The New York Times Book of World War II, 1939-1945

by The New York Times

  FRANCE WILL ATTEND PARLEY

  France, while agreeing to participate in the conference, declined to serve as an inviting power, owing to the fact that she made this contingent on conditions which the other major powers could not agree to approve, but it was learned that France’s status as a permanent member of the security council would not be affected by her refusal to be an inviting power.

  Poland was temporarily not invited, and her invitation was made conditional on the reorganization of her Provisional Government in conformity with the provisions of the Crimea Conference.

  Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg of Michigan, the only one of the Republicans on the American delegation who had not already accepted, announced that he had agreed to be a delegate. He said that an exchange of letters with President Roosevelt had convinced him of his right of free action, adding that he would exercise it to insure that “justice” should be made the “guiding objective” of the peace.

  The invitations issued today, besides the omission of Poland; showed several divergences from the lists of countries previously invited to United Nations conferences. It was explained that since Jan. 1 eight countries had signed the United Nations declaration. It was decided to invite all signatory powers to the declaration as of Feb. 5, 1945, as well as Turkey and any country which had declared war on an Axis power up to March 1.

  A special invitation was decided later in the case of Saudi Arabia, following the conference between Mr. Roosevelt and King Ibn Saud on a warship near Cairo.

  NEUTRALS NOT INVITED

  Syria and Lebanon, Iceland and Denmark, which had sent representatives to previous gatherings, were omitted from the conference, as were such neutral countries as Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Ireland and Argentina. Liberated countries, such as Italy, Rumania, Hungary, Bulgaria and the Baltic nations, several of which under new governments have declared war on Germany, also were excluded.

  Neutral countries, it was explained, cannot share in the peace settlement, and the former enemy countries, even though now recognized diplomatically, cannot be admitted to the security negotiations until after the organization has been set up. There was no explanation of the omission of Syria, Lebanon, Iceland and Denmark.

  FRANCE RAISES PROBLEM

  One of the problems disclosed in today’s announcement is the defection of France, widening the rift caused by General de Gaulle’s recent refusal to meet Mr. Roosevelt in Algiers. The French leader has complained that France was not informed sufficiently of the Crimea decisions, and not having been represented at Yalta had framed several objections and suggestions which it desired to make.

  After study of the French propositions and consultation among the inviting powers, it was found impossible to accept her proposals and France was so informed. Her reply was to agree to attend the conference, but to refuse to be a sponsor. The action is equivalent to serving notice that France intends to defend her proposals to amend the Yalta and Dumbarton Oaks decisions in conformity with French views.

  Although nothing was disclosed officially on the proposals, it is known the French Government is especially interested in the peace settlement with Germany and the disposition of the Rhineland.

  MARCH 6, 1945

  TITO IS BELGRADE PREMIER

  BELGRADE, Yugoslavia, March 5 (Reuter)—After the formation of the Regency Council here at noon today, Marshal Tito and Premier Ivan Subasitch of the Yugoslav Royal Government conferred.

  In the afternoon Dr. Subasitch handed the resignation of the Royal Government to the Regency and later Marshal Tito presented to the President of the National Liberation Assembly, Dr. Ivan Ri-bar, the resignation of the whole National Committee, which for the last two years has acted as a Government and carried on the war.

  The Regents, on the advice of Dr. Ribar and Dr. Subasitch, then entrusted the Marshal with the mandate to form a united Yugoslav Government, which is expected to be completed by tomorrow.

  MARCH 11, 1945

  FURIOUS FIGHTING RAGES AT BRIDGE

  Germans Pour Shells On U.S. Forces—Air Attack Fails—Men Pour Over Rhine

  By GLADWIN HILL

  By Wireless to The New York Times.

  AT THE RHINE BRIDGEHEAD, March 10—While American forces pressed steadily east of the Rhine under the secrecy of a blackout, a furious many-sided battle raged all day at the Remagen bridgehead today.

