29 Apr 1945
Page 1
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Newspaper
Dothan Eagle
Location
Dothan, Alabama, United States of America
Date
Apr 29, 1945
Page
1
The report notes Japanese planes attacked U S forces off Okinawa, with thirty two aircraft downed. Details on unit responses and resulting losses are limited. The action comes amid ongoing combat operations in the Pacific theater as U S command coordinates countermeasures and resilience.
On Okinawa the 24th Army Corps moved slowly forward destroying pill boxes and strongpoints while heavy artillery and land based Marine planes supported the advance. Naval guns pounded Japanese defenses as Yank 27th Infantry near Machinato field, Nakama village. Japanese air activity included a Friday night attack sinking an auxiliary craft and injuring ships. 25 Japanese planes were destroyed and two probably shot down.
Weather permitting a drive for clothing for foreigners starts at 2 o'clock in Dothan. Parham, chair, urged bundles be tied and placed on porches or steps. Volunteers and Boy Scouts will collect, load into boxes, and ship the clothing to a central depot for overseas distribution.
Italian patriots reportedly brought Benito Mussolini into Milan to confront a court march linked to the National Liberates. Cardinal Archbishop of Milan urged restraint and urged the populace to avoid vengeance as the situation unfolded.
On Hirohito’s birthday Tokyo faced bomb blasts as Japan’s forces suffered reverses in Asia. American troops pressed Okinawa and the Philippines while B-29s attacked Kyushu airfields. Tokyo radio warned of a new invasion threat as Britain reported heavy tank action in Burma and other fronts.
AAP reports severe weather across Alabama with 75 mph gusts at Maxwell Field and widespread outages. One injury occurs when a Pratt City church janitor, Susie Brown, is hurt by a slammed door. Birmingham and Montgomery report uprooted trees and roof damage amid near total daytime darkness. Anniston experiences similar heavy rain and hail.
Huntsville Alabama state officers conducted 13 raids in Madison County under Gov Chauncey Sparks orders. Nineteen arrests were made for liquor law violations with 95 pints and 17 quarts of whisky seized among other beverages.
Federal agents aided by city police arrested five men and a woman for violating the internal revenue act. Defendants include three Dale County men and two Panama City men and a woman. U S Commissioner J W Daughtry announced the arrests made Friday night in the northwestern section of the city. Among those taken were Marshall Baker Maizie his wife and J P Rosey of Panama City.
London dispatch reports a Soviet circle claim that Himmler offered unconditional surrender to the United States and Britain, rejected by the three Allied powers. White House and Downing Street reaffirm that surrender must be to all three major powers, including the Soviet Union.
Gen. Douglas MacArthur announced that Baguio, the mountain capital of northern Luzon, fell to the American 33rd Army Division after a gradual encirclement. The Japanese garrison was destroyed with light U.S. casualties as Filipino government members allied with the puppet regime fled or surrendered. Forces of the 24th and 8th Army Divisions continued a drive toward Davao, aiming to clear remaining Japanese strongpoints in Mindanao.
Stockholm reports Nazi leader Himmler's surrender offer may have reached the United States and Britain via Count Bernadotte of the Swedish Red Cross. Bernadotte, recently back from mercy missions, may relay the Allies’ reply to the capitulation proposal.
Paris dispatch reports a Seventh Army tank breakthrough into Austria and a revolt in Munich, as Hitler's regime teeters. Rumors claim Himmler offered surrender to Britain and the US but not to Russia, with Churchill silent on confirmation. The story notes lack of substantiation at Supreme Headquarters.
Allied forces crossed into northern Italy capturing Brescia and Bergamo at the foot of the Alps, sealing the Brenner pass routes into Austria. A radio report claimed troops reached Como near the Swiss border, with Genoa freed and 6,000 German prisoners taken as the last big west coast fort fell.
Moscow report from Sunday describes large scale German capitulations as Berlin falls into a final combat phase. Russians flood the capital with searchlights after heavy mortar and rocket barrages. The last garrison reportedly seeks to end the crisis by surrendering.
Sweden clings to official neutrality as war-scarred public opinion favors staying out of fighting for Norway. The Oslo question prompts cautious polls and diplomatic chatter, with Norwegians not demanding direct intervention and Swedes largely backing long standing peace tradition.
Winds and rain disrupted telegraph lines north of the city and caused intermittent electrical outages. No serious damage was confirmed in Gly or ashford reports, though a building was said to be unroofed at Ashford. The Eagle’s wire service sent updates through most of the afternoon.
President Roosevelt earned a reputation as a master politician through his attentive campaign style and crowd reading. Reports recount his adaptive speeches and a noted 1938 midsummer press conference revealing plans for a dust bowl inspection and governors' consultations, illustrating his instinct for political maneuvering.
Delegates at the United Nations discussion faced a shifting mood after Texas Senator Tom Connally proclaimed a Nazi surrender momentarily, while Washington denied the report. They assessed risks of a rapid peace upset versus a longer postwar negotiation, noting Gestapo chief Himmler had offered surrender to Britain and the United States but was spurned for lack of overture to Japan.
Two youths, Cec Bradley and Gerald Adams, were taken into custody after police connected them with stealing about a dozen electric fans from the First Baptist Church. Detectives said the case involved a gang of young thieves, with ongoing inquiries into multiple church break-ins. The boys were released to juvenile authorities for further action.
Senator Tom Connally of Texas said he expected an imminent announcement that Germany had surrendered unconditionally. He spoke after learning President Truman denied earlier reports, noting the official word likely would come from General Eisenhower’s headquarters. The other Armenian delegation member echoed the expectation.
A Napier Field ATC aircraft collided with a P-40 during takeoff on a routine training flight on the north side of the runway. First Lt. Joseph R. Green Jr and Lt. Marry I. Grainger, both 20, were killed. Second Lt. William B. Cummings survived with burns. A board of Army Air Forces officers will investigate the crash, marking the field’s 14,683,200 miles flown without previous fatal accidents.
Washington officials urged caution as President Truman and Senate leaders publicly refuted overnight reports Germany had capitulated. White House statements said no unconditional surrender had occurred, while observers in San Francisco and Washington expected an official announcement soon. Crowds gathered hoping for confirmation, and senior aides described the tense, culminating evening.
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