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Decatur Daily in Decatur, Alabama

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This newspaper page contains 17 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.

Newspaper

Decatur Daily

Location

Decatur, Alabama, United States of America

Date

Jul 31, 1944

Page

1

Weather and wartime notices mix in Decatur brief

Partly cloudy tonight and Tuesday with scattered afternoon and evening thundershowers. The War Department announced today Second Lieutenant Earl A. Davis is missing in action in the European area. Also listed as missing and wounded are several servicemen and local residents amid hospital and ambulance movements. Community notices cover church meetings and local officials actions, with routine court and public service updates throughout Decatur and surrounding towns.

War Department Earl A. Davis Ninth Avenue Decatur John E. Schaffer Margaret Schaffer Cullman Clay Henderson Asa Henderson Athens John S. Hurst Michael Oo. Hurst Moulton

Eighth Army Held At Bay Near Florence In Heavy Fighting

Allied reports say Nazi infantry and tanks stalled the Eighth Army five to seven miles southwest of Florence. Artillery pounded German units as they tried to blunt Allied spearheads. On the Arnor front, shelling traded along the river. Americans were not yet beyond Pisa’s southern edge. East coast Polish troops fought in Senigallia as forces press toward Rimini.

Florence Great Tuscan Art Center Associated Press Lynn Heinzerling Noland Norgaard Rome Eighth Army Fifth Army Arnor Pisa Senigallia Rimini Po River

German broadcast claims Pisa tower leveled by Allied fire

A Berlin radio report claimed Allied artillery destroyed Italy's leaning tower of Pisa for North American listeners. Later broadcasts and no confirmation from Allies followed. Dispatches noted German use of the tower as an observation post near the Arno, with no military installations near the structure.

New York Italy Pisa Berlin Arno

Foundations laid for Philippines assault in Pacific war

Allied forces under Nimitz and MacArthur pushed multiple offensives toward the Philippines. In the Marianas a "fearful" new secret weapon was used on Tinian to seize the southern town while Guam’s Apra harbor hosts returning American warships. MacArthur’s push through Halmahera and other New Guinea targets continued as Kenney’s units claimed air power and edge toward Mindanao.

J. B. Krueger Associated Press Pacific Nimitz MacArthur Philippines Tinian Marianas New Guinea Japan Adm Chester Nimitz U. S Guam Orote Peninsula Pearl Harbor Apra Harbor Saipan Halmahera Island Mindanao George Kenney Halmahera Vogelkop Peninsula Sorong Manokwari Truk Woleai Namoi Ponape Carolines Nauru Island Marshalls Midway Palau Fleet Air Forces Clinton Green America Guara

Secret Weapon Aids Guam Invasion At Marianas

Pearl Harbor reports a secret weapon gives U S forces a new edge as they advance on Guam and Tinian. Admiral Nimitz says Guam harbor and airstrip are in American hands while Green notes the weapon’s devastating power and secrecy.

Somewhat Frayed Night in Normandy as Tank Recovery Team Advances

An ordnance evacuation crew in Normandy drives a M-19 wrecker toward two crippled German tanks after midnight. A sentry knows little, tension rises, and the sergeant orders the convoy to proceed along a road lane toward the target.

Normandy

Ernie Guides Retriever Truck Through Dark Toward Enemy Tanks

A soldier recalls directing a retriever truck toward German tanks at night. He stood on the platform as the convoy backed up, describes hedges and gravel under moonless skies, and notes nerves and fear amid the danger on the road.

Berlin says Turkey to break with Germany and join Allies

The war column claims Berlin predicts Turkey will sever ties with Germany and join the Allies, enabling air and naval bases and a new front in Yugoslavia. It argues this could strip Hitler of Balkan support, cut his resources, and open a Southeast Europe corridor, accelerating Allied efforts in France.

Berlin Turkey Germany Hitler United Nations Balkans Bulgaria Rumania Danubian Hungary Lad Os Normandy Italy Peninsula France

Dewey criticizes New Deal and postwar reconversion

In Pittsburgh on July 31 Gov. Thomas E. Dewey argued the New Deal failed to plan for reconversion and warned the most vital issue for Americans may be the chance to work. He spoke with leaders on postwar employment and critiqued the “don’t change horses” slogan as Democrats swapped ticket partners in Chicago.

Pittsburgh Thomas E. Dewey Dewey United States Truman D.-Mo Henry A. Wallace Chicago

Berlin denies Rommel dead after French reports

July 31 Berlin officials deny Field Marshal Erwin Rommel has been killed or seriously wounded in France. Stockholm agency quotes Rommel in good condition while a Transocean broadcast notes he was seen shaving. An American officer cited French civilian reports of Rommel’s death but cautioned uncertainty remains.

London Erwin Rommel France Stockholm Berlin Caen

Bert Jackson Claimed by Death at 56

Thomas E. Bert Jackson, 56, died at 6 34 this morning at his sister J C Cowarts home on Eighth Avenue East after being brought there Sunday from his Decatur residence by Mutual Service ambulance. Funeral set for Tuesday at 3 p m at Johnson Chapel with interment in the adjoining cemetery. Survived by two sisters J C Cowart and Mrs L W Brown, two brothers W M Jackson and Houston Jackson, and many nieces and nephews. Pallbearers will be nephews and flowers handled by nieces.

