GAINS IN ITALY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 1, 27 September 1943, Page 5

GAINS IN ITALY

Naples Plain Shelled

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received September 26, 7 p.m.) LONDON, September 25.

The Fifth Army, fighting its way forward in the new offensive from Salerno, has already captured some heights overlooking Naples. The Algiers correspondent of the Columbia Broadcasting System states: “We may soon hear that General Clark’s forces have reached the plain of Naples. Our artillery last night hammered enemy positions on the plain with a furious bombardment which split the whole landscape. “We are gradually clearing the Germans from the high ground north and east of Salerno. The Germans are fighting fiercely and are taking the utmost advantage of the mountainous terrain.).' The Fifth Army has taken more than 2000 prisoners in the past 16 days, and our casualties are officially stated to have been-slight. * Vichy radio says that the Fifth Army is moving on Pompeii and Mercato, which can be described as the gateways to the Naples plain. Pompeii commands the Nocera hill gap past Mt. Vesuvius, and Mercato is in the foothills of the Appenines. Within fhe past few hours the Fifth Army has occupied several square miles of territory'north and north-east of Salerno, says Algiers radio. The Allied forces occupying the bills south of the Naples plain can clearly, see the damage which has been caused to the German communications in the Naples area.

The Eighth Army, after an advance of more than 15-miles from Bari, on the east coast, has captured Molfetta. Berlin radio says that batteries of howitzers have been brought up to reinforce the British, who are attacking north of Salerno, while warships, lying close to the beaches have joined in the fighting. LONDON, September 26.

The Eighth Army has now advanced along the east coast to a point 37 miles from Bari, bringing the 'troops to within 30 miles of Foggia, with its network of airfields.' The attackers have suffered extremely few casualties, a correspondent reports. The British troops of the Fifth Army have captured the last heights above the plain*of Naples.