GENERAL OFFENSIVE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 73, 23 September 1943, Page 7

GENERAL OFFENSIVE

THE ALLIED ARMIES

LONDON, September 22. The Allied armies in Italy are taking offensive action all along the line from Salerno in. the west to Bari in the east. . The Eighth Army is advancing on the right flank of the Americans, who are on the right flank of the. British troops of the Fifth Army. The Fifth Army is continuing to push steadily to the north and east of Salerno. The beach-head area lies behind them now, and they are -fighting in mountainous country, where guns have to be manhandled and the slopes are so slippery that it is almost impossible to stand up. They are advancing in the face of strong artillery, machine-gun, and mortar fire. The Fifth Army has captured three more hill towns on the Salerno front.

■ The full weight of the Allied tactical air force was brought to bear yesterday on the new German defence line on the roads between it and the rearguard positions, and on rail and road •bridges all around Naples. Meanwhile, the Allied strategic air force has been strengthened by the arrival from Britain of a strong force of United States Liberators. In their first operation in the Mediterranean they attacked the port of Bastia, in Corsica, and its opposite number on the west coast of Italy, the bie harbour of Leghorn. Leghorn wa" crowded with shipping, and considerable damage is believed to have been done. The raid on Bastia was followed by night attacks by Wellingtons, and crews report seeing violent explosions in the harbour area, indicating the destruction of large ammunition dumps.' „ , These two ports represent the beginning and end of the possible road of escape for the 12,000 Germans now retreating in Corsica. They are being driven back to Bastia by French regular and patriot forces.