Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 45, No. 210, Ed. 1 Sunday, February 15, 1942 Page: 1 of 16
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ED irBURMABTALLlEDnEINFORCEMEH
★ ★★★ ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★***
Chennault's Famous 'Tigers' Trained Like Football
Acrobats Of Air
Nucleus Of His
Present Group
Official Army Letter
Tells Of Leader's
Life And Aims
WASHINGTON, Feb. II —
(UP) — "U. H. Tigers claw Japs'
* is the story of the daredevil pil-
ots of the American Volunteer
Group under Col. Claire Chen-
nault in China which has swept
the Japanese from the Burma
^ road skies and lias given the
enemy a hot time in Indo-China
and Rangoon.
They first went into action
In mld4December and by the
end of January had account-
ed for 185 enemy planes, losing
® only 11 pilots of their own.
Their exploits are told in ' the
official army air forces news
letter. Here is the story:
"American pilots in the Cliin-
^ ese air force are giving Japan-
w ese airmen their worst licking
and devastating pursuit tactics
by a former acrobatic ace of
the U. S. Army Air Corps, the
American Volunteer Croup in
China is knocking down more
™ than 10 Jap planes for every
loss of its own.
"In less than two months they
have driven Japanese bombers
from the vital Burma road, par-
ried heavy aerial thrusts at its
^ chief port, Rangoon, and blast-
ed Jap air bases in Thailand and
Indo-China. At January's end,
these American pilots had de-
stroyed 50 on tiie ground, and
had lost only 11 of their own
■A pilots. Tli ;y have become nat-
ional heroes of the oft-bombed
Chinese, who hail them as 'the
flying Tigers.'
"The stoiy of the flying Tig-
ers is one of the strangest sagas
% of American aviation — a saga
of" American planes and young
American pilots touched off by
a spark of military genius in a
battle 0,000 miles from home.
"The pilots were fresh from
£ American military flying
schools. of them resigned
commissions in the U. S. army,
navy and marine air forces to
fight the Japs over China. Their
fighter planes came from Amer
f, ican factories that had already
learned to make more potent
pursuits. C
"The Spark of genius came
from that tall, taciturn, Texas
school teacher, Chtiinault, re-
0 tired U. S. army air corps cap
tain, who held a temporary
rank in the air corps as major,
and is now a brigadier general
in the Chinese air forces.
"('hrnnuult and his plain1*
£ and pilot* not together in
China last .summer. Six
months later they celebrat-
ed Christ inns together by
clawing IK Japanese planes
See TIGERS Page 8
* -—v
Rationing Board
Going To Mr 'ting
* In Midland Feb. 19
Marshall Pior. chairman of the
Nolan county rationing board
Saturday stated that he and otit-
ic er members of the board, in
company with Mayor Lee Lang-
lev an! possibly Judge Delas
Reeves and others, would attend
a meeting at 2 p. m. next Thurs-
day afternoon in Midland, where
£ Mark McGee, state rationing ad-
' ministrator. will conduct a ses-
sion on rationing plans.
General questions relating to
rationing will be discussed at
the meeting of rationing board
£ members, city and county of-
ficials, chamber of commerce
representatives and other inter-
ester parties of West Texas at
Hotel Scharbauer. The meeting
has been called by McGee.
0 Matters confronting rationing
boards will be discussed and
questions will be answered. It is
expected that policies to lie fol-
lowed by rationing boards will
lie cited. The public Is invited
£ to attend.
Invitation* have been extend-
ed rationing boards, city and
county officials, chambers of
commerce and interested parties
in a 30-county area surround-
£ ing Midland. McGee said, how-
ever, he would like to have ev-
ery member of any rationing
board attend the meeting. Rep-
resentatives from towns and
cities between Abilene and Pe-
0cos and Lubbock and San An-
gelo are expected to attend.
v
Weather Forecast
WEST TEXAS — Intermittent
rain this afternoon and tonight,
(§colder in El Paso area this af-
ternoon add warmer in Panhan-
dle tonight.
