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TWO ORIGINAL DETROIT NEWS WORLD WAR II NEWSPAPERS
Offered together is a fascinating pair of original Detroit News wartime newspaper pieces covering two dramatically different moments in World War II:
The daring 1942 British raid on the German U-boat facilities at St. Nazaire, France.
Detroit’s public celebration of victory in Europe on May 8, 1945.
These are authentic period newspapers—not modern reproductions.
NEWSPAPER NUMBER ONE
THE DETROIT NEWS
Saturday, March 28, 1942
Blue Streak Edition
69th Year, Number 218
Masthead states 22 pages
Original price: Three cents
The enormous front-page headline reads:
“BRITISH ’CHUTISTS RAID U-BOAT BASE IN FRANCE”
Additional prominent headlines include:
“3-Way Attack on St. Nazaire”
“Defense Chief Warns Detroit”
“Aviation Gas Quiz Planned”
“U.S. Firm Accused of Helping Nazis”
“Fort Resists Jap Bombers”
“Chinese Hold Burma Front”
“Allies Blast Foe at Timor”
The leading story reports the British attack on St. Nazaire in occupied France. This operation became famous as Operation Chariot, the bold British naval and commando raid intended to deny Germany use of the strategically important Normandie dry dock.
The paper also contains extensive early-war reporting involving France, Russia, Burma, Japan, Australia, China and other theaters of World War II.
Visible interior content includes:
Detroit wartime production and industrial defense news
Aviation gasoline investigation
War summaries from Europe and the Pacific
Chinese fighting on the Burma front
Japanese bombing reports
American labor and defense-production news
“The Big Game Hunter’s Trophy Room” wartime political cartoon
The Detroit News public letter section
“Experience” advice column
Sally Victor wartime fashion feature
Period Detroit advertisements, household columns and local reporting
The front page has the highly desirable oversized wartime banner-headline format associated with Detroit News Blue Streak editions.
NEWSPAPER NUMBER TWO
THE DETROIT NEWS
Tuesday, May 8, 1945
Original double-sided pages 27 and 28
Page 28 is headed:
“Scenes From Detroit’s Celebration of V-E Day”
This outstanding pictorial page documents Detroit residents celebrating Germany’s surrender and victory in Europe.
The original Detroit News photographs show:
A crowd estimated at approximately 5,000 people gathered in Cadillac Square to hear President Harry S. Truman’s V-E Day proclamation
Ticker tape falling from downtown Detroit office buildings, including the National Bank of Detroit
A large crowd celebrating outside the Majestic Building
Office workers at 220 Congress Street hanging Hitler in effigy
Detroit high-school students parading along Woodward Avenue
Vintage automobiles, buses, buildings, clothing and downtown street scenes
The captions also remind readers that although victory had been achieved in Europe, the war against Japan was continuing.
The reverse, numbered page 27, contains a wonderful cross-section of May 1945 Detroit life, including:
Detroit real-estate advertisements
Used automobile listings
Pontiac, Buick, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Hudson and Chrysler dealer advertising
Motorcycle, boat and trailer advertisements
Business opportunities and commercial property listings
“Mopsy” comic by Gladys Parker
These classified advertisements are especially interesting for Detroit automotive, economic and social-history collectors.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The March 1942 newspaper captures America and Detroit during the uncertain opening months of United States involvement in World War II.
The May 1945 pages capture Detroit citizens celebrating the end of the European war approximately three years later. May 8, 1945 became known as V-E Day, when people around the world celebrated Germany’s surrender and the end of World War II in Europe. National WWII Museum
Together, these newspapers present a remarkable Detroit perspective on the fighting and eventual Allied victory.
CONDITION
Both pieces show extensive wear from age and storage.
The March 28, 1942 newspaper has substantial age toning, tears, fold wear, edge chipping, creases and considerable paper loss along the bottom. Some printed material and portions of the front-page photograph are missing. Several interior pages are visible in the photographs, but the pages have not been individually counted. Although the masthead states 22 pages. only the pages shown are included.
The May 8, 1945 item consists of the double-sided pages numbered 27 and 28. It has age toning, tears, edge wear, fold wear, small holes, creasing and minor losses. It is not a complete May 8 newspaper.
Please use the photographs as the most important part of the condition description. No attempt has been made to clean, flatten, tape or restore it.
SHIPPING
The newspapers will be carefully placed between rigid protective sheets and shipped flat whenever practical. They will not be rolled. Additional padding will be used to help prevent movement during shipment.
You will receive the exact two original newspaper pieces shown in the photographs.
Excellent collection or display material for collectors of:
World War II history
Operation Chariot and the St. Nazaire Raid
V-E Day memorabilia
Detroit and Michigan history
Historic newspapers
Military ephemera
Vintage Detroit photography
Automotive and transportation history
Home-front and wartime advertising
