SC002- Edition 2,500 - July 1944   

HITLER SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
From our Special Correspondent

Adolf Hitler has escaped death at the hands of his own officers. The aim of the plot to was to eliminate Hitler, freeing the army of its military oath, then seize control of command centres, disarm the SS and arrest the Nazi leadership.
The assassination was to have taken place in October this year, but the Normandy landings in June made it necessary to bring the plan forward, which may have contributed to its failure. The main conspirators were senior officers on the General Staff, controlling the War Ministry. The ADC to a General leading the plot was Colonel von Stauffenberg, who on 19 July took a small time bomb in a diplomatic case to a conference which Hitler would attend. This was expected to be in a concrete bunker, which would concentrate the blast. Unfortunately it took place in a wooden hut, which collapsed at the blast, dissipating its effect, and Hitler had just moved away from the bomb as it exploded.
Hitler was injured, but von Stauffenburg, seeing the explosion, assumed he had been killed and gave the word for the plan to proceed.
Fierce fighting began between army and SS, and anti-Nazi activists came out into the open.
Then it was revealed that Hitler was alive, and the revolt collapsed. This meant that anti-Hitler elements had shown their hands, and the Nazis were able to execute many of their enemies.
 

40,000 PRISONERS TAKEN BY ALLIES IN FRANCE

In the month since the D-Day landings, the armada of allied shipping has continued to deliver thousands of men, with their vehicles, armament and other supplies, to Normandy.
The ships are unloading at the prefabricated ‘Mulberry’ harbours, built in secret in Britain and floated across the Channel to be assembled off the coast of France. But what do all these ships carry when they return to their home ports to pick up more cargo? Part of their return load is made up of German Prisoners of War. In the first three weeks after the assault on Normandy on 6 June, more than 40,000 prisoners were taken. All of them were immediately shipped out of the battle zone for internment overseas.
 

LEGHORN AND ANCONA TAKEN

Victories continue on both coasts in the battle for Italy. On the West coast, the major port of Leghorn was taken by land forces, supported by bombardment from Naval ships. On the East coast of Italy, Ancona fell to allied land forces, but only after considerable damage had been done to the town by the retreating Germans.