NEW LANDINGS

Grey River Argus, 23 September 1943, Page 5

NEW LANDINGS

BY THE ALLIES NORTH OF J3ALERNO Battle for Naples Next (Rec. 11.36.) LONDON, Sept. 22. Paris radio stated: New Allied landings, north of Salerno, indicate a fresh Allied offensive in the direction of Naples. Vichy radio said: The Germans have made contact with the Eighth Army near Potenza (50 miles south of Salerno 1 ). Vichy radio added: “A battle for Naples is imminent; but, so far, activity is restricted to patrol clashes.”

LONDON, Sept. 22. Algiers radio stated that on the Salerno front ithe situation was satisfactory tor the Allies, who bad got control of all three roads leading north _from the Sorrento Peninsula to Naples. The Fifth and Eighth Armies were driving back Marshal Kesselring’s forces. The Allies’ right flank was reported to be pressing after the Germans and keeping up pressure to make withdrawal more difficult. Algiers radio said: The Allied line runs 'through Salerno inland to Montecorvino, 12 miles to the east, then south to Battipaglia, Altavilla, and Rocca del Aspicte, and as far south as Sapri. It then runs inland to the western tip of the Gulf of Taranto, and reaches Gioja del Colle, 85 miles north of Taranto.

Germans on the right wing of the Salerno front effected a withdrawal and are trying to dig in on the heights to the north <a'nd ' ''northeast of Salerno. The front now extends between Monte Vorvino, Ravello Eboli and the River Sele. A press correspondent stated: The general impression is that the Germans are loosening up as they swing on their pivot. Germans were bombed while moving on the road from S'alerno to Nocera. Allied troops pushing on from Salerno bridgehead found the enemy had evacuated hillside villages. The naval bombardment force had a rest after an impressive shoot when over thirty tons were fired on targets, directed by a forward observation post. The hits scored included German headquarters buildings and motor transport. North of Salerno the Germans are holding valley's well defended with mortars and machine-guns. In hills north of Salerno the toughest lighting is going on. An Allied patrol in these hills met a German patrol. The British got fire in first, killing a German officer and wounding bis second in command. 'The others ran away. North-west of Salerno Allied troops pushing through the Littali Mountains on the Soronto Peninsula, have taken more strategic villages and beaten back German counter-attacks. The Germans appear to be moving northwards. Germans northward of Salerno are still putting up stiff resistance against any attempts by the Fifth Army to move towards the important centre of Avellino, although main German forces are retreating on this front. The British United Press correspondent with the Fifth Army states that the Fifth Army captured several more towns (unnamed), including Eboli, all of which are strategically important. The Germans tried to counter-attack, but were thrown back with hea'w losses. Thev are now beina pushed back along the whole Salerno front. They are resorting extensively to demolitions, particularly bridges.' in the attemnt. to disengage themselves from 'the Fifth Army; Salerno’s no man’s land has been mopped up and consolidated, and what was orininallv a bridgehead has become a main point for the invas'on of Italy. General Eisenhower said he was I fullv satisfied with the progress of the I invasion. A German shell landed in; General Clark’s Fifth Army Headciuarters while General Eisenhower was there, but it exnloded harmlessly. This hapnened during General Eisenhower’s recent tour of the Italian war front. H« insnected the larger part of the Allied front and spent some t'me at each. Army Headouarters. Corns Headquarters, and Divisional I Headquarters. also field hospitals. He | also stood beside artillery batteries in i action.

The German commentator, Captain SnvfQrjyc. says: The objective 01 'the Allied Command is the conquest of the line from Nanles to Fogaia. His guess may be read in conjunction with General E'senhower’s statement that the Allied forces are getting into nosition to undertake seriously a major ba'ttle against the German forces in Italy. The V'clur radio, to-night, reported that both sides in Southern Italv were regrouping and moving up irejnfornements. It added that the main Allied troop concentrations are reported from the Pot.enza area. (Potenza is about 60 miles from Salerno on the main Salerno-Taranto road). The Perlin News Agency stated Ttn’ i an troons at the front line hefo»’n Kienles ore repdv to tight for the British and Americans. EIGHTH ARMY. LONDON, Sept. 21. While 'the Fifth Army, push from the Salerno bridgehead is well under way, the only official news of the Eighth Army is contained in an Allied communique that a'n advance con tinues in face of light, opposition. German sources, state the Eighth Army is advancing against Foggia. A United Press correspondent stated: General Montgomery has a big surprise ready for the Germans, and the Eighth Army may strike at any moment in a place where the Germans least expect it. ALLIED AIR MASTERY. LONDON, Sept. 21. American fighter-bombers on Sunday, heavily strafed long lines of an enemy: motor convoy moving northwards from the S'alerno bridgehead battle area. They located about 800 vehicles, of which they wrecked 109 and badly damaged 137. Smoking wreckage cluttered the mountain sides. About 60 trucks, laden with petrol and oil, travelling wefet of Potenza were bombed and strafed. Thirty big tank trucks were set on fire, and the others were damaged. Later, 67 trucks were destroyed, during rhe night and day, and as many were damaged. . , Bombers attacked enemy, road and railways within a short distance ot the Salerno front. No enemy lighters attacked them. Flying Fortresses hit the railway yards at Torre Annuziata, the track south of Pompeii, and three roads south of Sarno. Marauders raided a bottleneck between two railway yards at Formia, stopping soulh-bound traffic!. Wellingtons bombed the road and railway) yards at Benevento. Germans are being harried day and night from the air, especially along the road running inland from Eboli to the cross roads 25 miles away, and along the road running north from these cross roads io Avelino. This connects with ice network of roads in the Naples area. There was only slight fighter lion to-day, and not only giant Fortresses but medium bombers flew without escort to attack vital centres in 1 ho heart of the enemy’s positions. In some areas not one enemy lighter was me'- with. Allied light bombers on Sunday night attacked road junctions and railways in the battle area

