OVER TO THE OFFENSIVE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 304, 18 September 1943, Page 7

OVER TO THE OFFENSIVE

Sth Army’s Gain THIRD PHASE OF CAMPAIGN

LONDON, September 1 7. The Anglo-American forces have gone over to the offensive on the Salerno front. Today’s Allied communique states: ‘On the Fifth Arrays front, at the end of bitter fighting, our beach-heads have been firmly established. The enemy’s efforts to recapture the beach-heads failed and our forces have resumed the initiative. “Three enemy counter-attacks were repelled yesterday. Prisoners were taken, and salients made by the previous enemy attacks were reduced. The naval and air support of the ground forces continues to be excellent. ’ Patrols of the Eighth Army reached a point about 20 miles south of the Salerno battlefield, the communique continues. Other Eighth Army patrols have made contact on the east coast with the troops from the Taranto area.

Bombers of the North-west African and Middle East commands attacked the Potenza railway junction on Wednesday night and yesterday, and other aircraft attacked enemy transport. No enemy planes were encountered. A correspondent at the Allied headquarters comments that the Fifth Army’s latest attack marks the opening of the third phase of the campaign. The first task was to land; the second was to hold; and the third is to expand. Further enemy counter-attacks are to be expected, but the army yesterday morning recovered ground to a depth of eight miles inland at one. point. General Alexander has described the Fifth Army's operations as a magnificent job of work. How Germans Attacked.

A correspondent with the army says that the recent German counter-attacks were made mainly with small battle groups of mobile infantry and tanks, which infiltrated the lines. The Germans also employed agents to try to> spread gloom among the Allied troops, lheir light mobile forces would put in an appearance at one spot and then withdraw rapidly to repeat the process elsewhere. The advantage to the enemy from these tactics rapidly diminished as our men “got wise” to them and learnt how to counter them. ~ . A Press message yesterday said' that the German wedge between the Sele and Calore Rivers, in the plain some miles south-east of Salerno, had alreaoy been smashed, and the Germans .were retreating in the area of Altuvilla, northeast of Agripoli. with the Fifth Army in hot pursuit. The Eighth Army, whicn was racing north, was expected to be in contact with the Germans in a matter of hours.