GERMANS RETREATING

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 September 1943, Page 5

GERMANS RETREATING

FIFTH ARMY NEARER NAPLES

. FOGGIA TAKEN BY BTH ARMY

ALLIED FLEET MOVES NORTH

LONDON, September 28. Marshal Kesselring’s army, while trying to hold up General Alexander’s men in the aproaches to Naples, is pulling out rapidly along the rest of its line. . , „ The Algiers correspondent of “The Times” says: “Tire sth Army’s advance west and north of Salerno continues steadily, though the pace Jias been slowed by the necessity for mopping up enemy strongpoints and repairing bridges and roads. Seven days of arduous fighting in the eastern sector was rewarded by the capture of the villages of Calabritto and Cassano, which dominate an important network of roads. (Calabritto and Casano arc 25 and 20 miles respectively north-east of Salerno. Calabritto was captured after a 10mile advance by American forces up the Sole River from Conturisi). Our troops are consolidating their positions and organising supply routes across the difficult, mountainous country.” “The fighting in the bare mountains forming a barrier between Salerno and the Naples Plain is being decided in bitter, close-quarter struggles,” says Reuter’s correspondent at Allied Heaquarters. “The bayonet is the only weapon with which the enemy can be dislodged' from his hide-outs, to which he obviously has been ordered to cling to the end.”

Reuter’s correspondent adds that the Bth Army has two more rivers to cross before it reaches Foggia. These are the Carapella and the Cervaro. They could be used for a stand, but no serious opposition is expected, as the countryside is against the defenders. A British United Press correspondent says that the sth Army’s thrust up the Sele Valley is now within a few miles of the line from Avellino to Foggia, which the enemy has probably been using for switching troops from one sector to the other. The Germans, he adds, have been forced to pull back along the whole line by the double threat from the Bth Army and the right wing of the sth Army. RADIO REPORTS LONDON, Sept. 28. ’ Morocco radio says: Allied forces in a sudden thrust, supported by tanks, stormed important enemy’positions north of Salerno. The Columbia (U.S.A.) Broadcasting System’s Algiers correspondent says: Fifth Army units captured several key positions in the mountainous north-eastern sector of the Salerno front. It is reported that these Fifth Army emits outflanked some German troops defending Naples. The Vichy radio stated: The Fifth Army is throwing in tanks to support the strong attack it has launched at Naples. A Berlin report stated Allied warships on Monday moved from Salerno Bay to the Gulf of Naples. The Tunis radio says: At Algiers an Allied spokesman said: The initiative in the battle for Naples is firmly in our hands. Tire Germans arc being continually pushed back. FOGGIACAPTURED LONDON, Sept. 28.' The Sth Army, moving swiftly up the east coast of Italy, has captured Foggia, the most important air base in Southern Italy, and a big road and rail centre. To-day’s Allied communique says that enemy casualties in the fighting for the town were considerable. On the plain round Foggia are the main airfield and 12 satellite fields, from which the Allied air forces will be able to strike hard at the Naples area, far to the north, and into the Balkans. On the sth Army front, south ol Naples, Allied troops have advanced and captured limited objectives, A 8.8. C. correspondent says that fierce fighting continues here, with the Germans holding on to Naples as long as possible, so that they can sink shipping in the harbour and destroy as much of the city as possible. The Allies have advanced about one-and-a-half miles in the hills north of Salerno, and can now look down on Nocera, two or three miles ahead. East of this front the Americans have advanced eight miles on a front of seven miles, and still further east the capture of Melfi fs reported. Melfi is 20 miles north-east of Muro, through which the Allied line was last reported to run. ENEMY CASUALTIES HEAVY. (Rec. 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 28. The Algiers radio, to-riight, stated that the German retreat in the eastern sector was continuing. It also stated that the Bth Army in die central sector had occupied Venosa, about 10 miles east of Melfi, whose capture was reported earlier. The British United Press says the Allies’ thrust in the central sector threatens to cut off from Kesselring’s main body all the German troops remaining on the Plain ol Foggia and the hilly country east ol the" main Appenine chain. This thrust is also outflanking the German positions at Naples. Strong Sth Army mobile armoured corps, supported by the AirForce, raced 25 miles to capture Foggia after a bloody encounter in which the Germans suffered the heaviest casualties. The enemy once again was taken by surprise. It is difficult to see how the Germans can avoid a general withdrawal northwards; unless it has been decided to continue fighting at Salerno to give more time for further destruction of the port installations at Naples. Renter’s correspondent says the Germans are intensifying their elforts to wreck Naples as the Allies thrust nearer. Air photographs show they are sinking ships and carrying out daily.