between Rome and Naples. On Mon- ) day, heavy and medium bombers, without fighter escort, attacked roads and railways in the Torre Annunziata! and Castellamare areas, between Salerno and Naples. There was no enemy a'ir opposition. Medium bombers raided road junctions at Avellino and fighter bombers attacked troop concentrations at Potenza. ’Targets near Benevento were also attacked. INVASION OF CRETE NEAR WILL ALLIES HAVE WALKOVER? (Rec. 1.20) LONDON, Sept. 22. The “Daily Express” Stockholm correspondent says: The German newspapers are preparing the public for the eventual loss of Crete Is- | land. 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. JUGOSLAV SUCCESS. LONDON, Sept. 21. I The Jugoslav Committee announces that the Dalmatian coast, with the exception of a few larger towns, is now in the hands of the People’s I Army of Liberation. All the German attacks in the Split sector have been repulsed. Heavy fighting continues at Ogulin and' Susak. AH three towns are firmly in Jugoslav I hands. Five thousand political prisoners were liberated at Rabisland. Allied Losses GERMAN CLAIMS. ’ LONDON, Sept. 22. A German communiquqe stated: The Germans in earlier Salerno operations killed or wounded over 10,000 and took 4,429 British and American prisoners, and destroyed or captured 135 tanks. The Luftwaffe and the Navy, operating against the Allied landing fleet between September 8 and 17, sank three cruisers, two destroyers, one torpedo-boat, nine transport, and 15 landing barges, and in addition damaged 125 merchant ships, nine tankers, nine landing barges, and one patrol boat. Salerno landings have not given the British and Americans their expected strategic success. They have not succeeded in cutting off the German divisions stationed in Southern Italy; NAPLES BEING DESTROYED. "LONDON, Sept. 21. A correspondent with the Fifth Armv stated: According to Italians reaching Allied Headquarters, the Germans have turned Naples into a citv, of horror, killing thousands of civilians, looting, burning, and destroying. The city is without water, and is unlit. Food distribution has broken down. It means death to leave houses at night time in search of food. German soldiers patrolling do not challenge; they shoot. Typhoid and typhus are raging. ’There are no medical supplies and Naples is now covered with a vast pall of smoke from German demolitions. The destruction of the citv appears to be on a huge scale.. The Germans are sacking the rich city imposing most severe penalties on Italians on the ground that thev, are sabotaging the war machine. There is no confirmation at Allied Headquarters of reports that Allied guns have started shelling Naples. __ . | North Italy Fighting ■ ITALIANS SMASH A GERMAN GARRISON. LONDON, Sept. 21. A report received from Berne states that C'armagnola, between Cuneo and Turin, capitulated to -*e ’remnants of the Italian Fourth Army, I which has been fighting the Germans 'in the northern tip of Po Valley tor four days and succeeded in wiping out Carmagnolia’s strong German mechanised garrison of whole companies of regulars, after overcoming the Fascist officers. Also thousands] of workers joined the remnants of the Fourth Arniv which besides completely blocking Mont Cenis tunnel, which is the most direct, route from France continue mining 'the bridges and strategic roads along the frontier, making: them impassable. It is estimated that Mont Cenis tunnel will be out of action for two months. The Germans are offering a reward] the equivalent of £2O a head for the: capture of Allied war prisoners in’ Italv Many of the prisoners freed I by the Italians after the armist’cei are joining armed Italian guerrilla bands which are harassing German troons. The "Daily Mail” says that only, about 25 per cent, of the prisoners have been recaptured.

Vatican City NO GERMAN ENTRY. LONDON, Sept. 21. The Vatican radio reports that the German patrol posted in front oi Saint Peter’s Square, which is the boundary between Rome and the territory of Vatican City, has not actually entered Vatican City. Italy’s Com-mander-in-Chief in Rome telephoned the Vatican, upon which officials went to the boundary and saw for themselves that the Germans had not crossed the boundary. In the House of Lords, Lord Cranborne, answering questions regarding occupation of Rome by Germans, said: “It appears that German troops m'ay not actually; have violated the territory of the Vatican City, although they certainly are in very close proximity to it. The Government has asked the Resident Minister at Algiers for further information. POPE’S ATTITUDE. LONDON, Sept. 21. Algiers radio stated that Pope Pius XII for the second time, refused to coo Marshal Kesselring. The Pope ]et th® German commander know that German troops must withdraw from Rome before an interview could be granted. Badoglio’s Attack ON MUSSOLINI (Rec. 11.40) LONDON, Sept. 22. Marshal Badoglio, in a broadcast declared: “Mussolini informed nis collaborators before his downhill 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.”