The Waterbury Democrat. [volume], December 20, 1944, Page ELEVEN, Image 11

About The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946

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Icecap’s Terrifying Beauty Grips
Reporter Hying Over Greenland
By KXUEL 8. MOORE
United Press Stall Carres pondnet
Aboard a C-64 Transport, en route Greenland to Iceland (Deylaed)— {
<UB)—I have just witnessed something terrifyingly beautiful and majes- j
He. Z have ujst flown over the ley mountains and icecap of Greenland,
en route to Iceland.
O. K. With G. I.’*
Out of place In this setting Not
so you could notice it, say G.L’s
behind lines in Italy who see Rita
Roper, Chicago dancer, shown
leaving tent “dressing room,” do
her stuff at U. S. O. entertainer.
POSTAL BILL
AGAIN TABLED
By JOHN L. CUTTER
(United Press Staff Correspondent)
Washington, Dec. 20—iUPi—The
78th Congress faded into history
today, its scheduled work not quite
completed because too many mem
bers chose to get early starts on
their Christmas vacations.
Ironically, it was a bill to increase
wages of postal workers $100 a year
that remained as unfinished busi
ness when the Congress—which had
appropriated nearly $200,000,000,000
during its two years of existence—
adjoured sine die last night.
Tfce postal bill had been approved
by the house and was the final
business in the senate before ad
journment was planned. But the
chamber became embroiled in a
parliamentary argument and Sen.
Bennett C. Clark, D„ Mo., raised
the point that a quarum of 49 Sen
ators was not present.
TTse roll was called and only 38
Senators answered. Senate Demo
cratic Leader Alben W. Barkley.
Ky, had two alternative*—to round
up the absentees or move to ad
journ. He chose adjournment. The
house had quit more than an hour
earlier with barely 30 membrs on
hand.
The next Congress — the 79th —
convenes Jan. 3. In It the Demo
crats will enjoy a far greater num
erical majority than in the session
Just completed.
Before quitting last night the
Senate finished the principal task
which kept it in session beyond last
week’s tentative adjournment dead
line—confirmation of six top State
Department nominations. It let die,
because of a dispute over exempting
the Central Valley in California
from an acreage limit on govern
ment irrigation projects, the $500.
000.000 postwar rivers and harbors
improvements program.
BIGGEST BOMB
The new six-tone bomb of the
Allies, combining a tremendous
penetrating power with a very des
tructive blast, drills its way deep
into its target, then sets of! the
heaviest possible charge of very
powerful explosive. During attacks
on Nazi fortifications, the bombs
have drilled through 141 inches ol
concrete, then exploded inside.
it was a rare experience to me
an experience which I now share
with thousands of American fliers
who have flown transports and
combat planes across the Atlantic
via Greenland.
Mountains rise along the coasts
to 11,000 feet. Between lies a Valley
full of centuries-old ice and snow,
estimated 10,000 feet in depth.
Stretches i to Horison
Today the sky was clear, the sun ]
bright. The icecap stretched as far ;
as one could see, seemingly soft!
and inviting. Rocky peaks jutted
above the surface irregularly here
and there.
But often the icecap is shrouded
in clouds and snow, beneath which
the rocky mountains lurk menac
ingly for all fliers. Many distressed
fliers have landed safely on the
icecap, only to face the dangers of
hidden crecasses, thousands of feet
deep, covered with a film of
treacherous snow, which partluu
lary menace the inexperienced.
BW-1, the southern Greenland
base we just left, and BE-2. the
east coast base we have just flown
over, are both located between
jagged rocky mountains at the head
of fjords, dangerous to land on un
less weather is clear.
This hard country fiercely chal-1
lenged fliers back in 1941 and 1942,
hopping the Atlantic above the
sumbarine menace.
Flying- Dangers Beaten
Now the challenge has been met,
by technicians and resourceful
fliers. Hundreds of combat planes
have flown this way monthly in
comparative safety. TTiey must make
shorter jumps than the big trans
ports. About 25 planes all told have
crashed on or near Greenland in
the last two years. Col. James E.
Pratt, Denver, Col., commander of
the Greenland base Commandt, esti
mated. and 90 per cent rescues have
been made. Only one plane definite
ly known to have gone down was
not found.
Greenland has been beaten,
thanks partly to a chain of weather
stations, permitting accurate
weather forecasts. Plights are not
undertaken in unfavorable weath
er. A series of fields provide alter
nate landings. There are numerous
radio range stations ar.d other
radio aids. Finally, planes, boats,
dogsleds. motorsleds and experi
enced personnel stand by for res
cue work. They can even jerk an
individual off the ice by a slin;;
like a glider, though this has yet
not been necessary.
Reassured by this knowledge, my
only sensation was enjoyment as
our huge four motored Air Trans
port Command Douglas plane rose
from BW-1 shortly after daylight.
As we climbed from the fjord,
the rising sun, behind the moun
tains to the east, emblazoned the
fringe of clouds hanging close to
their crest a fiery red. as if some
giant hand had strung the ridge
for miles with neon lights.
FoinU out 'Graveyards’
Maj. E. E. Dryer, Cleveland,
WORLD WAR II
A YEAR AGO
<By United Press)
Strong formations of Flying
Fortresses and Liberators strike
hard at German port of Bremen;
other bombers raid northern
Franc. 50 Nazi planes shot down;
U. S. lost 25 heavy bombers, 8
fighters.