  German guns shelled the bridge and both banks of the river from lateral positions on the east bank outside the bridgehead. German bombing planes came over at scarcely more than ten-minute intervals from noon on, evoking flaming barrages from hundreds of American anti-aircraft guns on the hills around and even from pistol-packing GI’s, who cheered our ack-ack blasts and blazed away from the ground with their own small arms.

  But at the end of the day, our reinforcements were still pouring across into the growing piece we are biting out of Germany’s interior fortress.

  American engineers worked on the more vulnerable west bank—because it is not protected by bluffs such as those that overhang the east side—under a succession of screaming shells that, as this correspondent can testify, were far from reassuring. Some hit vehicles and other equipment on the river bank, starting fires that roared for hours, and sent up great columns of smoke.

  Against an obligato of shell whines and the tat-tat-tat of ack-ack fire, Brig. Gen. William T. Hoge, who directed the original coup of capturing the bridge, coolly continued in his temporary command post in a dark cellar on the east bank the supervision of his forces in the exploitation of the break.

  GERMAN AIR BLOW SMASHED

  A special squadron of eleven German fighter planes made a desperate attempt late today to bomb the Remagen Bridge leading to American positions across the Rhine, but a United States Thunderbolt squadron stopped them before they could reach their objective.

  Six Messerschmitt 109’s, carrying “heavy bombs,” escorted by five Focke-Wulf 190’s, made the attempt. The Thunderbolts intercepted them above the town of Linz and a spectacular dogfight developed in which two of the German planes were shot down and the others were forced to jettison their bombs and scurry for inner Germany.

  Two American fighters were lost but the vital bridge, feeding Lieut. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges’ First Army troops, suffered not the slightest damage.

  First Lieut. Norman D. Gould of Erie, Pa., shot down one of the bomb-carrying Messerschmitts and two other Thunderbolts shot down one of the escorting Focke-Wulfs. Another Messerschmitt was damaged.

  U.S. GUNS HIT AMERICAN

  The some 100 American fighters patrolling the bridgehead throughout the day had to brave both their own and enemy antiaircraft fire and a solid cloud formed a 2,500-foot ceiling over the sector. United States gunners clustered around the bridge itself were firing at every plane that appeared without taking time to determine its identity.

  One of the Eighth Air Force’s leading aces, Capt. Ray Wetmore of Kerman, Calif., narrowly escaped when gunfire from United States batteries crippled his fighter plane and forced him to make an emergency landing.

  His plane was set afire by flak, which also crippled his hydraulic system. But Captain Wetmore made a successful belly landing and reported by radio that he was not hurt.

  He holds a record of twenty-one planes shot down in combat in addition to two destroyed on the ground.

  A First U.S. Army tank rolls off the east end of the Rhine River bridge at Remagen, Germany as U.S. infantrymen advance to consolidate and expand the east bank bridgehead in March 1945.

  MARCH 11, 1945

  GIANT TOKYO FIRES BLACKENED B-29’S

  Correspondent in One Reports Soot and Smoke Reached Planes High in Skies

  By MARTIN SHERIDAN

  Boston Globe Correspondent for the Combined American Press.

  OVER TOKYO, March 10—I not only saw Tokyo burning furiously in many sections, but I smelled it. Huge clouds of smoke billowed high above the city. The conflagration was so great that the bomb bay doors of this Superfortr
ess, the underside of the fuselage and the gun blisters were blackened with soot.

  This bomber was one of more than 300 from American bases in the Marianas—forming the greatest fleet of Superfortresses ever put in the air—which gave the Japanese capital the hotfoot early today.

  Our navigator didn’t have to give the pilot a bearing on Tokyo. Other bombers were ahead of us and forty miles from the city we could see the reddish glow of fires already started.

  As soon as we reached the Japanese mainland we saw scores of smaller fires, en route to Tokyo, and possibly set by the Japanese as diversionary ruses.

  The Superfortresses went in singly, a complete change from their previous formation tactics.

  Over the outskirts of Tokyo our plane tore through high, somber clouds of smoke and fires. The smoke seemed inside the plane. It smelled like the interior of a long burnt building.

