GAINS IN ITALY

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 September 1943, Page 5

GAINS IN ITALY

EIGHTH ARMY TAKES POTENZA

advance by fifth army

GERMANS TO DEFEND NAPLES

LONDON, Sept. 22. To-day's communique from Allied Headquarters in North Africa reports a further deepening of the Salerno bridgeheFid. unci on impoitunt advance by the Bth Army. It says: “The sth Army continues to regroup and to move forward. San Cipriano (six miles north-east of Salerno), Montecorvmo (seven miles north of Battipaglia), Ravello (in the hills above Amalfi), and Campagna (10 miles north-east ol Eboli) have been captured. The Bth Army has occupied the important communications centre of Potenza (mid-way between the west and east coasts and more than 50 miles from the Gull ol Taran“The Germans on the Salerno front are holding pretty firmly on their right flank north of Salerno, says a BBC. correspondent, “but they are pulling out steadily on their left flank. It is quite possible that the enemy’s heavy losses in his recent unsuccessful counter-attacks have hastened his decision to retreat. To-dav’s air communique says that light bombers of the North-west African Air Forces on Monday night attacked roads and enemy troops in the battle area. Yesterday heavy and medium bombers raided road and railway bridges at Benevento, Capua, and Cancello (all in the Naples area), fighter-bombers attacked enemy transport, and fighters patrolled the battle area. POTENZA CAPTURED (Rc. 10 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 22. The Fifth Army continues to group and move forward, says an Algiers communique. The twin towns ot Montecorvino and Ravalla, also bancipriano, which is about, lour and ahalf miles north-east of‘Salerno, have been captured by the Fifth Army. The Eighth Army has occupied the important town of Potenza. OPERATIONS REVIEWED. (Rec. 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 22. Front-line news from Italy, this evening, supplementing the Algiers communique, enables a, clearer view of the pattern of operations in which the sth and Bth Armies are engaged. These are now shown to stretch from north ol Salerno almost straight across Southern Italy to the opposite coast. The Bth Army “reappeared with the capture of Potenza, which is almost in the centre of the southern Italian mainland and one of its most vital communication centres. The capture of the town greatly increases the mobility of the main body of the Bth Army still coming up from the south. Potenza is practically in a line with Campagna, one of the places in the Salerno area which the sth Army captured. Campagna lies a few miles north-west of Buccino. The Berlin radio’s commentator, Captain Sertorius, to-night said the bulk of General Montgomery’s forces were on the line Buccino-Potenza-Altamura. It was known the Bth Army were advancing north along the east coast road. The British United Press correspondent at Allied Headquarters says an Allied patrol which stowed away on "an Italian train and rode most of the way to Potenza played an important part in the fall of the town. The patrol jumped off when the train moved into the hills overlooking Potenza. For four days the patrol watched the Germans and reported back to the Bth Army. They also had a grandstand view of the Allied bombing of the town. Finally, their information enabled the town to be taken with the minimum of trouble.

EISENHOWER'S COMMENT

LONDON, September 21

General Eisenhower has been on a visit to the Salerno area. He paid a tribute to the successful operations conducted by Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew “Cunningham, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, and General Alexander. “The Allied forces are rapidly getting into position seriously to undertake a major battle with the Germans,” said General Eisenhower. "The Allied losses in establishing the Salerno bridgehead were reasonably heavy, but no greater than was anticipated in view of ill? bitter opposition. The Allied Command knew the grave risks involved, but we were playing for big stakes." SALERNO’S’"NEW PORT.