Soviet troops capture TO more
villages, advancing from four to
six miles south of Nevel; Briin re
ports avacuation of the German
bridebhead opposite Kherson,
lower Dnepr River port.
6 In Italy, both the British 8th
and American 5th Armies gain as
much as two miles in some sectors.
In New Britain, the U. S. 8th
Army captures the Arawe air strip
after advance of three miles.
Francisco Franco paroles all
purely political prisoners in Spain,
including Republicans.
OPEN EVENINGS TO 9 P. M. UNTIL CHRISTMAS
Lincoln © Store
161 Weit Main St.
FINAL
SALE!!
TOYS!
GAMES!
DOLLS!
BASEBALL GLOVES • BASEBALLS • SKIS
VICTOR, CLUMBIA AND DECCA RECORDS
SHIRTS • TIES • SWEATERS • GLOVES
HUNDREDS OF OTHER GIFTS
FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY
NERVY YANK CAPTAIN CALLS FOR ARTILLERY FIRE ON HIS OWN POSITION |
f
They inched up to the plant.
Initial scuffle aroused ran-Ison.
“That’s your present position!”
Hie Germane reassembled,
Shrapnel did the Job.
Moraine—and SO dead Germane
THE sketches above illustrate one of the most remarkable stories of
Yank quick wit and cold, iron nerve, to come out of the war. The
104th Division, under fire for the first time only a few weeks before,
fought through Echsweiler, Germany, turned their attention to Weis
weiler, a nearby strong point. One dark night, Capt. Charles Glotz
bach, of Paxico. Kans. inched his company up to Echsweiler’s big pow
er plant, planning to get inside, emerge at dawn In an attack on the
Germans holding the town. Capt. Glotzbach picked a room for a
command post, but found a half dozen Germans ir. it. They quickly
surrendered, but the short fight aroused the garrison, consisting of
two companies, who ran to posts In the building and assembled In the
courtyard. The military “thing to do” for the Yanks was to scram out
of there. But Olotzbach had a better—if desperate—idea. He told his
artillery observer, 1A. Warren Conrad of Ashlandll Ore., to order a con
centration of artillery fire on the building. The ahazde battery offi
cer, back in Echsweiler, exclaimed, 'But that’s your present position”!
"Right. But fire anyway, and hurry,” answered Conrad. In the mean
time, Glotzbach got his company down into the cellar. Shells sceramed
over and blasted the building. The Germans—those who could—ran for
cover. The firing slackened off. There were tense minutes'of waiting
and thn the Grman commander, never blieving that the Amercians
would call for fire on their own position, decided the bombardment
was an acicdent, and started to reassemble his men. Glotrtiach called
for another concentration—this time of shrapnel that bursts In the
air over unlucky troops caught in it. That was enough for the Krauts.
They beat it—far away. Glotzbach’s men had a nice quiet rest, strolled
out in the morning and counted 80 dead Germans in the courtyard.
Photo was taken then.
former American Air Lines cap
tain, was our pilot. At my elbow
in the cabin with 11 other corres
pondents stood Capt. F. P. Koupal,
former Pennsylvania Central Air
■ ,
lines captain, St. Louis, an old
hand up here. He indicated where
one B-17 sank through the ice on
a fjord, and another spot where
four P-38s and two escorting B-17s
landed on the icecap in formation
when the Lightnings exhausted
their gas. All personnel were saved
in both instances. Back in the
winter of 1942-43 Koupal used to
fly supplies to Armand L. Monte
Verde and his companions, who
were rescued from the icecap after
148 days of winter.
We followed the icecap to the
Arctic Circle, where is was partly
covered by clouds. We flew above
them.
The long slanting rays of the win
ter sun cast the “pilots cross"
against the clouds beneath — the
shadow in the shape of a cross of
a huge transport, completely ring
ed with four concentric rainbows.
It is a symbol of good fortune,
observed by many fliers who span
this magnificent arctic wasteland
with utmost confidence in their
planes and the men who guide
them.
GALLAGHER & BURTON •HUNTERS
TOUR -ROSES KINSEY
OLP CROW CRAVES SPECIAL
GOLDEN WEDDING OLP TAYLOR.
SEA&RAMS fIVE CROWN l-W- HARPER.
CALVERT SPECIAL OLP THOMPSON
WILSONS SOUTHERN COMPORT
SEAGRAM’S V O. PHILAPELPHIA
PAUL JONES KESSLER’S
CANADIAN CLUB SIGNET
CALVERT RESERVE P.M. DELUXE
SEA6RAM& SEVEN CROWN* FINE ARTS
MOUNT VERNON' FLE1SCHMANN5 PREF.
OLD OVERHOLT OLD DRUM
IMPERIAL. OLD FORESTER.
THREE FEATHERS RED TOP
OLD GRANDAD OLP MR.“BOSTON
BLACK & GOLD OLD**77"BRAND
CAESTAIRS WHITE SEAL • LORD CALVERT”
&TILFORD RESERVE • OLD CHARTER
/4m£44CJUt,thaiH
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IMPORTED PORTS
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$OLD/WEtm
'Dixie belle
CORDIALS
BALZAC
FORBIDDEN] FRUIT
CUSENIER
kuvpers
NUvg^ HOUR
bols
d.o.m. Benedictine
COINTREAU £
DIAMOND I*'. J
COCA COLA l/Pd
CANADA DRY I
SEVEN UP 1
PERSI COLA
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