Magnificent Work By Naval Gunners

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 221, 17 September 1943, Page 5

Magnificent Work By Naval Gunners

ENEMY POSITIONS SMOTHERED BY GREAT BARRAGE LONDON, Sept. 16. The big part the Navy is playing in the battle for Salerno is emphasised by Reuter’s correspondent with the fleet. He says: “Great clouds of cordite smoke and fumes hang like a curtain over the front. The warships are shelling the German positions and the thunder of the naval guns reverberates around the bay. “Black columns of smoke mark the points where the naval gunners scored hits against enemy tank and transport concentrations. Hour after hour the cruiser in which I watched the bombardment, shuddered from stem to stern as the guns fired rapid broadsides i into the hills. “A formidable screen of Allied fighters protects the warships in the daytime. Th£ Luftwaffe is more venturesome at night but the tired navai gunners again spring to action stations. This goes on nightly, but the roar of gunfire from the ships has never been silenced.’ ’ EARLIER REPORTS OP FIGHTING Earlier messages from various sources concerning the great Salerno struggle emphasised the seesaw nature of the battle. Allied warships are greatly assisting the Fifth Army. The Vichy radio declared that “the Allied retreat has been definitely slowed down by the intervention of heavy cruisers which are shelling the German positions.’’ Despatches from Allied correspondents earlier told of fierce German attacks and Allied withdrawals on the centre of the Salerno front. The Algiers correspondent of the Columbia Broadcasting Company said that the Allied forces had captured some high ground west of Salerno, where German panzers were making a terrific bid to smash tnrough to the coast. 'The Germans were throwing in wave after wave of the latest tanks, coupled with mortar tire, artillery fire, ana constant ground strafing from the air. The Allies at the southern end of the Salerno bridgehead were fanning out into the hiila, but in the central sector a swaying battle was going on. The Germans recaptured several positions and their guns commanded the ueaches. BIG TANK CLASHES An American commentator broadcasting over the Algiers radio said that tne severe battle was still raging along the line from Salerno to Agropoli, tank clashes and infantry engagements being bloodily fought under artillery dueis between the German guns situated iu the hills and the Allied guns on the beaches and the Allied warships in the gull. Another American commentator stated that a German break-through on the Sele River had split the Allied bridgehcau. The Allies had not yet lougnt their v/ay from the Salerno Plain. One of the fiercest engagements went on around Battapaglia, a road junction whicu both sides nad taken and retakeu.

The crucial hours iu the Salerno bndgeheau are now passing, said the commentator. Although tee Germans are counter-attacking in force in the central sector the Fifth Army is full of ught and is holding the enemy. The Eritish U ruled Tress reported that the Germans launched nine counter-attacks during the day, but we still held all the line of beaches we occupieu.

The Exchange Telegraph Agency’s correspondent said that uespite Allied reinforcements tne tit-mans on tho Salerno -front were easily numerically equal to the Allied fcrce3. The Germans’ heaviest attacks occurred at .vtta /ilia and Abeanolla, which were Biturted on high ground opposite the sout lern end or tno front. The Allies who held both places had to give them up a order to straighten their line. I le Algiers radio later in the evening, quoting reports just received from itaiy, said: “ The Germans south of ~a;er.m are launching attack after ; ttac *c- Many German tanks have been i.estrqyeu. ” Later still the Algiers iucuo quoted a Headquarters spokesman *•3 saying that the American troops uaii oeeu able to shorten their lines *u l reinforce their positions. The! o.u«,*c-rcnt was fluctuating.