  A DISPLAY OF DESTRUCTION

  Suddenly there was an opening through the pall of clouds, and there was Tokyo.

  I have never seen such a display of destruction, nor had such an experience.

  Fires were raging in several multiblock areas and creating almost daylight conditions. In addition, there were hundreds of blazes throughout the water-front area, the most densely populated section in the world.

  Another indication of the conflagration’s intensity was the turbulent air conditions we encountered over the target. Our plane named Patches and bearing a semi-nude painting on its nose struck down and up drafts and bounced 2,000 feet in split seconds. Crewmen were tossed from their seats. Several struck their heads violently against the top of the plane. They were protected from injury by helmets.

  Maj. Walter F. Todd of Ogden, Utah, operations officer and command pilot, said he thought we were hit by anti-aircraft fire, but speeedy examination proved everything was operating satisfactorily.

  A moment later Second Lieut. Lee P. Ziemiansky of Buffalo, N.Y. navigator, sang out: “Three, two, one, mark!” At the last word of the count the bombardier, Second Lieut. Thomas C. Moss of Aurora Ill., dropped the “eggs” in the target area.

  SEARCHLIGHTS FINGER PLANE

  As a civilian noncombatant, my contribution was limited to a brown beer bottle—empty, of course. Several searchlights played on the plane a few moments, but we saw no interceptors and only a few scattered anti-aircraft shell bursts.

  We did see the city getting a terrific plastering and they’ll need a highly efficient fire department to put out the blazes.

  During the night trip out, the plane passed through several sharp squalls which would pass quickly and then the sky would be full of lights of other bombers.

  We passed too close to Raha Island, north of Iwo. The Japanese probed the sky with searchlights.

  Second Lieut. Richard W. Metcalfe of Chicago, flight engineer, at midnight broke out a cart containing sandwiches, a few oranges and several cans of grapefruit juice.

  The crew was perturbed about “stateside” stories describing facilities on a bomber for keeping chow hot and other stories of fabulous meals. “That doesn’t happen in the Pacific,” they said.

  WORRY OVER GASOLINE SUPPLY

  The plane commander, Second Lieut. Leon L. Ballard of Houston, Tex., has been a second lieutenant for twenty-one months. The copilot, Second Lieut. Melvin Barnes of Blackfoot, Idaho, has gone fifteen months without a promotion. Moss, the bombardier, has been “frozen” sixteen months as a second lieutenant. The flight engineer, Metcalfe, hasn’t been promoted for nineteen months and Lieutenant Zlemianski has not progressed in seventeen months.

  Others in the crew were: S/Sgt.1 Frank A. Gish of Chicago, Ill.; S/ Sgt. Elmo G. Hodges of Smithville, Tex.; Sgt. Joseph F. Kelly (address not included), and Cpl. Emerson B. Burke of Sapulpa, Okla.

  These men and their enlisted mates sleep on cots in Quonset huts and tents at their base, eat mediocre chow and yet fly one of the Army’s most difficult missions without complaints. They have had twelve Superfortress missions.

  They have been flying through miserable weather, minus fighter escorts and without complete weather and navigational aids. I saw them in action this morning. under completely new conditions, and a crew couldn’t have looked better.

  The greatest worry after the target is left behind is stretching the gasoline supply over 3,300 miles (the round trip) and making it despite head winds and squally weather.

  The hardest worker is the navigator, who fiddles with his instruments and charts every moment. His computation was on the nose and I can see Saipan again. After Tokyo, Saipan appears beautiful.

  MARCH 17, 1945

  3D CUTS FOE APART

  Armor Slashes Up Links of the Enemy—Others Flank Him on Saar

  By DREW MIDDLETON

  By Wireless to The New York Times.

  PARIS, March 16—The battle for the rich Saar Basin has been won almost before it got well under way. The Fourth Armored Division of Lieut. Gen. George S. Patton’s United States Third Army has dashed from the Moselle to beyond Simmern, only sixteen miles from the Rhine at Bingen, according to front-line reports, while along the Saar River itself other Third Army forces have turned the right flank of the German defenses and the United States Seventh Army, attacking frontally, has driven through German positions for substantial gains on a front of sixty miles.