EAST IlEXAS—Rain tonight,
little change in temperature ex-
cept colder In extreme north-
#west portion.
Gives Hope to U.S.
Col. Claire Ij. Cli.-nnanlt, bro-
ther of W. 8. Chennault of
Sweetwater, who has leaped
into International pnoinin-
ence and achieved consider-
able glory by leadership of
the greatest group of fliers
/ever assembled, according to
official Army records.
British Radio
Taunts Japan
Over Boasting
Invaders Haven't Gotten
Into City Yet, Says
Announcer
CALCUTTA, Feb. 14—(UP)—
British Imperial forces outside
Singapore city were lashing in
fierce counter-attacks today at
tank-led Japanese infantry as-
saults while the city rocked un-
der a Japanese artillery bom-
bardment.
Fighting centered at the wat-
er reservoirs of the city. The
Japanese were throwing the
best of their troops against the
imperial lines in wave after
wave. Australian troops, defend-
ing that vital sector were thrust-
ing out in gallant counterattacks.
The siegje ol Singapore
entered its third week at 8
a. in., and the Japanese, who
See BRITISH Page 6
Dutch Killing
Parachutists
By Joe Alex Morris
United I'less Foreign Editor
Japan launched a costly aerial
and paratroop invasion attack
on the big Dutch island of Su-
matra today while British Im-
perials repeatedly counter-at-
tacked the enemy in defense of
Singapore.
The United Nations armed for-
ces, braced and reinforced in
preparation for the enemy pin-
cers drive from Malaya and Bor-
neo against their supreme head-
quarters on Java, were describ-
Texas'Settling in Wise county. | ccj [n an official communique as
They lived at Throckmorton for
some time moving to Maryneal
18 years ago, where they own-
ed considerable ranching proper-
ty-
Surviving are his widow, three
sons and two daughters, nine
grandchildren and seven great
grandchildren. Children are Al-
bert, Throckmorton, .lack and
See STOCKMAN Page 8
AB West Texas' Leading (Sty ■! More Than 15,000 Readers
Sweetwater Reporter
BUY IT IN SWEETWATER
"West Texas' Leading Newspaper"
DEDICATED TO SERVICE
45TH YEAR SWEETWATER, TEXAS, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1942
NUMBER 210
W. C. Collins, 84.
Stockman, Buried
Funeral service for W. C. Col-
lins, 84, a pioneer stockfarmer
and. resident of Nolan county
since l! 24, was held Thursday
at Maryneal with the Rev. Mr.
Williams Roscoe Church of
Christ minister, officiating.
The elderly Mr Collins had
been in impaired health for sev-
eral months, but his death was
expected and he succumbed to
a heard attack Wednesday.
Born Nov. !), 1859 in Georgia,
he was married Nov. 28. 1880 to
Miss Mary Jane Brown. One
year later the couple came lo
taking a heavy toll of the invad-
ing air. troops and fighting
strongly in the Palembang sec-
tor.
Dozens of Japanese parachut-
ists were killed by the Dutch
as they sought to land near the
aPalembang oil center. A war
communique said that Palem-
bang was not immediately
threatened. *
Officers In Abilene Killing
Moaning for mercy, Hex Heard, the nice boy bank bandit, sur-
rendered to Chief of Police T. A. Hackney and Sheriff Sid
McAdains in the Taj lor county jail at Abilene, Texas after he
had killed Deputy Sheriff Wade Willis with a shot through
the heart and bad inn loo*f.' in the jail for an hour. Left to
right are Chief Hackney. Sheriff McAdains and Deputy Wade
Willis. (NKA Telephotos.)
ABILENE, Feb. 1-1— (UP)—
Two youths were held in jail in
lieu of S5,ooo bonds today for
dellvering a revolver to Rex
Beard, jr.. who failed in a jail
break but killed a deputy sher-
iff and, perhaps, himself incur-
red fatal wounds.
