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Newspaper
Dothan Eagle
Location
Dothan, Alabama, United States of America
Date
Sep 18, 1944
Page
5
Broadcasts report Soviet forces within miles of Riga as Red Army drives across Estonia and Latvia. German counterattacks and German positions near Warsaw and Targu Mures are described amid air raids and supply drops. Folmar visits to discuss farm projects in the county.
In Northern Italy Allied forces led by Fifth and Eighth Armies faced heavy German defenses along the Gothic Line with scant gains. The Eighth Army widened the Marano River bridgehead to eight miles while Canadian and Greek troops pushed to Rimini’s northwestern fringe. The Brazilian Expeditionary Force joined the Fifth Army in battle, advancing and taking a town on its first day amid minefields and wire.
Associated Press war briefing says Marines press on at Peleliu in the fiercest assault of three landings, while the 81st Wildcat Division overthrows northeast Angaur in Palau as U S aircraft operate from Morotai. China reverses blamed on command errors and poor communications.
Western Front reinforcement streams bolster the sky army behind German lines. Second Army advances toward the Meuse Canal as U S First Army holds beyond the Siegfried Line. Allied thrusts push along Vosges and into German defenses while Balkans fronts widen. Russian attacks in Riga and Latvia resist counterattacks as Italian and Adriatic fronts show activity amid frostier engagements.
AP dispatch describes renewed air raids over southern counties and a partial blackout lift in Britain. London sees uneven light in streets and shops as some districts brighten while others stay dark, amid postwar cautions and debates on security and restoration timing.
Southeast Alabama farmers in Houston County expect to harvest only about 50 000 acres of peanuts out of 90 000 planted due to labor shortages and leaf worm damage. C M Ling, county agent, said 25 000 acres cannot be dug and cannot be hogged off, leaving a potential $5 million crop shortfall across the Wiregrass region.
The Dothan Chamber of Commerce reports progress on a survey to designate Dothan as an air travel center with service to all points. Secretary-manager Arinar Johnson notes strong local interest and inquiries from surrounding Wiregrass towns as the request moves toward the National Board in Washington. The effort emphasizes adequate travel space and potential routes via Eastern Air Liner and state authorities.
Allied air power surged in a massive operation with over 4,000 sorties flown over Europe, 7,500 tons of bombs dropped, and Britain’s Mosquito raid on Bremen, while Dutch targets supported the airborne landings in Holland. SHAEF officials cite minimal RAF losses and several enemy aircraft shot down, with heavy bombing of Boulogne and German targets across Pomerania Mecklenburg and Holland.
At Bari Italy AP dispatch reports American airmen held in a Bulgarian POW camp were beaten and threatened with firing squads to force disclosures. Major in command said Bulgarian guards and some civilians carried out most abuses as Russians neared the border. About 350 fliers, 295 Americans, were shot down over the Balkans and later released when Bulgaria left the war.
A fragmentary weather note reports scattered activity and cloudy skies in the Lathe area. Temperatures hover near two degrees with warnings of frost and damp conditions.
General Eisenhower is named to lead the Allied military government in occupied areas as U.S. campaign across Europe continues. Other dispatches report FDR and Dewey speeches on air this week with Labor and political rights topics likely to figure, while Bricker announces a long Senate campaign tour.
Voters in Houston show light participation as four municipal elections proceed in Dothan Ash ford Columbia and Coroneondwar with expectations of mayoral contest in Bethan Gor Commissioner Pret dem and Ke McKinney leading in various posts. New terms for several offices begin on the first Monday in Orton Mex Broet of Aghiere with several seats up for grabs.
The Allied Expeditionary Force announces an Allied Military Government under General Eisenhower to exercise supreme legislative judicial and executive authority in occupied Germany. The aim is to crush Nazism by removing Nazi party SS and other active members from positions of power. Civilians will mostly continue normal occupations as instructions are issued locally.
Investigating officers comb through Lake City after a riot Saturday night that left three white and three Black residents injured. The disturbance, centered near a local home, involved shots and property damage as authorities tried to restore order within hours. The incident prompted medical attention at Florence and local guards were deployed to secure the scene as a tense evening gave way to Sunday morning.
Lieutenant Samuel Magill of Ashtabula Ohio led a 18 man recon patrol for two weeks below the Loire River and persuaded German commander Major General Erich Elsner to surrender 20 000 troops unconditionally. The gesture ended a long march from the Spanish border as Third and Seventh Armies closed in. Magill won French admiration and respect in the American ranks.
Allied forces push deep into Germany as American troops break through near Aachen and advance northward. Patton’s Third Army drives from Nancy toward Metz while Seventh Army tears toward Belfort, with Paris radio noting airborne landings in Holland and additional German withdrawals. Eisenhower maintains security as front-line gains unfold.
James Marlow discusses how wartime controls by the War Production Board and price ceilings affect lumber supply and housing construction after Germany's surrender. He notes possible extended price controls by the OPA, potential shortages, and the impact on builders and costs as demand shifts postwar.
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