We it43&Uv Iai Weather warmer VOL- LIII No. 104 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1943 PRICE FIVE CENTS I ;* Nazi Bom bers Raid London in Retaliation ____._ _____t; , RAF Blasts Back Again At Germany British Continue Fierce Round-the-Clock Blows As Nazis Attack Weakly - BULLETIN - By .The Associated Press LONDON, March 4 (Thursday)- Lbndlon, which was raided lightly by Grman planes last night, had an air raid alarm'shortly before dawn today. and after a few, moments a terrific anti-aircraft barrage was set up in the east of the capital. Searchlights sent their powerful beams flashing into the skies trying to spot the raiders. As in the first attack, the raiders appeared to be 6perating singly. By The Associated Press LON ON, March 3. - German bombers struck weakly at London to- night . in an expected reprisal raid mace by single planes which kept the ir itish Capital under alert for about 94 mnutes. The first raiders, swooping down in retaliation for the RAF's mighty assault on Berlin two nights ago, ur- loaded showers of fire bombs, and' other planes dropped explosives, but there was no concerted attack. Several districts were bombed, and there were a number of casualties at one place. Rescue workers dug in the ruins of one bombed dwelling for res- idents who were trapped. But the RAF was apparently smashAing back again, for the O)eutschlandsender, the maih Ger- man domestic radio in the Berlin area, went off the air late tonight. Its silence indicated that Allied lanes were striking at the conti- nent for the eighth successive -ight. (The Federal Communications Commission in New York heard the Deutschlandsender announce that it *ould be off the air "for some time.") r.ndicating the lightness of the Ger- man attack on London, one observer cqunted only a few planes over a per- iod of half an hour. A' lull followed the swoops of the first few raiders and then the thun- der of gunfire and brilliance of flares marked the arrival of another enemy plane. The raiders approached singly, and the noise of their motors frequently was drown out by the thunderous )iirrage of London's powerful anti- aircraft guns and new weapons. But the raid wasn't anything like the answer that Londoners had expected in reply to the heavy and concentrated attack on Berlin 1Monday night when the RAF dropped around 900 tons of bombs. Knox Sees High NavyI Casualties By The Associated Press WASHINGTON, March 3.-Secre- tary Knox, projecting a Navy 2,250,-j 000-strong by July, 1944, and big enough to control the world's sea-I I ways, solemnly warned the nation today to expect that one out of every 10 Navy men may be killed or wound- ed. Knox's prediction of a 10 per cent casualty rate and his proposals for an all-ocean Navy were made public by the House subcommittee on naval appropriations in finishing work on a new $4,000,000,000 supplemental naval appropriation measure. The committee trimmed the Navy's budget figures by $187,793,417 and challanged Knox's calculations of personnel needs. While no legal limit has been set on Navy enlisted strength, the committee observed in its report, "an expansion of suchI magnitude should be the subject of careful scrunity and recommenda- tions to the house by the naval af- fairs committee." As approved by the committee the measure provides $3,816,206,- 583 in direct appropriations and $239,740,400 for contract authori- zations. Committee members were quick to question Knox's casualty estimate. Knox acknowledged that on Feb. 8, the Navy casualties totaled only 19,022 and Rear Admiral Randall Jacobs, chief of the Navy's Bureau of Personnel, explained that less thani 10 percent of the Navy had been in- volved in fighting, But Knox-echo- ing the words of John Paul Jones, the Revolutionary war naval hero-de- clared: "We have just begun to fight." Gibert Chosen Ca e Captain Ralph Gibert, '44E, Wolverine for- ward from Flint, was elected cap- tain for next year's basketball squad in a short meeting held yesterday af-I ternoon in Rentschler's Studio. Casting ballots in the election were lettermen recently chosen: Jim Mandler, this season's captain, Mel Comin, Gerry Mullaney, Bob Wiese, Leo Doyle, Don Lund, and Fred Gip- son, senior manager. The Wolverines finished the sea- son with four Conference wins as against eight losses. In the final standings they were listed in eighth place, one of the poorest years in Michigan basketball. Russians Roll Into Rzhev as Nazis Retreat Red Army Seizes Huge Enemy Booty, Sweeps Toward Railway Center By The Associated Press LONDON, March 3.