They were Cecil K. Williams,
Abilene cavalryman home on
leave from Fort Bliss, and Carl
Lowery, Camp Barkeley con-
struction worker. Both are 20
and both are charged with con-
spiring to aid a prisoner to es-
cape. They are accused of ac-
cepting $15 to buy Beard, the
West Texas "paper sack bandit,"
a weapon, and $155 for delivering
it to him in the jail where he
killed Deputy Wade Willis.
Japs Attempting
To Encircle Men
Of Salween Lines
Strong Forces Used
In Burma Pincers
Maneuver
RANGOON, Burma, Feb. 14—
(UP)—Fighting raged in the
jungles on the west bank of the
lower Salween river today with
the Japanese hurling strong forc-
es at both ends of the 30-mile
front, seeking encirclement of
the imperials.
The Japanese crashed in force
at the northern end against Brit-
ish lines west of Paan, in heat-
ridden low nubby hills, and the
outcome was unreported.
Thirty miles to the south, at
the turbulent Sahveen's mile-
wide mouth. the invaders pound-
ed against imperial positions in
the Martaban area.
Tile Paan drive, unless stop-
ped. could cut off British troops
in southern Burma and place
the Japanese on a road and
railway leading to the vital.Bur-
ma road, only 70 miles to the
west.
At Paan, the invaders were
employing fighting methods
used with success in Malaya.
Slipping at night across the Sal-
ween, they began infiltering
through dense jungle growth
while planes .attacked the Brit-
ish forces.
The "drive was launched on
the heels of a similar attempt
which the defenders smashed
and after the Japanese had been
bombed repeatedly and Paan it-
self reduced to burning ruin.
Their troops already had gain-
ed a foothold in the Martaban
area, but British army commu-
niques described the area of oc-
cupation but vaguely.
Both drives were aimed at the
immediate objective of Thaton,
20 miles west of Paan and about
30 northwest of Martaban.
v
Spirited Drive
For Red Cross
Fund Tuesday
Staging a clean-up drive in
the wartime $4,000 Red Cross
drive in Nolan county, Carl An-
derson, roll call chairman, is
announcing a spirited campaign
to begin at 8:55 a. m., Tuesday,
Feb. 17. and cover the entire
downtown section of Sweetwat-
er.
An effort will be made to
reach the quota,'remainder of
the more than $300. in two hours.
The fund has been going on
since Dec. 9, two days after
Pearl Harbor was bombed. Un-
der direction of Mrs. M. W. Fife,
women raised more than $300
last week.
"It is time to round up the
rest of the money," said Ander-
son," and we are expecting com-
plete cooperation from the citi-
zens in reaching this amount
Tuesday morning."
Nolan county is the only in
this area that has not reached
its quota.
Bundles For Japan, With Scouts' Compliments
(I'boto Courtesy Hob's Studio)
Above is shown a freight car loaded in Sweetwater with 27.000 pounds of waste paper
which may go into war materials, packing for cartridges, or one ol many other defense ar-
ticles. It was collected by Troop 47 of the Boy Seouts, sponsored by the Highland Heights
Methodist church. The troop lias gathered another ,8G0 pounds and has already sold it. Mark
Nichols is scoutmaster.
In observance of Boy Scout week, the troop attended, in a body, the church services Sun-
day evening at Highland Heights, prepared a Scout window at a local store, and participated
in an air raid demonstration at the Junior High school Tuesday night.
Members shown are: Scoutmaster, Mark Nichols; junior assistant seoulmaster, James Coop,
er; Hear Patrol leader. Billy Cooper, Homer Benson, Douglas Gilmorc, Weldon Brown, Gerald
lluey, Jack Vaughn, James Jones, Elmer Shaw. Billy Bennett. Duaiuc Redden, Horace
Steele and Dewey Teel. Holding the troop banner are Indian Patrol leaders Billy Nichols and
Bobby Cooper. Other members not present i re: Johnny Basham. John T. Bryant, Dorr Hamp-
ton, Hoy Harris, Doyn Hartman, Robert Jones, Lloyd McBetli, jr., Henry Owens, Bernard Stra-
qener, and Bobby Lee.
