How the Tide Was Turned

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 222, 18 September 1943, Page 5

How the Tide Was Turned

EARLIER ACCOUNTS OF SALERNO OPERATIONS LONDON, Sept. 16. The British United Press reports that when the British and American troops began their advance early this morning the battleships behind them went into action for the first time and the other Allied warships poured out devastating shell fire. Overhead the air forces had softened the enemy positions. The main weight of the drive appears to be the area of the Sele and Colore rivers northwest of Attavilla, where the Germans are retreating before our forces. The Allies have probably launched strong attacks at other parts of the bridgehead. Reuter’s correspondent says that the crisis in the Salerno bridgehead is over and part of the ground lost in the past four days of the German counterattacks has been regained. The Allied air forces yesterday flew 2000 sorties in the Salerno area, making a total of more than 4000 in two successive days. Only four planes were lost. German prisoners captured in the Salerno area say that German troops are asking, 4 ‘Where is the Luftwaffe?” says Reuter’s correspondent.. One prisoner said: “We have hardly seen a German plane in the air for three weeks. We are dog-tired and no humans can stand up to such regular, powerful bombing.” The Berlin radio commentator Sertorius said that the Allied Command, under cover of strong units of the British Navy, had succeeded in landing considerable reinforcements in the past 24 horns. Sertorius added that Allied attempts to ease the situation by landing paratroops behind the German positions at Pompeii failed. All of the troops were wiped out. The Berlin radio admitted that Allied naval forces and air forces were able to put up an umbrella over the Allied troops. “There were moments when the United States Command were ready to give up the action, but after orders from the High Command reinforcements were poured In and fresh efforts were made to hold the bridgehead at any cost.” General Alexander, after visiting Salerno Bay and touring the battlefront with Genera! Clark, described the Allied operations as a magnificent job of work 100 yards from tbe enemy’s guns. OLD RIVALS TO MEET AGAIN While the Germans previously claimed that the Allies had begun an evacuation from Salerno, a German spokesman to-day told the Stockholm newspaper Tidningen’s Berlin correspondent: “The British troops are fighting fiercely and if they can merely retain their foothold the situation may be radically changed. We have every respect for the Eighth Army. Rommel and Montgomery seem to be meeting again. It is not possible to prevent Montgomery’s advance, but weak German forces are trying to delay him.” The Paris radio’s commentator Jean Paquis, said that a tribute must be paid to the courageous Fifth Army for having succeeded in keeping its foothold. The Salerno situation has definitely taken a better turn for the Allies. The United States Secretary for -War (Mr. Stimson), in his review of the war position, described Salerno as one of the most critical battles in the Mediterranean campaign. He declared that there had never been any thought of evacuation, and added that thus far the forces on both sides were evenly matched numerically, hut the Germans had the advantage of interior communication lines, enabling them to bring up reinforcements and supplies more quickly than the Allies could. On the other hand, the British and Americans have definite air superiority, handicapped somewhat because of the considerable distance they have to fly. Mr. Stimson said that heavy opposition was expected. Salerno constituted a risk undertaken deliberately because the prospects of success warranted it. The Allied losses on the Salerno front were heavy. The enemy’s were likewise. The heaviest German attacks had been made against the British portion of the line, but at least one American division met a heavy enemy thrust. GRUELLING EXPERIENCE The Eighth Army has continued its inspiring race to join up with the Fifth Army. Though apparently not encountering opposition, the Eighth Army must be enduring a gruelling experience in a temperature of over llOdeg. The Eighth Army, which has reached Sapri, 25 miles north of Scalea, is within 40 miles of Agropoli, which is the southernmost part of the Allied line in the Salerno area.

Reuter’s war correspondent in a dispatch filed at 4 p.m. yesterday described how he and other correspondents drove across No Man’s Land towards Salerno ahead of the Eighth Army’s vanguard and linked up with an American patrol about 10 miles

south of the main American positions on the Gulf of Salerno.

While anxiously awaiting Genera! Montgomery’s men, the Fifth Army to-day battled fiercely in the Salerno area. The Allied troops drove the Germans from positions northwest of Attavilla and are pursuing the enemy troops withdrawing between tbe Sele and Colore rivers (the Colore runs into the Sele just north of Albanella). The Fifth Army surging inland from the Salerno beaches at dawn to-day smashed through the German defences in the southern sector in its first offensive since the original landings. The Algiers radio to-night declared: “The enemy has been dislodged from several positions and tbe advance, which started northwest of Attavilla, is continuing.”

It is officially announced in Algiers that 28 more units of the Italian fleet have arrived at Palermo. Numerous Italian merchantmen have arrived at Valetta.