24 Apr 1945
Page 1
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Newspaper
Lethbridge Herald
Location
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Date
Apr 24, 1945
Page
1
Aged Marshal Petain entered Switz-. reports indicate he will surrender in Geneva amid ongoing war trials. Officials caution details remain fluid as authorities coordinate a formal handover and await final confirmation from Swiss authorities.
The Strathroy Age Dispatch recalls copper toe boots and late 19th century fashion while London firefighting lore highlights a Cockney incendiary rescue. Wartime reports cover Petain seeking Swiss entry to surrender, Laval barred at Liechtenstein, King Leopold en route to France, and indications the Nazi regime may be yielding hostages as Allied talks loom.
Russian troops tightened encirclement of Berlin as Soviet forces push toward Berchtesgaden and Eisenerz. German high command admitted Reds advanced into central Austria and near American positions. Street fighting swirled through half of Berlin with more than a third in Soviet hands and encirclement efforts near the Elbe.
A large force of B-29s bombed the Hitachi Tachikawa engine plant near Tokyo, the first attack on that facility in the Super fortress campaign. Other plants in the Tachikawa industrial area were hit as well. About 100 to 150 B-29s took part in the raid.
Canadians take more than 28,000 German prisoners since the Rhine crossing on March 24 with daily gains of 1,000 to 1,500. Crerar’s front faces strong German opposition at Wagenborn Appingedam and Leez as Polish and Canadian forces push toward Emden amid artillery and air fire. Overnight, forward elements link up near the Leda and Ems rivers while the 400-man Wagenborn garrison surrenders after a spirited defense.
Magrath units surpassed their Eighth Victory Loan target on Monday afternoon with Garden City area quoting a $140,000 quota and a total of $140,200 raised. Workers continued outreach despite bad weather, following a pattern where Magrath hit its quota on the first day in the previous campaign and again early this time, raising $140,150 toward $110,000.
OTTAWA April 24—First day sales of the Eighth Victory Loan reached 67,785,390 with national totals to meet a 675,000,000 quota. Individual Canadians bought 23,791,900, reflecting strong willingness to meet the challenge. Alberta led with 4,664,700 in purchases from 11,507 applications. (Continued on Page Three.)
Allied forces report Fifth Army crossed the Po river pursuing retreating Germans and the British 8th Army seized Ferrara after bitter resistance. La Spezia naval base fell to the west coast advance, Modena captured, and about 40,000 prisoners taken with substantial equipment.
A Moscow radio broadcast quoted a Russian army correspondent on the Berlin front saying red army soldiers will greet British and American allies with gifts of tobacco pouches, wine flasks, and Moscow vodka when the western and eastern fronts merge.
Allied forces led a three army assault across the Danube to threaten the German Alpine redoubt. Ulm fell after a 1½ mile overnight advance as American and Soviet units moved toward Linz and Salzburg. The 7th Army pushed toward Munich while the French near the Austrian frontier reduced large pockets behind the line.
Political prisoners at Flossenburg concentration camp say former Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg was murdered there by SS troops on April 15. They also claim ex German finance minister Eign e Schacht was moved to Dachau when Schuschnigg’s death was reported.
Manila April 24 The U S infantry split Japanese forces defending Mindanao by capturing Kabacan town and seizing a key highway junction. Seizure moves U S troops halfway toward Davao as enemy losses climb to 334,111 with 10,886 more Japanese killed this past week. Okinawa report notes continued hard fighting as Americans seek Kakazu town and southern island objectives.
London report says U S fighter bombers shot down a German biplane of the First Great War type, signaling dwindling Luftwaffe aircraft availability. The capture occurred as Allied air operations continued over enemy territory.
War analyst Dewitt Mackenzie notes the Polish question could become a major flashpoint at the upcoming San Francisco Security Conference. The dispute centers on Poland’s provisional government led by Moscow and the demand for broader representation. London and Washington seek inclusion only if the government is more representative. Moscow presses for full invitation, tying the issue to self-determination promised in the Atlantic Charter. The outcome is critical to the unity of the Big Three and the success of a future world peace organization.
Soviet and American frontline troops near a junction in Germany awaited contact as German listeners tried to jam the radio link. A Russian speaker urged patience and fellowship with Allied forces, while a German voice teased and mocked the impending meeting.
In a joint pledge issued in London on April 24, Prime Minister Churchill President Truman and Premier Stalin vow that any person who maltreats Allied prisoners of war internees or deported citizens will be ruthlessly pursued and brought to punishment.
Flat denial from a staff officer of the U S 1st Army that any contact with Russian troops occurred on the 1st Army front. Moscow reports of a junction near Berlin are dismissed as unknown.
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