RUGBY. September 22_. A correspondent with the 5 th Army reports that the entire Salerno Valley is cleared of Germans, and the sth Army in this sector is pursuing the enemy into the hills, many miles back from the landing beaches. “In the northern Salerno section, British elements are sticking doggedly to the slowly retreating Germans, who are taking full advantage of the mountainous terrain to delay the advance along the road to Naples. With the acquisition of airfields Allied air strength has grown tremendously. The Luftwaffe will need to be at full strength if it intends to cope with Tedder’s forces. Under permanent air cover, troops and supplies continue to pour into the original beachhead, which now looks more like a great new port in | the stage of construction than the bathing resort it was two weeks ago. American engineers have done wondors in building devices to ensure rapid unloading of men. supplies, and the original beachmasters, who stood courageously at the water’s edge with shells landing’all round in the first days, have promoted themselves to be harbourmasters, a title they well deserve.” MANY PRISONERS TAKEN. (Rec. 12.50 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 22. The British United Press correspondent says there is little information of the'fighting in what is called the Taranto area, though it is known a stiff but small-scale engagement is going on somewhere north of Potenza, possibly in the Altamura area. Reuter’s correspondent at Allied headquarters says: British forces took and th 0 Americans took Campagna and Montecorvina Ravel la. When the Fifth Army landeel at Salerno beach head, the British were allotted the northern zone and the Americans the southern sector., It was the British who captured 'Salerno town and the mountain passes north and north-east. _ The American sector saw some of the bloodiest fighting before the bridgehead was firmly established. Salerno plain to-day is cleared of the enemy, but littered with tanks and guns. Heavy casualties have been inflicted on the Germans and large numbers of prisoners taken. A fair percentage of prisoners are nonGermans. They are levies from controlled countries, indicating the shortage of German manpower. News from the Adriatic coast sector comes from the British United Press correspondent, who says _ the Germans, who are holding positions

somewhere north of Bari, have been sending down armoured patrols to probe the strength of our advancing forces. As we advanced they became less curious. The Germans are moving back so fast they have no time for demolitions. As a result, our troops are rolling over bridges which they expected to find blown up. CLASHES IN NAPLES (Recd. Noon) LONDON, Sept. 22. The Germans are forming a delensive ring around Naples, says the Telegraph’s correspondent at Allied Headquarters. Blasted from the bridgehead south of Salerno, and pivoting back on the hills north and north-east of that port, their new line will face south instead of west. They are now busy digging in, blocking the approaches to Naples. . Large fires and demolitions continue in the city which is covered by a pall of smoke indicating that Marshall Kesselring is not prepared _ to allow it to fall into Allied hands intact, if his army Cannot hold our troops in the northward drive. / Reports from neutral sources say that severe fighting is taking place in Naples between German and Italian troops. Many Italian officers and troops have been executed. The Germans are reported to have executed General Gonzaga, Italian Commander of the coast defences on the Gulf of Salerno, for non-co-operation with German forces.

Fighting among the houses is going on everywhere. Civilians are participating with stones and bare hands. The Germans, in contrast to their previous behaviour seem to have been given a free hand to ill-treat the Italians and kill wantonly. Italian soldiers are being given swastika armbands, and marched out to build defences for the Germans. LATER. The United Nations’ Algiers radio said: The scale of demolitions at Naples seems to indicate the Germans have given up all hope of holding the city. CONTROL~6F CORSICA. LONDON, Sept., 22. “French troops in Corsica are vigorously supporting and efficiently coordinating with the actions of Corsican patriots.” says a communique from Algiers. “The entire western part of Corsica has already been liberated. Our advanced elements in the eastern part are holding St. Florent, Corte, Zonza, Levie, and Sartene. The enemy attempted to take possession of Sorba and Inseca, but was repelled. Light units of patriots and regular forces are constantly harassing German communication lines and pushing towards Bonifacio and Porto Vecchio.”

Last night the Algiers radio said that the German forces were falling back on Bastia, from where they may evacuate the island. An air communique from Allied Headquarters in North Africa says that Liberators of the 9th United States Army Air Force (based in the Middle East), operating under the direction of air headquarters in Algiers. yesterday attacked harbour installations at Bastia and at Leghorn, the nearest port on the Italian mainland. Medium bombers attacked troop concentrations and ground forces in the battle area in Corsica. Last night the harbour installations at Bastia were again bombed.