-The strategicI Nazi central front stronghold of Rzhev fell to the Russian Army today after a violent struggle in which 2,000 Germans were slain and enor- mous enemy booty was captured, Moscow announced tonight in a spe- cial communique which also told of a Red Army sweep in the south to a point only 45 miles from the Bry- ansk-Kiev railway. The capture of Rzhev, 130 miles west and slightly north of Moscow, accelerated the Russian drive to knock Finland out of the war and IthreatenedHitler's entire northern defense line astride roads leading to Poland and the occupied Baltic j States. The German High Command ad- mitted the loss of Rzhev-a Ger- man reverse which the Soviet Army newspaper said Hitler him- self had ranked as "equal to the loss of half of Berlin." The Berlin bulletin, broadcast sev- eral hours in advance of the Moscow communique, represented the setback at Rzhev as a withdrawal, saying it was an evacuation "in accordance with planned movements for short- ening the front." A German rearguard was said to have "detached itself from the en- emy unnoticed during the night of March 2 after blowing up bridges over the Volga." But the Russian communique re- corded by the Soviet radio monitor said the strongly-fortified town fell "after a prolonged and violent en- gagement" begun several days ago. Among the booty taken were 112 tanks, 78 guns, 35 locomotives, 1,200 freight cars, and ,huge quantities of shells, mines, machineguns, rifles and other materiel, "according to incomplete data." Scene of Jap Disaster Allies Shoot Down 55 Enemy Planes Japanese Suffer Major Disaster' as Entire Force of 15,000 Men Is Lost By The Associated Press ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN AUSTRALIA, March 4 (Thursday)- A deadly, efficient aerial armada of Allied planes has almost completely de- stroyed a powerful Japanese convoy in one of the greatest triumphs of the war, sinking or disabling all 10 of its warships and all 12 of its transports, wiping out 15,000 troops aboard "almost to a man" and downing 55 protect- ing Nipponese fighting planes, Allied headquarters announced today. All 22 ships of the convoy, totalling 90,000 tons, were sunk or left sink- ing, with "this major disaster" inflicted upon the enemy at the astonishingly low cost of only one Allied bomber and three fighters lost, the Allied noon communique asserted. The battle was believed here at headquarters to be the greatest victory ever achieved anywhere by purely air action against a naval surface force. The convoy was smashed in assaults throughout Tuesday and yesterday despite bad weather-as it headed toward New Guinea to reinforce Japanese troops at Lae, and although the corn- _ STATUTEMILES Deadly sharp-shooting Allied planes completely destroyed a power- ful Japanese convoy off New Guinea, Allied headquarters announced last night. Map shows the area where the Jap fleet scattered wide near Lae and the dotted lines show the strategic area the Allies command. Ro nmlei Gives More Ground By The Associated Press ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN' NORTH AFRICA, March 3-It ap- peared tonight Marshal Erwin Rom- mel's phantom panzeis decided to yield hard-won Sbeitla and the Feri- ana valley, on opposite sides of Kas- sarine Pass in central Tunisia, with- out a struggle to gather strength to face an expected blow from the south by the desert-hardened British Eighth Army. Advance Allied Forces, pressing the withdrawing Axis armies over the same trail of the Allied retreat 181 days ago, were reported in an Allied communique to be pushing farther toward Sidi Bouzid south and south- west of Sbeitla, indicating that half of the territory won by the German smash that began Feb. 14 had been meekly abandoned without battle. FIRST OF SERIES: Manpower Corps War Forum Will Discuss Explosives Today King George, Doffs Crown For Overalls By The Associated Press LONDON, March 3.