Description

Spearhead

Vol. 1, No. 5 — 2nd Infantry Division, France — Saturday, July 8, 1944

2 pages scanned

Issue 5 leads with the first B-29 strike on the Japanese home islands — “Super Forts Blast Japan.”

Names

• Barrows, Edward P. (Capt — native of Newport, Maine; graduate of the University of Maine; Silver Star award)
• Bass, Oscar K. (Pfc — Regular Army man from Helena, Georgia; Silver Star award)
• Bradley (Gen — artillery put down one of the heaviest barrages of Gen. Bradley’s offensive; French Fronts Afire article)
• De Gaulle (General — stated on arrival in Washington that he firmly believed France could re-build a political regime which would be strong and perfectly democratic; French Future article)
• Dunnihoo, Walter R. (2nd Lt — native of Los Angeles, California; studied at Los Angeles City College; Air Medal award)
• Fulton, Franklin K. (S/Sgt — born in Dayton, Ohio; cash register assemblyman in civilian life; Silver Star award)
• Harson, Frank M. (1st Lt — hails from Newark, New Jersey; Aviation enthusiast; Air Medal award)
• Hopkins, Harry L. (assistant and advisor to the President — returned to Washington after six months illness and convalescence at White Sulphur Springs; Back Home item)
• Kesselring (Field Marshal — mans strong defensive positions 3 miles south of Arezzo; counter-attacking in a desperate hedge for time to build his Gothic defenses further North; Nazis Stall for Time article)
• McCutchen, John N. (1st Lt — comes from Jackson, Tennessee; football and track star at University of Tennessee; Silver Star award)
• Montgomery (Gen — paid a visit to American units yesterday; pinning a number of high U.S. decorations on Yank front-line troops; French Fronts Afire article)
• Oglesby, Thomas N. (Pvt — hails from Arkinda, Arkansas; worked as a lumberjack; Silver Star award)
• Reed, Everett H. (Pfc — comes from Lynchburg, Texas; capping machine operator; Silver Star award)
• Rokossovsky (Marshal — directing Russian armored forces; Soviets pushed within 16 miles of railroad linking Dvinsk and Vilna; tanks and planes blasting Hungarian passes; pursuing faltering troops; within 40 miles of Baranowicze; destroying Germans trapped east of Minsk)
• Weissman, Cpl B. G. (cartoonist — signed illustration for Walter Winchell cartoon panel)
• Winchell, Walter (referenced — cartoon caption ‘I wonder if Walter Winchell knows where we are now’)

Locations

• Ancona, Italy — Polish troops possess coastal town 6 miles south of Ancona
• Arezzo, Italy — heaviest fighting in Italy centers 3 miles south of Arezzo; German defense pivot; Field Marshal Kesselring counter-attacking
• Baranowicze, Belarus — Russian forces within 40 miles of Baranowicze pursuing faltering troops
• Berlin, Germany — RAF Mosquitoes attacked Berlin
• Caen, France — heavy gun and mortar duel going on across the Carpiquet airfield; Gen. Montgomery paid visit to American units
• Carpiquet Airfield, France — heavy gun and mortar duel across the airfield near Caen
• Cherbourg Peninsula, France — Yanks now in action along a 30-mile front across base of Cherbourg Peninsula; more ground gained around La Haye du Puits; Yanks almost encircled town reaching 2 miles southwest and 1 mile southeast
• Dvinsk, Latvia — Soviets pushed within 16 miles of railroad linking Dvinsk and Vilna
• England, Southern — more flying bombs in last 24 hours; Pas de Calais reconnaissance revealed 11 flying bomb sites hit Thursday
• Hungary — Russian tanks and planes blasting Hungarian passes pursuing faltering troops
• Japan — Super Forts blasted Japan again at southern tip of mainland; striking naval dock yards of Sasebo and Japan’s largest steel center Yawata
• Kowel (Kovel), Ukraine — capture of Kowel was an unexpected Moscow announcement; two things standing out in Vilna uprising
• La Haye du Puits, France — more ground gained around La Haye du Puits; Yanks almost encircled; important hill around La Haye captured
• Latvia — one arm of Russian force within 14 miles of Latvian border (referenced from prior context)
• Leipzig, Germany — over 1,600 U.S. planes went out bombing aircraft and oil plants especially around Leipzig; Luftwaffe accepted the challenge for first time since D-Day
• Minsk, Belarus — Germans trapped east of Minsk being destroyed by Russian forces
• Pas de Calais, France — reconnaissance photos show 11 flying bomb sites were hit in the attack Thursday
• Rome, Italy — in the Rome Swiss Embassy Allied officials found a large amount of explosive camouflaged to resemble coal
• Rosignano, Italy — Fifth Army troops now hold Rosignano, 12 miles below Leghorn; Germans set to repel Allied landings
• Sasebo, Japan — Super Forts struck naval dock yards of Sasebo
• Jean de Daye, France — U.S. troops crossed the Vire River establishing a bridgehead; capturing the town of St. Jean de Daye
• Vilna (Vilnius), Lithuania — Soviets pushed within 16 miles of railroad linking Dvinsk and Vilna; Moscow reports an uprising in Vilna where Germans declared martial law
• Vire River, France — U.S. troops crossed the Vire River establishing a bridgehead; artillery put down one of heaviest barrages of Gen. Bradley’s offensive
• Yawata, Japan — Super Forts struck Japan’s largest steel center at Yawata; naval dock yards

Units

• 2nd Infantry Division (U.S.) — publishing unit; operating in Normandy, France
• 5th Army (U.S.) — troops now hold Rosignano, 12 miles below Leghorn
• Luftwaffe (German) — accepted challenge for first time since D-Day; our escorting fighters knocked out 116 Nazi planes for loss of only 6 fighters and 33 bombers
• A.F. (Royal Air Force) — Mosquitoes attacked Berlin