Oldest Newspaper In Alaska. 4"Tlie News of the l)av In Pictures" Member of I hc Associated Press
THE NOME NUGGET
VOL. 44. No. 87. NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, June 29. 1942 Copy u>«
Rommel’s Forces Capture Matruh
Japs Stopped Short of Objective Kiangsi Province
Hitler May Occupy AH France Offset
Projected Allied 2nd f ront Invasion
Replace 2(1 German Commaders In Last 3 or 4 Weeks
LONDON, June 27 (AP) — Usually well-informed,
foreign sources said today that Adolf Hitler is being
urged by military commanders to “arrange” the occu
pation of all France to offset the projected second
front invasion of Europe by the United Nations. This
source declared that the report came through the
same trustworthy channels which disclosed that guns
from the Maginot and Siegfried lines were being mov
ed to the English Channel coast.
In addition, Hitler has shaken up his military com
mand replacing 26 division commanders in the last 3
or 4 weeks. The changes in the German military or
ganization, the source said, parallel the moves to
stiffen civilian morale in the Reich, under decree
against anti-social elements who endanger the total
itarian state of Germany. This source warned against
considering these moves by Germany as signs of,
weakness but said they should be taken as evidence I
of German preparedness which the Allies must be
equipped to overcome when they invade.
Navy Announces Staggering Losses
Suffered by Japs In Midway Battle
PEARL HARBOR, June 28 (AP) — The Navy an
nounced today that the staggering losses inflicted on
the Japanese fleet in the Battle of Midway included
lour aircraft carriers sunk, with aircraft totaling about
275 planes, together with crews and planes. Enemy
ships also announced sunk were: two heavy cruisers,
three destroyers, and one or more transports or cargo
vessels. A fourth destroyer was listed as probabv
sunk. In addition the following ships were badly
damaged and may have been lost attempting to return
to their bases: two or three battleships, one damaged
particularly severely; two heavy cruisers; and four
transports or cargo ships hit bv bombs or torpedoes,
one later listed as probably sunk.
Personnel losses on the ships sunk are known to
have been extremely heavy, and ships receiving bomb
hits probably suffered heavy losses in this respect.
GAS DROUGHT IS
FELT EASTERN U. S.
OVER WEEK-END
Undated, June 29 (AP)—
Jammed trains, empty
highways and throngs of
motorists, gathered around
the few filling stations that
were open, made the east
ern U. S. acutely conscious
of the gasoline drought ov
er the week-end.
Fifty motorists visiting
soldiers at NewPort were
stranded there.
Defense workers at Bos
ton expressed fear that
they wouldn’t be able to
get to work today.
All through Massachu
setts and New England,
autos rolling along roads
are becoming fewer and
fewer, while Mayor La
Guardia attacked the 2 and
one - half cent gasoline
price increase, effective
along the eastern seaboard
as “discriminatory and un
fair."
Vacationists and visitors
crowded New York in num
hers comparable to those
on holidays. Railroad of-j
ficiais said 30 extra trains
were added to handle the
travelers.
1,000 PERSONS IN
2nd ANTI-NAZI RIOT
IN WEEK IN SWEDEN
Stockholm, June 29 (AP)
— In the second anti-Nazi
riot within a week in Swed
en, more than a thousand
persons broke up an at
tempt to hold a Nazi meet
ing yesterday at Raettvik,
150 miles northeast of
Stockholm.
- -
GUNFIRE HITS COAST AREAS; JAPS ON KISKA
i
Ten days after landing on Attu, Japs were establishing themselves on nearby ;
Kiska (1), meanwhile a submarine shelled Estevan Point (2), in British Columbia,
and shells hit the U. S. Coast near Seaside, Ore., (3). Map also locates Goleta,
Calif., (4), where a Jap sub shells the U S. Coast Feb. 2.3 Distances are shown in
statute miles.
Japs Fail Reach
Objective, kiangsi
Tungsten Fields
r
Chungking, June 29 (AP)
— The Japs failed to reach
one of their major object
ives in the present drive in
east China, the tungsten
fields at Kiangsi, a Chinese
government statement de
clared. Meanwhile, Chin
ese pilots, flying under the
tutelage of veteran Ameri
c a n Volunteer airmen,
sunk two Jap warships in
th<> Yangtze river and in
flicted heavy losses on Jap
ground forces in eastern
Kiangsi, the Chinese re
ported.
A statement said, while
the enemy accomplished
much to prevent the use of
bases from which the Chin
jese hope to bomb Japan.
! the Tungsten deposits are
| still far from the most ad
vanced Jap spearheads.