  The tactics of envelopment that General Patton and Lieut. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges, commander of the United States First Army, practiced north of the Moselle are being brought to perfection south of the river by General Patton and Lieut Gen. Alexander M. Patch, commander of the United States Seventh-Army. Already Allied air forces report German withdrawals eastward toward the Rhine from the great quadrilateral whose corners rest on Coblenz, Mainz, Karlsruhe and Merzig.

  KAISER’S STATUE SMASHED

  Coblenz itself, standing at the confluence of the Moselle and the Rhine, should fall in a matter of hours. General Patton slipped strong forces across the Moselle six miles south of Coblenz at 3 A.M. today. After a terse “surrender or die” ultimatum was broadcast to the German garrison, Third Army artillery hammered the city with 5,000 shells, which, according to one report from the front, destroyed 75 per cent of the city. One shell blew the famous statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I, symbol of German imperial militarism, to bits.

  But Coblenz is only a minor prize compared to the great victory that has been won generally throughout the area. The Germans may fight a number of stiff defensive actions. But the tactical decision has been made by General Patton’s armor. The Germans now must either get out of the Saar, withdrawing eastward across the Rhine, or be surrounded and chopped up.

  Elsewhere on the front the most important news was the northern thrust of the United States First Army forces in the Remagen bridgehead, which have pushed troops through Koenigswinter on the left and across the Autobahn in the center, bringing the latter forces onto the edge of the flat plain that extends northward. General Hodges has now developed the bridgehead, despite stout opposition, to a point from which a really damaging offensive can be launched.

  BITCHE CAPTURED EASILY

  The capture of Bitche, long a German stronghold barring the Americans’ path into the eastern edge of the Saar Basin, was the outstanding feat of the Seventh Army front today. It fell to the 100th Infantry Division without much of a fight, and only fifty-eight German soldiers were found in the city, according to reports from the front.

  Apparently there has not yet been any effort to take Saarbruecken, for the only action mentioned in that sector was around Feschingen, where infantry of the Sixty-third Infantry Division advanced several thousand yards to the north, after having cleared a town that lies four miles Southeast of Saarbruecken.

  Habkirchen was cleared and troops advanced two miles to the north into Pebelsheim. Other elements of the Sixty-third entered Ensheim yesterday and cleared the woods southwest of Omersheim.

  The battle line is now two miles from Saarbruecken at the nearest point. Patrols have advanced to within 1,000 yards of the
town.

  German Army medics surrendering to American troops in Coblenz, Germany, 1945.

  Chapter 23

  “GERMANS CAPITULATE ON ALL FRONTS”

  April–May 1945

  The end of the war in Europe came suddenly, though not unexpectedly. The man who had contributed a great deal to the achievement, President Franklin Roosevelt, was not to witness the final hour of victory. At 3:30 p.m. on April 12 he died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of sixty-three at the Warm Springs spa in Georgia, where he was staying. He had been sitting for an artist’s preliminary sketches when he suddenly collapsed. He lost consciousness shortly afterward and died without regaining it.

  The entire Allied world was shocked by the news. The Times carried dignified and straightforward accounts of the story, including Roosevelt’s last words: “I have a terrific headache.” The vice president, Harry S. Truman, using Roosevelt’s Bible from the White House, was sworn in by the Chief Justice, Harlan Stone, who recited the oath from memory. All around the world there were tributes, including Soviet flags in Moscow with a mourning border.

  Only in Berlin was there rejoicing. Hitler and Goebbels, sealed inside the capital, thought this might be a sign that Destiny had not yet abandoned the German war effort and that there was now a chance to break Stalin’s alliance with the Western powers. This was a fantasy, since Allied armies were now within days of capturing Germany.

  Truman’s first announcement was to confirm that nothing would change in American foreign policy.