Bad War News
Affects Week's
Cotton Dealing
NEW YORK, Feb. 14—(UP)
—Cotton futures backed and
filled this week in a narrow-
range around the previous close.
At Friday's close prices were
unchanged to 2 points lower
compared with lust Saturday.
Adverse war news from the
Pacific and holiday considera-
tions restricted the week's busi-
ness. News of the successful
German naval dash through the
English channel had little ef-
fect on the market
Fears that the fall of Singa-
pore may be imminent overshad-
owed the action of Senator Nye,
R., N. D., in introducing a bill
to prevent the sale of govern-
ment-owned surpluses to check
rising farm pricese.
Late in the week uncertain-
ty as to the probable outcome of
the farm bloc's action was a re-
strictive influence.
Most of 'he week's light de-
mand came from mill and trade
interests. Selling was largely for
the account of southern commis-
sion houses and local profession-
als.
The proximity of first notice
day in the march contract Feb.
24, was reflected in considerable
switching from that option.
ARMY MAY TAKE
U. S. 80 FOR 30
HOURS IN CRISIS
Possibility that for 30 hours
at a time private traffic will
not be able to use U. S.
highway No. 80, was men-
tioned Friday at Dallas be-
fore a state meeting of
county and city defense of-
ficials.
It was stated by the speak-
er Lt. F. M. Kreml. who
was in England during raids
and in France when that
nation fell to Germany, that,
the U. S. army would need
No. 80 for troop movements.
Instructions for county
and city officers for meet-
ing such an emergency were
discussed.
Co. Judge Delas Beeves,
Charles Fuller, state liquor
enforcement officer, and
Charles Nunn, county attor-
ney, attended from Sweet-
water. The county attorney
stayed over Saturday for an-
other meeting conducted by
the Federal Bureau of Inves-
tigation.
Homer Garrison, slate de-
fense official from Austin,
had charge of the Dallas
meeting, which was called
the largest of a number held
between Texas and the At-
lantic by 2,000.
Judge Reeves said he
spent just one hour and 15
minutes getting his hat
checked at the Baker hotel
after the meeting because
of the huge assemblage.
Auto Rationing
After Feb. 26th
In Sweetwater
Rationing of autos will not J
start until after Feb. 26, accord- j
ing to Marshall Pior, head of
the Nolan County rationing j
board.
Persons who have purchased j
cars prior to Jan. 1. 1942, should,
come to the rationing board and t
make applications for delivery ;
of these cars. All trucks'are still j
frozen until Feb. 2(i. Ail auto j
agencies, banks, or finance con-!
cerns who have new automobiles
on hand should file a report j
of such cars, mailing one copy i
to OPA Auto and Truck Inven-
tory Unit. New York City, V
Y., and a copy to the local ra- j
tioning board This must be,
done before these frozen cars
can be considered.
It is very essential that all!
auto dealers make this inven- j
tory at once. If they do not have
the necessary blanks, the local I
office will furnish them
Those receiving tires recently j
are: Gulf Refining Co. of Ft. i
Worth, through the Ft Worth j
quota, 2 truck tires and 2 truck |
tubes; Paul Jones, I truck tire j
and 1 truck tube; Doyle Pen ton,
2 truck tires and 2 truck tubes;
Bob Weatherby, 1 farm truck j
tire: Seth Johnston. 1 tire and |
1 tube for ambulance: Jeff Shad-j
dox. 1 trailer tire and 1 trailer |
tube; Coca-Cola Bottling Co., 11
truck tire;
C. K. Butler, Roscoe, 2 truck
See AUTOS Page 8
Furious Attacks
Thrown Back By
Singapore Line
Counter Advances Made
By Defenders Of
Hesieged City
KUNMING, China, (Delay-
ed) Feb. 13 — (UP) — Tra-
velers from Burma said
today that hundreds of air-
planes new reinforced the
American Volunteer Group
and the Royal Air Force
defenders of the Burma
road, and that the Japanese
had been stopped.
