Replies

Allies’ Loss Light (Sedgwick) – 2-3
Bishop Approves Bombing of Rome – 3
Left Behind by the Nazis as They Fell Back in Italy (photo) – 3
Vital Pass is Won (Atkinson) – 4-5
Foe in New Drive at India’s Border – 5
War News Summarized – 5
Germans Mass Sea Power, Push Aerial Invasion Vigil (Middleton) – 6
Latest War Casualties Reported by the Army – 7-8
Landing Craft Massed for the Coming Invasion (page 1 photo) – 8
Air Power and the War (de Seversky) – 9
Army Calls It the ‘Stratosphere’ Gun (photo) – 9
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on the War – 10-11

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1944/may44/17may44.htm#

Allies capture Myitkyina
Wednesday, May 17, 1944 www.onwar.com

In Burma... Merrill’s Marauders help Chinese forces capture Myitkyina airfield.

In Italy... Allied forces of the US 5th Army continue to advance in the Liri Valley. Piumarolo, Monte Faggeta, Esperia and Formia are all captured. The Polish 2nd Corps captures Sant’Angelo. The French Expeditionary Corps is held beyond Esperia, near Monte d’Ore. The German 10th Army (Vietinghoff) has been reinforced by 3 division from Army Group C (Kesselring) reserves but it is unable to halt the Allies. The German command decides withdraw to a new line of defense.

In New Guinea... US forces land on Insumarai Island and at Arare on the mainland nearby. Admiral Crutchley and Admiral Berkey command cruisers and destroyers covering the landings.

In the Dutch East Indies... Allied aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious and USS Saratoga raid oil installations at Surabaya, on Java. Battleships of the British Eastern Fleet (Admiral Sommerville) provide escort. The Japanese lose 1 freighter and 12 aircraft on the ground. Only 1 Allied plane is lost. During the night, land-based Liberator bombers raid the installations again.