31 Dec 1941
Page 1
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This newspaper page contains 21 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Lethbridge Herald
Location
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Date
Dec 31, 1941
Page
1
British headquarters reported offensive actions against Japanese invaders in Malaya with some success while pressure on the Perak front remained light. Allied patrols encountered enemy forces near Kuantan on the east coast and repelled several air attacks near Singapore.
Boomerang dispatch from New York reports Berlin boasts on Kerch, claimed as a Bolshevik defeat by the Germans. The BBC replayed the Nazi gloating from Nov. 18, noting strategic aims on the Caucasus and access to the Sea of Azov. NBC observed the broadcast.
The Aga Khan, famed horse breeder and Ismaili leader, hints at an imminent end to the war between Easter and Whit Sunday. While in Geneva he notes no occult charts are needed, cites Derby Day ties and a 2000 guinea Hyperion colt purchase from Enid, Countess of Chesterfield, as context for his wager.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt completed a naval command shakeup after Pearl Harbor by naming Admiral Ernest J. King as commander in chief of the United States fleet. King, previously commander of the Atlantic fleet, succeeds Admiral Husband E. Kann Mel who was relieved after the Hawaii attack.
Heavy fighting south of Agedabia pitted German armor against British forces in a determined effort to shield Rommel’s southern flank. The communique reported many German tanks and transport destroyed while British losses included several tanks. In the same area, prior actions claimed higher destruction on both sides. British artillery shelled Bardia in the frontier zone.
President Manuel Quezon was inaugurated for a second term in Manila in a wartime ceremony attended by General Douglas MacArthur and High Commissioner Sayre. He pledged to unite effort with the United States to fight for America and the Philippines, stating the sole current task is to fight for both nations and their common cause.
Roger C. Cross of Wausau Wisconsin won the 1841 world championship Har by the Burlington Liars' Club in Burlington on December 31. He topped 6259 entrants with a tale about fishing in the old days in the Unadilla. The yarn describes natives spiking hair tonic, fish growing beards, and fishermen using a barber pole and a police gazette to lure catches.
Stalin orders renewed drive to clear Germans from the Crimean peninsula as Soviet forces recapture Kerch and Feodosiya and pursue the retreating Axis troops. Stalin says the plan was evolved personally and calls for the total liberation of Sevastopol and surrounding areas.
London dispatch says British submarines in the Mediterranean have sunk five Axis schooners, including an ammunition carrier. The admiralty communique notes one of the schooners carried ammunition and adds an Italian destroyer was struck by a torpedo.
New Year holiday suspends Herald publication. War news bulletins continue. Italian propagandist Col. Sergio Pinelli, 53, director of Le Forte Armate, dies. he led army propaganda for six years before this year. Archibald Wavell cables Stimson wishing U S Army success in 1942 for all troops under his command.
Batavia Dec 31 The Netherlands East Indies urge faster fighter plane production as Japanese air raids kill three and injure 19 across provinces. Aneta relay says destroyers shelled Menado on Celebes with no casualties and minor damage. Officials deny a suspected Sumatra parachute invasion due to faulty observations.
OTTAWA, Dec. 31. Canadian labor leaders in New Year messages urged workers to devote themselves to democracy. Tom Moore, president of the Trades and Labor Congress of Canada, called it a people's war and said workers, employers, and government must share responsibilities for joint action. He insisted mere lip service is useless against barbarism of the Hun and demanded definite action.
A Chinese communique says heavy fighting rages along the northern Hunan Province front as Japanese forces advance toward Changsha. Chinese troops reportedly hold firm positions on the south bank of the Milo River.
Berlin December 31 German restaurants will from January 1 offer one field kitchen dish on two days each week. Alongside this basic fare no rations are needed. Two meatless days Tuesday and Friday remain in effect.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill told a press conference he would not comment on conscription for Canada, saying Canadians must settle the matter themselves. He spoke at Rideau Hall amid reporters and noted hopes for Italy to fall soon and Singapore to be held.
Berlin reports Adolf Hitler told troops the Soviet winter counterattack must be defeated and that 1942 would see Soviet power broken. He urged no repeat of 25 year wars and warned against Anglo American Jewish conspirators, calling for an end to bloodshed in Europe for generations.
Ottawa reports the first Hong Kong casualty list since the colony fell to Japan. The 11 names were sent from Hong Kong before the fall but arrived in Ottawa days later. Officials say no further lists are likely soon while the Red Cross gathers details. Casualties among Canadian troops are believed heavy. The colony, a major Far East naval base, endured a prolonged siege with defenders outnumbered.
Reports from New York indicate Manila could fall imminently as Gen. Douglas MacArthur attempts to evacuate 300 wounded by ship. Tokyo radio claims Japanese forces are within 20 miles of Manila, signaling a threatened surge in the Philippine campaign.
Globe Wireless will no longer accept radiograms for Manila and other firms warn messages travel at sender risk as Japanese forces push toward Manila. Cable links severed by Guam capture. Philippine forces resist elsewhere. A Reuters Vichy report notes Shanghai fray. Tokyo says Japanese drive toward Manila with bombers clearing a path.
Allied strategy calls for defending Singapore with all means to make it a base for Pacific offensives. A British authority says Japan controls the western Pacific and UK forces will rely on the United States Navy as naval forces build up. A threat exists if Japanese forces land near Penang and could control traffic in the Strait of Malacca. Continued on Page Three.
Alberta announces no new tax plan for the current fiscal year while budget talks begin. UK and US discuss creating a joint Anglo American war commission. Alberta explores a single license plate system. Evacuees reach San Francisco as Pacific war news updates roll in. Western Atlantic reports claim no U boat sinkings by December 31. Venezuela cuts ties with Axis powers. Kaluga captured on Moscow front as Rommel’s forces face pressure in Libya. Victoria police seek explanation for falling iron flywheel piece. Germans reportedly forced from fortified lines as winter nears.
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