A British United Press correspondent, cabling from Ajaccio on Saturday, says: “The French commandos first landed on September 13 in one of the war’s most secret operations. The French Navy used its fastest destroyers for the operation. They audaciously skirted Sardinia, then in German hands, to reach their objective. U-boats attacked fruitlessly. The commandos were met. not by Germans, but by several thousand Frenchmen, delirious with joy, firing rifles, even old flintlocks, into the The correspondent adds that this enthusiasm was again shown when the second wave of Frenchmen landed four days later. Corsicans are asking: “When are the British and Americans coming? When shall we invade France? “There are about 10,000 Germans in Corsica, mainly on the east coast." the correspondent continues. “The commandos have not yet made contact. Some of the 50,000 Italians are already fighting with the Corsican patriots against the Germans. Directly the fall of Italy became known Corsican de Gaullists staged a coup d’etat. The Corsicans are undoubtedly pro-Allied.” GERMAN WITHDRAWALS. RUGBY, Sepetmber 22. General Giraud’s Headquarters states: The Germans have withdi’awn from the Levie sector oi Coisica, after heavy fighting. American commandos are fighting with French patriots and regulars. The enemy is withdrawing from Bonahcio and Portovecchio northwards. CRETE’S IMPORTANCE LONDON, September 22 The “Daily Express’s” Stockholm correspondent says: The German newspapers arc preparing the public for the eventual loss of Crete Island. They say Crete has lost its former great strategic importance. Its defence would not justify losses in beating off enemy attacks, which are to be expected any day. DODECANESE ISLANDS.

(Rec. noon). LONDON, Sept. 22. The story is told of how the occupation of the Dodecanese Islands of Cos and Loros began. A single R.A.F. plane landed at the main aerodrome at Cos shortly after the Italian armistice, in order to examine the conditions. South African Air Force Spitfires next day arrived at the same aerodrome and were greeted by an Italian Air Force officer and several Italian Army officers. Then at night time, by the light of the full moon, transport planes dropped paratroops. Hundreds of islanders, awakened by the noise, rushed out and welcomed the paratroops, helped them to repack the parachutes, and carried their equipment 1o the nearest Italian garrison. The Luftwaffe arrived at dawn and began low-fly-ing attacks. Eleven German planes have been shot down since then. The British beat the Germans in the island of Leros by the operation in classic British style, with army, navy and air force co-operating, states the British United Press correspondent, cabling from Leros. The famous desert scouts were speedily followed by the main force of British troops which landed in lorries, and occupied hill positions before the populace knew what was happening. When they realised the British had arrived they stood at the roadsides and cheered. It was little wonder because the poeple had been near starvation. It was pitiful to see children scrambling for biscuits, which the troops immediately started to hand out. The population were practically

all Greeks, and had only a veneer of Fascism. There is a small colony of Italian officials and a few Italian troops, but their Fascism had gone with the wind. BADOGLIO'S BROADCAST (Rec 1.25 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 22. The Germans always considered us an inferior race, said Marshal Badoelio, broadcasting over the United Nations radio. “Mussolini dragged Italy into new wars which no Italian wanted, and wore not wan anted by the Italians’ feelings. Germany attacked our provinces and obliged us to live on insufficient rations, wnich were less than the German people s. The Italians won’t forget the dispersal of their armies for the sole Object of fighting for Germans in France, Croatia, Greece, Crete, and the Russian front. Present events show clearly the dispersal coincides with a diabolical plan to place German divisions alongside, in order to attack our troops at the opportune moment.” Referring to the armistice, Marsnal Badoglio said: The conditions are hard, but we must not forget we were beaten. On the other hand the evolution of the situation altered a number of the clauses. Our armed reaction to German aggression brought us nearer co-operation with the Allies.'” i Marshal Badoglio officially defined his Government’s policy in eight points: Firstly, the King and the Royal House are the expression ol the Italian people’s will. Secondly, the Italians do not want any more truck with Fascism, whether called Republican or Monarchist. Thirdly, the armed forces has sworn loyalty to the King. Fourthly, the Italians have not betrayed the Germans. The Italians have been betrayed by a Fascist conspiracy. The peasants and the North Italian population will not forget that tens of thousands of their sons were sent to die in Russia or Africa, in the sole interests of Germany. Fifthly, the Germans’ behaviour after the armistice made the Italian people’s action inevitable, and deeoened the abyss between Italy and Germany. Sixthly, the sooner the Germans are chased out of Italy the sooner Italy will be free. Seventhly, refugees, peasants and all workers, under the leadership of the King and his Government will build Italy’s destiny. Eighthly, Italy will emerge from this tragedy stronger than ever if all the Italians remain united and confident of victory.

Marshal Badoglio, in his broadcast declared: “Mussolini informed his collaborators befoie his downfall that he was considering cutting adrift from the Germans on September 15 because Hitler had betrayed him.” Badoglio bitterly criticised Mussolini’s broadcast reference to the German “spiritual world,” declaring: “We seek it in vain in the inhuman treatment given to our soldiers, especially our Alpinieri in Russia”