GERMAN VERSION. (Rec. 12.15 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 28. To-day’s German communique says: British and Americans landed new forces in Southern Italy, taeir pressure has increased considerably. The communique claims the German troops in the Foggia area disengaged according to plan ana wandrew to prepared mountain positions. Foggia was evacuated after the destruction of all important wav communications, adds the communiBerlin radio’s version of the Foggia evacuation says: German rearguards attacked the British in the airfield of the town from the from and from the flanks. The British suffered considerable casualties during a day of.fierce righting, in whicn their advance was completely stopped. The evacuated ground and been thoroughly mined. FIGHT FOR HILL PASS (Rec. 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, Sept, 28. Although advancing less spectacularly than the Eighth Army, whose capture of Foggia will have perhaps immediate and important results, the Fifth Army also fought' forward on

its whole front yesterday, making Marshal Kesselring’s position in toe Naples area markedly worse. Tne Fifth Army is now only a few miles from the Naples Plain. It is already on the hills dominating Nocera, from which the Germans have withdrawn to a position on the far side looking down on a village. The British troops have thrust forward about two miles in the terrible country north of Salerno, says Reuter’s correspondent at Allied Headquarters. The Germans still hold the higher mountain positions about three miles south-west of Nocera. Fierce fighting is in progress in the Caramel Pass, which must be opened up before armour can be utilised. This pass commands the neck of the Sorrento Peninsula, and from it the road swings north-west to Nocera, where it drops to the open plain. Tire Germans are fighting hard and the battle is assuming the character of a race against the rains. Our immediate aim is to reach the plain before the ground is too soft for armour, but no quick victory can be expected when the plain is reached if the Germans decide to fight, because guarding Naples are two bottlenecks around Vesuvius—a narrow one on the seaward side and a broader but still awkward one inland. NOVERA EVACUATED.