Two Merchant
Japasese Sub
Somewhere in Australia,
June 27 (AP) — Two Al
lied merchant ships have;
been sunk bv Japanese tor
pedoes in the Pacific, it
was disclosed by survivors
who reached an Australian
port. All the crew of a
freighter except a unit of
aircraft gunners were sav
ed after days of drifting.
The second ship was tor
pedoed after it attempted
to tow the freight into
port. The Japanese sub
marine rose to the surface
and the comander ordered
the crew of the second ship
to abandon the vessel, then
sank the craft. ,
Allied Bombers
Mil Japs On
New Guinea
Allied Headquarters in
Australia, June 27 (AP)—|
Allied bombers heavily at
tacked Lae and Salamaua
on partly occupied New
Guineau island and blast
ed a Japanese ship coming
into Lae harbor, Mac Ar
thur’s headquarters a n -
nounced. A communique
said the raid was more de
structive than any pre
viously reported.
Eighteen heavy Japan
ese bombers attacked the
Allied airbase at Port Mor
esby without serious dam
j age. Between 6 and 10 en
emy planes were shot
down while 4 Allied planes
were lost. Two pilots were
rescued.
-- ■ —1
Axis Forces In Egypt Capture
Matruh. 160 Miles from Alexandria
UNDATED, June 29 (AP) — The Axis announced
that its forces in Egypt captured Matruh this morning,
thus reducing the first defense stronghold on the road
to the rich valley of the Nile, the naval base at Alex
andria and the Suez Canal. The British didn’t deny
the claim but indications are that the Allied forces,
making up the 8th British army, have withdrawn to
take another stand in the desperate search for posi
tions at which the Axis juggernaut could be halte'd.
After impairment of isolated engagements and rein
forcements. defense tactics seemed to call for the avoid
ance of a full scale clash with Rommel’s columns, so
long as the defenders stood under the handicap of in
feriority'in tanks.
On one point with Axis claims there is official Brit
ish agreement that Rommel’s forces, successively by
passing Matruh's western and southen defense posi
tions in a two-day battle, reached around to the south
eastern or Nile valley. Sid Matruh is a prized rail
head 160 miles from Alexandria. That area was raid
ed this morning by Axis planes but caused little dam
age and no casualties, said an official Egyptian report.
Berlin and Rome said, at Matruh. Rommel captur
ed more than 6,000 troops and is continuing the east
ward drive. The 6.000 figure suggested that the bulk
of Matruh’s defenders had withdrawn. The Axis
claimed a larger prisoner haul of 33,000 ai Tobruk
An RAF communique from Cairo contained no hint
as to the course of the land battle. It was reported
merely that Axis truck and tank concentrations were
attacked throughout Saturday and Sunday nights,
large fires springing up between Matruh and Salum
on the Libyan border. During Sunday, fighters* recon
noitered the foe and provided cover fui defense forces.
Roosevelt, (Jiurcliill Declare l nited
Nations \fcill Divert Nazis From Russia
WASHINGTON, June 27 (AP) — Roosevelt and
Churchill declared in a joint statement that the •‘com
ing operation” of the United Nations, “will divert
German strength from her attack on Russia.” "While
the exact plans, for obvious reasons, cannot be dis
closed. said the statement, released simutaneously
here and in London, “it can be said that the coming
operations, which were discussed between ourselves
and our respective miiltary advisers, will divert Ger
man strength from the attack on Russia.”
The statement also said it was hoped that as a result
of other steps “planned” at the week of conferences
concluded Thursday, “The respective navies will fur
ther reduce the toll of merchant shipping.” Withhold
ing the time and other details of what may come now,
the statement declared that the United Nations “have
never been in such hearty, detailed agreement on plans
for winning the war, as they are today.”
The two leaders applauded Russia’s gallant resist
ance of the “main attack,” being made by Germany
and rejoiced at the “magnifiscent resistance-’ of the
Chinese army. They said detailed discussions were
held with military advisers on “methods to be adopt
ed against Japan for the relief of China.”
American
Torpedo Boats
Arrive Egypt
Alexandria, Egypt, June
27, (AP) — Speedy Am
erican built torpedo boats
arrived to augment the
1 B r i ti s h Mediterranean
fleet which might soon
play a decisive role in the
battle against the Axis ad
vance toward this British
' naval base.
Jap Troops Oil
New Guinea
Are Bombed
Allied headquarters in Aus
tralia, June 28 (AP) —
Monday. Allied bombers
made a prolonged raid on
Japanese troop disposi
tions at Lae and Salamaua
on the island of New Gui
nea. northeast of Australia
Mac Arthur’s headquarters
i announced.