ITALIAN CAMPAIGN

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 November 1943, Page 5

ITALIAN CAMPAIGN

STORMY WEATHER EFFECTS

LONDON, November 18. Because of violent weather, the front line troops on either side m Italy are not doing much more than to watch each other, says Reutei s correspondent with the Fifth Army. “Rain snow and wind have both sides. ' temporarily beaten along a sodden 80-mile coast to coast line. Small-scale patrol activity continues. Gunners occasionally have to leave the protection of their shelters. The air activity is slight.” . Another correspondent says: Ram saualls sometimes hit the countryside so hard that the water-logged tents of the British and Ameiican forces are being blown over. The troops have not even an advance to cheer them up in this pitiless Winter climate, but they are in good fettle. An Algiers communique says: Heavy rain continues to fall along the majority of the * forward tireas, and the operations of both the Filth and Eighth Armies are on a restricted scale. Many rivers are in flood. Enemy counter-attacks agamsc a sector of the Eighth Army front were repulsed. Enemy artillery is against some sectors on the Fiitn Army front, where the positions recently gained were improved. MINOR ACTIVITIES LONDON, November 18. Rain and mud-swollen rivers have produced conditions which definitely curtailed the opportunities of the armies in Italy to make any substantial progress. On the Eignth Army [front, north of the River Sangro, there was intermittent enemy shelling and at a point twelve miles inland, near the region of Atessa, enemy manoeuvres for the preparation of a counter-attack were observed and promptly reported. A force of Kittyhawks swept in to strafe the assembled enemy forces in cc-operation with British infantry fire, and the German counter-attack was destroyed before ■ it was launched.

On the Fifth Army front there was heavy shelling in the Venafro area on Wednesday night and Thursday, and an attempt by Germans to run small boats up the Garigliano River some distance inland. The boats were fired on by our troops. AERIAL OPERATIONS RUGBY, November 18. An air communique says: Heavy bombers yesterday attacked Eleusis airfield, and medium bombers escorted long-range fighters and bombed the airfield at Kalamiki, both with good results. Fighter bombers and fighters carried out offensive patrols and attacked enemy communications in the battle area. Light bombers on Tuesday bombed industrial targets on the west coast of Italy opposite Elba. In these operations five enemy aircraft were destroyed. A Middle East communique says: Hurricanes attacked Crete yesterday, hits on motor transport being observed. A Spitfire made offensive reconnaissance of the Rhodes area without incident. A small supply vesj sei was attacked and left smoking east of Crete. All our planes re- ! turned.

SOFIA EVACUATED

LONDON, November 18.

“The Bulgarian capital, Sofia, is being evacuated,” states the Berlin radio. The Sofia newspaper, “Slovo,” said there was a danger of further air attacks against Bulgaria and the evacuation should be carried out as soon as possible in order to avoid unnecessary casualties.

FORTRESSES’ RECORD.

LONDON, November 18.

United States Flying Fortresses in their first year’s operations in the North Africa theatre destroyed or damaged 134 enemy aircraft. They dropped 26,101 tons of bombs on Tunisia, Libya, Sardinia, Pantelleria, Italy, France, and Germany. Only 87 Fortresses were lost from all causes. This is believed to be a new record for low losses ’in any the Mr a of war,