STRICKEN CITY

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 305, 20 September 1943, Page 5

STRICKEN CITY

German Sacking Of

Rhodes BATTLES STILL RAGE IBv Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.; (Received September 19, 7.5 p.m.) LONDON, September 18. The Italian city of Rhodes, on the Aegean Sea, is still in flames, says the “Daily Mail’s” Smyrna correspondent Smoke from the’stricken city is clearly visible from the Turkish coast. About 600 Italian officers and men who escaped in 18 small Italian warships and also small boats which have arrived at Turkish ports south of Smyrna told the story of the sacking of Rhodes. A few hours after Italy’s surrender the Fascist Governor ordered _ the Italian infantry commander to disarm the troops. The commander, suspecting the Governor's good faith, refused. Within two hours German motorized forces attacked the Italians, who resisted. Divebombers bombed the city, which was soon in chaos. Battles are still raging in the streets, in barricaded houses and in surrounding villages. Stukas are bombing centres, of resistance. The Gestapo is ransacking houses and terrorizing the population.

HEAVIER AND MORE FREQUENT

Allied Bombing’ Attacks

' (British Official Wireless.) (Received September 19, 7.30 p.m-) RUGBY, September 18In the 11 days since the Fifth Army landed at Salerno, Allied bombers flew an average of more than 500 sorties daily. They made 2S attacks on 14 aerodromes, chiefly within tighter range of operations. Eighteen railway centres suffered 23 air attacks and the bombers made numerous diverse operations in direct support of the Allied troops. In these 11 days our bombers dropped nearly 7000 tons of bombs in support of military operations. This was achieved before a single aerodrome on the Italian mainland could he used aud while all fighter cover for bombing operations had to be flown from aircraft-carriers or from Africa by long-range fighters. As lhe captured airfields on the mainland come into use, the frequency and weight of bombing attacks will increase. Reporting bow the Allied air forces have now caught up with the battle, a correspondent on the Salerno front says that the movement of German transport along the roads has begun to draw the attention of Allied lighters aud lighterbombers, Flying Fortresses smashed Battipaglia and Eboli. Medium bombers range the countryside, smashing German concentrations wherever they find them. If there was anything like enemy air defence, this might not have had much result. But the effect of constant road strafing and bombing on the enemy, who has few fighters to protect him, is great. Because of the Allied air strength, the roads along which bis reserves aud supplies for the forward troops should come are very unsafe. Record Air Screen.

LONDON, September 17.

Allied planes arc hammering down .against the Germans in the Salerno area the greatest weight of bombs that has e.ver been hurled in a single battle zone, says lhe Algiers correspondent of the British United Press. “The air screen at Salerno, the greatest put up in Ibis war,” he says, '.■* is been maintained for another 24 hours. Never in combined operations of troops, ships and planes has there been such a striking demonstration of air support by Allied planes. In the past 72 hours they have made over 6000 sorties over the battle area, contributing greatly to the turn of the tide in our favour. Their role has now changed from protecting our troops to slowing up the enemy so that the Fifth and Eighth Armies can come to grips with the Germans. Every plane the Allies can muster is being thrown in in this area and also against target's immediately behind the German lines which are vital for their supply, notably at Potenza.”

An R.A.F. spokesman at Allied headquarters stated: “The failure of the enemy’s air force to take part in the Salerno fighting is probably because of our attacks against his aerodromes and supply lines. The Allied ground troops are rarely troubled by German planes, which seem to be used only agaiust shipping or in occasional hit and run attacks.”

The Air Ministry states: “Last night aircraft of tile Bomber Command attacked the enemy’s railway communications between France ami Italy. A heavy and concentrated attack was made on the marshalling yards at Mudline, the French frontier town near the opening of the Mont Cenis tunnel. Lancasters made a low-level attack on a viaduct near St. Raphael. Mosquitoes attacked objectives in Berlin. Four of our bombers are missing.”

JUNCTION OF FORCES How Fifth And Eighth Army Patrols Met

(Received September 19, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 18. Patrols of the Fifth and Eighth Armies first met when three American jeeps toiling along the road between Paestum and Sapri rounded a bend and encountered two British armoured cars travelling in the opposite direction at a high speed, says a British Press representative from Salerno. The vehicles stopped and greetings and introductions were exchanged, after which an Irish sergeant of the Eighth Army produced a bottle of wine for a roadside celebration.

Captured documents reveal that our invasion fleet was sighted when south of Sicily and was under observation for the rest of the way. says the British Press representative, giving an explanation of the German preparedness to resist the landings in the Salerno Gulf. Since there was no beach further south where a landing was possible, and a landing farther north was impracticable because of the limit of fighter cover, it was not difficult for the Germans to guess where the blow was likely to fall and against which they actually prepared by beach exercises two days before the landing. Documents also reveal that immediately the invasion fleet was sighted. Hie Germans scut troops from Hie east coast to Salerno, and also from the south, which, while weakening the forces opposing the Eighth Army, made the Fifth Army’s task tougher.