THE 12™ AIR'FORCE Vol. 1 No. 12, Sunday, August 27, 1944 HEADQUARTERS TWELFTH AIR FORCE TWO LIRE Paris Officially Falls Allied, French Rumania At War With Nazis Armored Units Enter Capital Claim Capital Allies Hear TAF Produces SHAEF, August 26 — Ending a week of claims and counter Liberated Of claims, it was offically announ­ Italy Border ced tonight at the Allied hea­ All Germans dquarters that all German re­ AHQ, MEDITERRANEAN, Au­ sistance in Paris has ended. gust 26 — Allied troops, swee­ Moro Allied armor and in­ LONDON, August 25 — The ping eastward from the steadily fantry are in the French ca­ new Rumanian Government expanding bridgehead in sout­ pital following the entrance of has declared war on Germany, hern France, have reached a the 2nd French Armored Divi­ announced the Radio Bucha­ point near the Italian border, sion. By noon yesterday one rest at 2125 hours tonight, ac­ it was officially announced to­ armored column had crossed the cording to the BBC. night. Nearly of south France Severes bridge over the Seine, Bucharest is completely libe­ has been liberated. and another spearhead had sla­ rated, it added. The Germans Far to the north, an Allied shed into the southern outskirts laid down their arms, and all of the city. * Nazis cleared out of the city. The German commander sur- The Bucharest airfield is now LONDON, August 26—French in the hands of the Rumanian Forces of the Interior have en­ Guard after heavy fighting. tered Lyons, important indu­ LONDON, August 26 — The Al­ Rumanian Radio Home Ser­ strial city in the Rhone Valley, lies have reached Rheims, ac­ vice announced the official text according to a communique to­ cording to the German News of a Rumanian Government day from the headquarters of Agency today. Proclamation to the nation which General Koenig in Paris. Rheims is 108 miles, from the stated that the German Lega­ German border, west of Saar- tion had been originally infor­ brucken. The nearest point east med that Rumania would not column, in a secret thrust well This bridge on the French Riviera was rendered com­ given by the official Allied sou­ take any hostile action against beyond Grenoble, is reported pletely useless to the enemy after it was bombed by fighter- rces is Troyes, 133 miles from Germany, and would allow the by Swiss sources to have rea­ bombers of the Tactical Air Force, cutting off badly needed Germany. German troops to withdraw. ched the southern shores of supplies for the Germans fighting in southern France. The Germans in turn promi­ Lake Geneva. (MAAF Photo) sed to refrain from hostile ac­ /Other American and French rendered and then toured the tion, but later attacked and units have reached the Rhone city under Allied military escort tried to disarm the Rumanian at several points. Several mo­ ordering his strongpoints to forces and also machine-gun­ re important towns have been cease fire. Bridges across the ned and bombed civilians. occupied, including Aries, Ta- Lights Blaze Again In Paris; Seine are intact. It is therefore considered that rascon and Avigon on Rhone, Other American forces have Germany has placed herself in Cavaillon and Carpentras. started a new drive southeast a state of war with Rumania. Briancon in the Alps near the Five- Year Blackout Broken of liberated Paris, which threa­ Rumanian forces have accord­ Italian frontier, has also been tens to cut off the escape of any ingly been ordered to disarm entered. LONDON, August 26 — For the first time in nearly five German units holding out in the all German troops in the coun­ Except for pockets of enemy years, the lights of Paris blazed brillantly last nighit as the vicinty of the capital. try and thus liberate Rumania. resistance, notably at Toulon French celebrated the liberation of their capital. From their bridgehead on the From a different source, it is and ' Mairsilles, all southern Seine near Corbeil, General reported that the Germans ha­ France, east of the Rhone and A BBB correspondent, broad- Patton's men have struck nor­ ve heavily bombed Bucharest. south of Avignin and Brian- casting from the city,, said it theast around back of the Ger­ con, has now been liberated. 