LONDON, Sept. 28. Kesselring has evacuated Novera, says the “Daily Express” correspondent in a despatch late to-night from /killed Headquarters. He adds: This may indicate that the sth Army has broken through into the Naples plain. Navy guns are shelling the German lines at the base of Vesuvius, says a British Press correspondent at an observation post overlooking Naples. The sth Army continued its advance to-day west of Vesuvius. WITHDRAWAL PREDICTED LONDON. Sept. 28. Morley Richards, “Daily Express military writer, says: The Germans are falling back on the hills north of Salerno to avoid being outflanked by the Eighth Army. The desperate defence of the mountainous approaches to Naples is not an attempt to hold the city, but is planned to give the main forces time to escape the Eighth Army’s clutches. As the Eighth Army moves in the chain of airfields around Foggia this will add greatly to the weight of the attack on the enemy rear. Some military observers in London believe the Germans may soon withdraw the whole of their forces from southern and central Italy and man the river Po defences. CORSICAN POSITION "RUGBY, Sept. 28. In Corsica the Germans have evacuated the east coast 40 miles south of Bastia. This means that all they hold of Corsica is a stretch of coast some 40 miles long varying in width from a few miles to about 20. GERMAN - TERRORISM LONDON, September 28. Reuter’s correspondent with the Fifth Army says: A German, reign of terror over Northern Italy has become as frightful as anything in the record of the crimes' of the Germans. They are raping, shooting, robbing, and* destroying in unrestricted fury against the former Allies. Thousands of hunted refugees are coming over the mountains to the Fifth Army outposts. They speak of the Germans rounding up civilian men and taking them oil northwards, but nobody knows where. They speak also 01. Germans dragging away women, whp are never seen again. When their orders are not instantly obeyed, it is stated, they start shooting. Whole families have been wiped out. and stores of food stolen. Algiers radio says: The Germans are evacuating factories and workers from Naples. Small contingents ol workers have already been transferred to Germany. A British United Press correspondent at Brindisi, says: Refugees from Rome say the Germans shelled the centre of Rome before they entered the city and then lop ted it, and that, they even held up civilians and took watches and wallets. The Berlin radio says that Marshal Badoglio’s Government is now functioning from Bari, on the south-east coast of Italy. JUGOSLAV OFFENSIVE. GERMAN CLAIMS. (Rec. 11.55 a.m.) LONDON, Sept 28. " The Jugoslav partisans who have driven into Northern Italy are threatening the German rear _ i n Italy. Partisan forces after crossing the frontier are reported to have engageci in heavy fighting near the noris of Trieste and Fitime. Allied officers attached to the partisan forces are acting as advisers. To-day's German communique 'hates that strong bands in Northeastern Italy and Dalmatia have been encircled and are being wiped out The communique claims tnat the German troops yesterday stormed and captured Split. It also claims that German battle units landed on Corfu Island yesterday alter Badoglio’s troops occupying the islands had rejected an ultimatum to surrender. The German troops, supported by air and naval units, broke the resistance and took prisoner several thousand Italians anu quickly occupied the whole island. GREEK GUERRILLAS (Rec. 11.55 a.m.)~LONDON, Sept. 28. ' A mission representing the guerrilla army in Greece has been rebuffed by Greek and Allied leaders in Cairo.’ The mission, consisting of six guerrilla leaders, went to Cairo to consult King George of Greece, the Greek Government, and the Allied High Command on political issues. It urged that three members of the Greek Underground Movement be included in the Greek Government, one of them as Minister, 01. the Interior. It also asked King George to undertake that he would not return to the Greek Throne until the people had decided by plebiscite whether they wanted the Monarchy restored. The requests were refused. Correspondents at Cairo say it is difficult to estimate what effect the failure of the mission will have on future events in Greece and the relations between Greece and the Allies. It is not known whether the guerrilla leaders’ demands reflect the views of the majority of the Greeks. GENERAL DEWIART (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent) (Rec. 10.55 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 28. General Carton Dewiart, V.C., who figured in the Italian armistice talks, after being a prisoner of war for two years, called on Mr Jordan. General Dewiart recalled being a prisoner with Brigadiers Hargest, Miles, and

Gishop Gerard. He told Mr Jordan he had the highest regard lor them. He referred to Hargest affectionately as “Old Jim.” General Dewiart also recalled his associations with otiiei New Zealanders, including Lieuten-ant-Colonel Arthur Porritt, and P. S. Falla, son of Brigadier N.- S. ± aua. He met P. S. Falla, who is a diplomatic service member, iri Warsaw prior to its capture early in the war. Upon hearing this, Mr Jordan telephoned Brigadier Falla, who called at New Zealand Hous’e and met General Dewiart, and told him his son was now at Teheran. General Dewiart was interested to learn ihat Brigadier Hargest was returned unopposed at the General Election, and that Mr Jordan cabled Brigadier Hargest the election results to Switzerland. General Dewiart said. he could only guess the present position of the New Zealanders, who were prisoners of war in Italy. He imagined that when the Italians opened the camps, those who were lit would probably make every effort to link up with the Allied .forces, possibly aided by Italians. DUKE’S ARRIVAL. (Recd. 10.55 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 28. The Duke of Spoleto,.who was appointed King of Croatia, but never assumed the crown arrived at an American naval base in the Mediterranean. He was aboard a private yacht, escorted by an Italian destroyer.