home from overseas. Military service updates include Pvt Elton McCulloch killed in action and Decatur guard meetings led by Adjutant General George Cleere. Local events feature Wesleyan Guild, Theater manager Floyd Smith ill, City Council, and a fire at Upstate Chevrolet with minor damage.
In Athens Gen. Catsotas ordered ELAS to quit the Athens area within 72 hours after violent clashes left 21 dead and 140 wounded. A general strike paralyzed the city as British forces disarmed regiments and martial law took effect amid street fighting and power outages.
Owing to shortage of paper the Decatur Daily requests December circulation renewals only. No new mail subscribers accepted. Check paper expiration to avoid being counted as a new sub. Armed forces subscribers continued. Carrier circulation frozen and transfers allowed to new address.
Priceville residents petition The Daily to press state officials about Road 67 from Decatur to Somerville. State highway director says current funds cover only minimal repairs as postwar paving awaits WPB approval, urging patience amid wartime labor and equipment shortages.
Washington reports air the idea of using Henry Wallace as a postwar fixer for Latin American tensions and trade. Support cites his Latin language skills and agricultural background, seen as key to raw materials and farm issues.
Five rail arteries feeding German frontlines were smashed by American heavy bombers with Fortresses and Liberators. Yards at Mainz Kassel Giessen Oest and Bebra were hit. Mainz alone lies on the Rhine. Uncertain weather limited operations but 1 000 fighter bombers pressed the offensive. one German jet was shot down.
Soviet forces smashed four miles into the Retrinst tier region and breached Nazi defenses along the Slovakian border as Miskolc fell to Malinovsky's Ukranian army. Tolbukhin's forces seized Kaposmero and Tamasi near the Austrian frontier while pushing toward Budapest, taking thousands of German and Hungarian prisoners.
The war accelerates a sweeping left right struggle across Europe as monarchies face challenge and regimes shift. In Greece, Italy, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Finland, France, Belgium and Spain, republicans resist Franco, while Hungary uses its territory as a front against Red armies.
Navy communique reports U S submarines sink 20 vessels in war waters, including a light cruiser and a destroyer. Total enemy ships sunk by U S subs reach 874, with 82 warships and 37 probably sunk, as of December 4.
A Sunday morning fire destroyed the Moulton Heights Baptist church as about fifty children watched from the scene. The Decatur fire department fought the blaze but limited access to water led to total loss estimated at $8000 to $10,000 plus a $1000 piano. No injuries were reported and services will be held at the local school auditorium.
Rev Paul Roberts pastor of Euclid Avenue Baptist Bristol Va will become pastor of Central Baptist Decatur on December 24. He served six and a half years at Bristol church and succeeds the late Dr John C Cowell. Rev Ted Brannen remains assistant pastor.
Draft board No. one asked the public for information on the whereabouts of Om Ton Stype Stead, last known to live at 0 Davis Street. Authorities request tips to locate Stead for military service processing.
Allied bombers hit Nakajima Musashima plant near Tokyo as Koiso warns of critical munition output. Meanwhile Chinese and Burmese fronts report 35 miles penetration into Kweichow, near Tushan, as Philippines action remains central to overall strategy. MacArthur reports air strikes on Japanese bases, sinking ships and damaging vessels.
Industrial Tokyo lay in fresh ruins and flame after the fourth bombing raid by American B 29s based on Saipan. The 20th Air Force communique said results were good as the force unloaded bombs with pinpoint accuracy despite intense anti aircraft fire and interceptors.
A B-24 bomber on a training flight from Courtland Army airfield crashed about ten miles from the field Saturday night, killing three crew members and injuring another. The deceased are First Lt. Michael R. Searby of Melbourne Australia, Second Lt. Theodore Rust of Sheffield Alabama, and Lt. Theron Bynum Rust.
Decatur Rotary Club expects about 140 guests for the annual Ladies Night at Somerville Road school starting at seven. James L. Rankin presides with committee chair J. E. McClary and members W. J. Duncan Julian Harris Frank Stone W. J. Willans John Pannell and Frank Aney. civic club presidents and Ro Cilbman from Hartselle invited.
American forces clearing Saarlautern West of the Saar River push across the captured bridge under shellfire from Siegfried line guns to widen the wedge into the eastern section. In other sectors the Ninth Army pressed toward Julich and Duren as First Army moved into the Eifel and toward Bergstein amid heavy fighting.
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