At Chungking a commen-
tator speaking in English
said the Chinese people "are
happy tonight" at the news
that American units are in
Java.
By Joe Alex Morris
CP Foreign Editor
The United Nations waged
stubborn battles today against
Japan's intensified attack on
Singapore City, a renewed on
slaught in Burma and a big scale
parachute attack designed to
open an all-out offensive again-
st the main Dutch East Indies
defense bases,
The Japanese offensive ap-
peared to be attempting to must-
er enemy'; last ounce of power
in a gigantic gamble to break
through the the allied lines in
the southwestern Pacific before
reinforcements — already arriv
ing in soma force — could bring
their drive to a halt.
Late dispatches showed:
Batavia — Japanese parachut-
ists landed from more than 100
transport p'anes and apparently
numbering several thousand
were dropped on Sumatra Is-
land near the oil centers of Pal-
embang and Pladju. where they
were successfully attacked and
suffered many casualties in bat-
11f. witjh1 the Dutch defense
forces who appeared to be suc-
cessful in the first phase of
fighting.
Singapore — British im-
perials still were fighting a
last man battle in defense of
Singapore todajy, throwing
back furious Japanese air,
tank and artillery attacks.
The Tokyo radio reported
again that the Japanese
ha<l entered Singapore and
were pushing toward the
harbor i>t heavy band to
band fighting while artillery
shelled the town, but the
Singapore radio still broad-
east its defiance.
Burma Di patches reported
strong allied reinforcements, in-
eluding hundreds of RAF planes
and some flying fortresses, as
well as Chinese soldiers, had
joined in 'he defene of Burma.
Japanese attacks have stopped
with heavy casualties.
The latest Rangoon communi-
See JAPS page 8
Boards AH Ready
For Registration
AUSTIN. Feb 14—(UP)— All
local hoards in Texas have re-
ported themselves in readiness
for Monday's registration -of
men between 20 and 45 years
of age. Gen. .1 Watt Page, stale
selective service officer said to-
day.
Unofficial reports have been
received that registration has
begun in some places and that
other places will register appli-
cant.- >>n Sunday to prevent in-
terference with their work on
Monday.
Mac Arthur Fighters Won First Tank Battle With Japs
By Frank Hewlett
UP Staff Correspondent
WITH GEN. MacARTllUll'S
ARMY IN THE PHILIPPINES,
Feb. 14—(UP)—Americans have
met and defeated the Japanese
in the Bataan peninsula in the
first battle of tanks alone In
United Stated history.
It was a little fight and it
took place on New Year's eve,
but the story which came out
today showed that It was a clear
cut victory.
Ten light, American tanks
were covering the withdrawal
of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's
men to their present strong line
when First Lieut. William Gen-
try, Kentucky national guard,
of Harrodsburg, Ky., sighted a
force of eight Japanese tanks,
only a few hundred yards away,
and flashed the news to other
tanks over his radio.
Plntt Lieut. Harold Col-
lins, LaCarnC) Ohio, moved
up In support anil the two
American platoons went In-
to action Willi the guns
their 10 little tanks spitting
death.
They fought a fierce fight,
sometimes at less than 30-foot
range, and destroyed six of the
eight Japanese tanks without
losing a tank themselves.
Lieut. Gentry told me the
story today at the field hospi-
tal where he is recuperating—
not from battle wounds but from
an attack of fever which felled
him after Ills hard-fighting tank
platoon had been brought to
the rear for a deserved rest.