-King George has beconie a part-time worker in a war factory, standing at a bench two evenings a week turning out precision parts for RAF guns. it was disclosed tonight. Fellow workers say he "clocks in" regularly at 6 p.m., wearing overalls, and leaves about 8:30 p.m. His fore- man said he is "clever with his hands and the use of precision, tools." Recently the Queen, accompanied by Princesses Elizabeth and Margar- et, visited the plant and watched the King at work. He was able to answer all their questions about his task, the foreman said. Several members of the Royal staff were doing similar work at the fac- tory when the King went to visit them. He watched them a while-and then asked if he could have a job. The foreman pointed out to His Majesty that he would need some training. "How long?" asked the King. The reply was that that depended on the aptitude of the applicant. "I rather fancy I might be pretty good at the job," the Monarch re- sponded. "I think I'll start 'at once." ERC To Be Tested For Special Ability When Army Enlisted Reserve Corps leave the University to go to Fort Custer, Sheridan, Camp Grant or Scott Field, they will probably face aptitude and intelli- gence tests to determine their fit- ness for the Army Specialized Training Program. Indications are that the men will be kept in the induction stations for a short time and then sent on to other training depots where any specialized talents can be utilized. , Many of the nation's colleges and universities will be used as training centers. Weakened Gandhi Ends 21-Day Fast POONA, India, March 3.--(R1)-- Mohandas K. Gandhi sat up in bed and sipped a glass of orange juice at 9:30 a.m. today, ending the 21- day hunger strike which he under- took on Feb. 10 in protest against detention and which nearly cost his ilife. Lnkinr tired1 ut.heerful-h . , id munique declared that all the ships "are sunk or sinking," it did not di- vide the losses. The final blows at the convoy, which was first'attacked off the nor- thern coast of New Britain,. were struck in the Huon Gulf area off northeastern New Guinea-the ulti- mate goal. of the armadak.. A spokesman at headquarters esti- mated that possibly several thousand Japanese naval personnel died in the wreckage of the convoy, in addition to the 15,000 troops aboard, as the Allied planes hurled down more than 100 tons of bombs upon the ships. "We have achieved a victory of such completeness as to assume the proportions of a major disaster to the enemy," the communique declared, and the whole convoy "was practical- ly destroyed." Allied headquarters estimated 15,000 enemy ground troops were aboard the transports, and that these "have been sunk or killed Al- most to a man." (If all 22 ships find their way to the bottom of the Pacific, it will raise the unofficial total of Jap losses since Pearl Harbor to 510 ships of all types, according to the Associated Press tabulation.) All categories of Allied air strength joined in the mighty assault that smashed the convoy, hitting ship af- ter ship with bombs loosed from low altitude. . "Enemy air coverage became weak- er and weaker; his forces more scat- tered and dispersed; and finally his remnants, isolated and bewildered, were gradually annihilated by our successive air formations as we sent th m into combat," the communique de lared in graphic account. "Our losses were light, one bomber and three fighters shot down and a, number of, others damaged but re- turned to base." General MacArthur himself de- clared that "a merciful providence must have guarded us in this great victory." The communique asserted that "our decisive success cannot fail to have most important results on the enemy's strategic and tactical plans. His campaign for the time being at least is completely dislo- cated." This was the convoy which had been sighted Monday advancing from New Britain toward New Guinea, protected then by foul weather that kept Allied planes from blasting at it for more than a full day. On Tuesday Allied aircraft braved the rains and clouds to smash at the convoy, which at that time consisted of 14 ships, sinking or damaging four of them. Eight more vessels joined the en- emy column yesterday afternoon, the communique said, making it one of the most powerful convoys ever dis- patched to bring troops to the New Fourth Term Is Suggested To Roosevelt Democratic Chairman Says President Will Not Discuss '44 Race WASHINGTON, March 3.