8rh Nears was completely liberated. The man troops, thinly holding the In Toulon, French troops blackout had been ignored and east bank of the river. the capital was a blaze of light. have captured the Maritime British and Canadian troops Push Arsenal , and portions of the Gothic Line ''The only*Germans in Paris city itself to the east. Sporadic tonight are dead ones and pri­ (Continued on page 8) soners," he stated. On Pfoesti resistance continues in Mar­ LONDON, August 26 — Gen. seilles. Alexander's 8th Army forces on On the heels of the 2nd MOSCOW, August 26 — The the central Italian front have French Armfered Division, which 12th Lauded Red Army today is pouring into pushed forward to within se­ drove into the city yesterday HUGE JAP LOSSES morning, came General De the Galatz gap within 100 mi­ KANDY, August 26 — The ven miles of the German forti­ fied Gothic Line, according to Gaulle. Speaking from the capi­ By Arnold les of Bucharest and barely 80 Japanese are reported losing tal, De Gaulle declared: miles from the Ploesti oil fields. five dead for each Allied sol­ a report from Allied Head­ Roads to Bucharest seem at dier killed in southeastern Asia, quarters in the Mediterranean " France will take her place HQ 12TH AAF — Gen. H, H. present to be wide open, and if Lord Mountbatten's headquar­ Theater. among the great nations who Arnold, commanding general of the present rate of advance is ters revealed today. At least Steadily advancing on the will organize peace and the the Army Air Forces, has com­ maintained, Russian forces will 50,000 Japanese troops have main bastions of the Gothic Li­ life of the world. We shall not mended all units of the 12th be at the gates of the capital been killed as against 10,000 ne, troops of the 8th Army rest until we march, as we Air Force for "the maintaining in a matter of days, correspon­ Allied troops. (Continued on page 8) (Continued on page S) of operations in support of dents reported. ground operations against en­ More Russian spearheads emy installations in July.'' have reached the Danube del­ In a message to Maj. Gen, ta 65 miles from Galatz, as John K. Cannon, commanding Nazi strength on the Second 15th AAF Supports Rumanians general of the Tactical Air Fo­ Ukraine front crumbled after rce, of which the 12th AAF is one of the severest defeats of an integral part, General Arn­ the war left the Germans with Fighting In Bucharest Districts old stated: "The maintaining of 12 divisions encircled in Rou- operations in support of gro­ mania. rlQ MAAF, August 26 — Very little opposition was en­ tacks on points within the city. und operations against enemy Bucharest radio claimed that Escorted 15th AAF Liberators countered by the medium forces Other B-24s struck at a bar­ installations by all units of the Roumanian troops are now as­ today operated in support of of heavy bombers. racks area at Barneses, 10 miles 12th Air Force from 17 July to sisting the Russians in separa- Rumanian Government forces Liberator crewmen reported a northeast of Bucharest. Good 26 July, inclusive, is most en­ (Continwed on page 8) defending Bucharest against good pattern of bombs "at the coverage was reported. A third couraging and gratifying. German attacks. Fortresses Otopeni airdrome, nine miles formation attacked the train "The teamwork between the swept the ' area around the north of Bucharest. Their obje­ ferry at Giurgiu, on the Danube combat crews, maintainance FCNL RECOGNIZED capital. ctive was to pesthole the land­ 35 miles southwest of the ca­ crews and service units is no­ ISTANBUL, August 26 — Flying Fortresses escorted by ing area and destroy installa­ pital, the only direct link bet­ table by the results obtained. The Turkish Government is Liberators bombed viaducts and tions. Otopeni is the nearest ween Bulgaria and the Bucha­ For the display of such splen­ about to recognize the French a bridge on the only rail lines German-held airdome to the rest area. did efforts please convey my Committee of National Libera­ open to German military traffic capital and was the base yester­ Only a few fighters were seen heartiest congratulations to ail tion, it was learned here today. into northern Italy. day for German bombing at­ (Continued on page 8) members of your command." PageJ WEEKLY MISSION ^uniday, August 27, 194i TH THE I2 A1R FORCE eckup Weekly newspaper magazine of the Twelfth Air Force, published each Sunday for personnel of the 12th Air Force. I Material for the Weekly Mission is furnished by Public Relations, 12th AAF, MAAF; United Nations News Service; Camp Newspaper Service; Army News Service and The Stars and Stripes. Individual whole copies of Weekly Mission may be sent { by members of the US. Armed Forces to the United States. Copies stamped by field press censors are on file at Hq 12th Air Force All communications must be relayed through channels to the 12th Air Force Weekly Mission, Hq 12th Air Force. Publications Officer, Captain Max G. Marple. Vol. TI, No. 12 Sunday, August 27, 1944 STAFF Pvt. John J. Hastings News Editor Pfc George H. Gruenwald Feature Editor Pvt. Jerry Houghton Business Manager Pvt. George D. Hatton Assistant Business Manager Pvt. Budge Patty Sports Editor 44 is Corner..» In each week's issue, the WEEKLY MISSION attem­ Maj. Gen. John K.