Gen. MacArthur's men were
falling back through the sleepy
little town of Baliuag, 40 miles
north of Manila, and it was one
of the most critical moments in
the historic retreat to Bataan
which MacArthur executed
with consummate skill. They
were turning the corner around
the north side of Manila Bay
to get into the peninsula and
the Japanese were driving sav-
agely to trap them.
The American tanks were still
in the little town, covering the
withdrawal, when the Japanese
tanks nosed across the railroad
bridge, in advance of the enemy
infantry, and Gentry, spotting
them at several hundred yards
range, gave the alarm.
It was just before dark, and
by nightfall six Japanese tanks
had been knocked out and the
other two had fled to safer pas-
tures.
It was a hot, short fight, right
in the streets of the town, and
Gently had no time in which to
observe many details. He remem-
bered that one of his bursts of
fire ripped into a Japanese tank
and then, when the tank got out
of the line of fire, knocked over
a statue of the Philippine pa-
triot Jose Rizal in the center
of the town square.
At dark Gentry got radio or
ders to follow the infantry's
withdrawal but under cover of
darkness he left his tank and
walked back to check up on the
Japanese tanks.
He inspected one which had
the misfortune to get in the line
of fire of three American tanks
at once at a street intersection.
As the result of the fight
Gentry believes American
tanks are far superior to
Japanese tanks. They are
fattier, tlielr aftnor Is better
and thfy are more inaneu-
verable, he said.
Further. Gentry reported, the
Japanese tanks he met appar-
enly were able to fire only from
the front so it was easy to knock
them out by a side attack.
"I'd like to see the tanks lead
an immediate drive out of Ba-
taan," he said. "Most of us tank
men believe that one of our bat-
talions could break through the
Japanese lines and fight their
way north faster than we re-
treated."
Though the American expedi-
tionary force used tanks in the
last war, tank men said this was
the first American fight of tank
against tank.
The tanks have not ended
their good work with the with-
drawal to the present lines.
They go out on patrol and oc-
casionally, in smalt groups, clank
out to break up smalt pockets of
Japanese troops.
A technique has been devised
by which the tanks drive
through densely wooded areas
and knock out Japanese field
guns and machine gun nests.
It is dangerous work, because
the Japanese are using several
types of land mines, the most
deadly of whicli is one which
Japanese soldiers, sneaking nut
of the jitngk on the side of
a tank. It explodes a few sec-
onds later.
I inspected a land mine, a dis-
cus-shaped. which the Japanese
throw in the path of a tank, to
knock off its tread.
Sometimes the Japanese
tie ii mine to a cord and
then, hiding in hushes, pull
the mine out into the road
in the path of a tank..
. Second Lieut. Preston,
also of Harrodsburg, Ky., like
Gentry, favors the use of tanks
in open rather than wooded or
jungle areas when possible.
"When a tank smashes
through a grove of bamboo
trees," he told me, "the trees
spring back straight up. The
result is that we not only fail
to sef where we're going but
we don't know where we've
been."
WOULD YOU BISK
30c FOB *15'.'
Mrs. Otey Evans, 402 Sam
Houston, phoned a classi-
fied ad to the Reporter of-
fice to be inserted in the
want ad column for three
days. The ad was printed
for the first time in Fri-
day's paper.
For Sale: Boy's bicycle. Good
condition. Fair tires, $15. 402
Sam Houston.
Mrs. Evans called the Re-
porter Saturday morning to
have her ad discontinued
since she sold the bicycle
within three hours after the
paper was in circulation.
The total cost to Mrs Evans
was but 30c
Place your ad in the Re-
porter today and find out
what fun lt is to dispose of
those items you no longer
need. You can buy Defense
Stamps with your earnings.
CLASSIFIED DEPT.
DIAL f>78
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Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 45, No. 210, Ed. 1 Sunday, February 15, 1942, newspaper, February 15, 1942; Sweetwater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth282509/m1/1/: accessed July 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sweetwater/Nolan County City-County Library.