-( P)- "Two or three" members of the Dem- ocratic National committee suggest- ed to President Roosevelt today that he run for a fourth term nomination if the war is still on next year, Dem- ocratic National Chairman Frank C. Walker disclosed, but the suggestion "got no response from the President." Walker, who emphasized himself it was "too early" to talk about the 1944 Presidential race, headed a group of 13 National Committee of- ficers and members who discussed war and politics for 30 minutes with the Chief Executive on the eve of the latter's tenth anniversary in the Presidency. After describing the President as "optimistic" over the trend of the war, the party chairman and Post- master General was asked whether a fourth term was mentioned. "One or two," he replied, "said that if the war is on the President should be a candidate." He later said two or three unidentified conferees made the suggestion that the Presi- dent either should be or would "have to be" candidate. "But they go no response from the President," Walker added. "I don't think he heard it as he was doing most of the talking. If he did, he smiled it off. It was said rather light- ly and there was no discussion." In response to questions, Walker said the committee group is "practic- ally all agreed that the war will be on next year." 8,000 More Units Are Planned at Willow Run WASHINGTON, Marcn 3-OP)- Housing Administrator John B. Blandford, Jr., reported today that more than 8,000 family accommoda- tions now are under construction for war workers at the Willow Run Bomber Plant near Detroit. Contracts for about 3,000 more units will be let within the next few weeks, Blandford said, predicting housing needs of workers with fam- ilies at Willow Run will be filled by 1 late next summer. Initial discussion in the Manpower Corps series of Warfare forums will acquaint students with methods of handling bombs and high explosives when Prof. G. M. McConkey, of the School of Architecture, speaks at 4 p.m. today in the Architecture Build- ing Lecture Hall. Prof. McConkey has held classes for the instruction of the Buildings and Grounds men, teaching them methods of controlling the flames' and exploding of bombs. He just finished a course in high explosives and bombs. He will explain the properties of falling bombs when met in either civilian or military life. Norman Shumway, '44, chairman of the series, urges that every house on campus send' their Air Raid War- dens to the meeting and if wardens have not been appointed that some representative be present for every sorority, fraternity, rooming house and dormitory. The forums are scheduled for every Thursday, and at present three ses- sions have been planned. Entitled .Informal Discussions on Related War Topics," these programs will be SMART AS ANY SOLDIER: t Mltr Lowdown on Soviet MiiayMen * (Editor's Note: wartime life in Rus- i. sla will be the subject of tomorrow's article, the fifth in a series of nine, by Henry C. Cassidy, Chief of the Asso- ciated Press Bureau in Moscow.) By HENRY C. CASSIDY NEW YORK, March 3.-(P)-The Red Army man is stepping out these days, as proud and smart as any soldier, with epaulettes on his shoulders and the assurance of success in his heart. Adolf Hitler, in a moment of exasperation, once called the Rus- sians "swamp animals." From ques- tions I have been asked since my return from Moscow, I gather many Americans think of them as big, rnnh. bear-like creatures. the ornaments of the Czarist sol- diers, and therefore, to the Soviet people, the insignia of enemies of the state. Their restitution was taken by Moscow observers to indi- cate a return of the Soviet Union to traditions of old Russia. Another sign of this rooting of modern Russia in its past was seen in the creation of numerous deco- rations and orders, including those named after the Czarist Marshals Suvorov and Kutuzov. The epaulettes, stiff. oblong boards covering the shoulder. and bearing the colors of the various branches of the Red Army, insig- nia of rank, and number of regi- ment were not the only toihing- Do not appear in public markets. expanded until they give a broad Do not sit in a public convey- general background in civilian de- ance if a superior is standing. fense. These did not mean the Red Discussions planned for March 11 Thee id otmen te ed and 18 will be centered around Army man had been unkept, un- Chemical Warfare and Incendiary shaven, burdened with bundles Bombs. They are planned to be of and babies, and slouching in a interest to the public and more par- streetcar while generals stood ticularly to students living in Uni- around him. They were meant, versity residences. rather, to correct minor, isolated. The Manpower Corps originated cases and to provide a uniform this program to educate the campus code of behavior. about the new problems arising from There were rumors in Moscow, modern methods of warfare. just as I left, that another change was coming: that the word "tova- rish," or' "comrade," used for a Hyma Claims Hate quarter-century since the revolu- . tion, would be dronned from the