Thomas E. “Bert* Jackson J. C. Cowart Eighth Avenue East Decatur 2 Mutual Service Johnson's Chapel Mutual Decatur L. W. Brown Danville W. M. Jackson Houston Jackson Florette

Exhumation Planned in Lynn Drew Case in Alabama

Montgomery reports say Attorney General William McQueen announced exhumation of Lynn C. Drew to determine cause of death. Petitions in Illinois seek full autopsy, with state toxicologist H W Nixon coordinating tests for poisoning or alcohol. Drew, 3 week bride of a Maxwell Field cadet, was found murdered near her home after June 15 16 events.

Montgomery Ala William McQueen Lynn C. Drew McQueen H. W. Nixon Macon County Illinois Drew Frank Thomalla Decatur

Germans Hint Warsaw Will Topple Soon

London July 31 The Germans signaled that Russians may reach Warsaw as they report Kaunas fell after a Sunday push into East Prussia. Berlin claimed Moscow forces were near Warsaw and cited fresh German counterattacks, with extensive distances to other targets across Poland and the Baltic region.

Warsaw Associated Press London Kaunas Tg Suwalki East Prussia DNB Berlin Moscow Red Army

Bombs By AUSTIN BEALMEAR

More than 3,000 American planes including 1,700 heavy bombers attacked Munich central Germany French airfields and Romanian oil works at Bucharest and Ploesti. U S 15th Air Force bombed near the Russian front while hundreds more operated tactically ahead of Allied advances in Normandy.

Austin Bealmear London Munich Germany Bucharest Ploesti Britain France U. S. 15Th Air Force Italy Normandy Domfront Evreux Tours Air ‘Force East Prussia Brenner Pass Augsburg U. S

Idle in Strikes Raise Detroit Plant Disruptions

Labor discord drives about 20 000 workers idle nationwide and 13 000 more elsewhere as five Detroit plants making Pratt and Whitney airplane engine parts nearly halt output. CIO united auto workers report rate disputes while other sites include General Steel Castings Commonwealth Granite City Roebling Buffalo Houde Ashland and Anaconda Wire plants with varied shifts idle.

Associated Press Detroit Pratt and Whitney Chevrolet General Motors United Automobile Workers CIO General Steel Castings Company Commonwealth Granite City Ill Roebling As A Roeblin Buffalo N. Y Houdaire-Hershey Corp Houde Engineering Ashland Shell San Manufacturing Company Ieee Anaconda Wire and Cable Company Marion, Ind

American Armor Breaks Toward Paris From Avranches Front

Allied columns push 60 miles from the D Day beaches as American armored forces drive into Avranches and threaten a Paris breakout. Granville is seized 13 miles northwest, part of a broader push against German divisions and a widening offensive across the Normandy peninsula.

Gladwin Hill Allied Expeditionary Force Avranches France de Day Normandy Brest Granville Gavray Tessy- Sur-Vire DNB Coutances Paris Torigni-Sur-Vire la Reaviere la Frechiere Fifth Parachute 77Th 243Rd Omar N. Bradeley Second Lehr

Churchill To Warn Commons On New German Bomb Threats

London dispatch reports Prime Minister Churchill will address the House of Commons and warn Britons of possible new terror weapons from Germany, including secret and massive bombs, with government signaling readiness to meet them.

London Churchill Commons Hegg

Also Mentioned on This Page

Memorial Drive Methodist’ Church J. L Lamon West Moulton Street Baugh's Infirmary Brown's Ambulance Malcolm Lane Decatur General Hospital Courtland W. H. Hargrove Beeline Brown's Don Pence Memphis, Tenn Ralph Pence Hazel Pence Somerville and Hartselle Carl Allgood Morgan County Birmingham Lola Cobb Eva Indiana Kentucky John Louis Lamon Baugh’s Infirmary L. G. McDonald C. B. Beasley Bobby Joe Patterson Hartsell Martha Martin Avery Roberts Jr U.S. Navy C.adren D. R. Bibb Eunice T. Midgette Sherill’ Fisher Engelhard, North Carolina W E. Midgette Aega Donald Howard Speegle Howard Spegle Decatur 3 Ruby Irene Shadrick Somerville Bev Howell Wallace Hood E. G. Manor A. L. Roberts Grady Parker Clyde Marshall Austinville Harold E. Dietz U. S. Navy Beaufort South Carolina Quicxie Ken Reynolds S “E Pd U. S. Pacific Fleet Chester W. Nimitz Ernie By Dewitt MacKenzie NEW Deal Bert Jackson Lithuania Niemen Transocean High Command Suwalki Poland Junkers Ivan D. Cherniakovsky Cherniakovsky Augustow German Silesia Riga Baltic Gulf of Riga Czecho-Slovakia Krakow Radom Tallinn Estonia Miriampole Masurian Lake Sambor Stryj Old Poland Carpathians Insterburg Tilsit East Prussian Memel Konigsberg Vistula River Siedlce W. W. Adair Dallas Texas Adair Supreme Headquarters Seventh Army Torigni Vire Caumont St. Martin-Des- Besaces Galet
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