Kesselring Is Avoiding Eighth Army

Northern Advocate, 27 September 1943, Page 3

Kesselring Is Avoiding Eighth Army

(Rec. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 26.

The Fifth and Eighth Armies are meeting sharply contrasting conditions at either end of the Allied line across Southern Italy.

The Eighth Army, which has advanced 300 miles since landing at Reggio, is now swarming on to Foggia Plain, less than 25 miles south of Foggia. Kesselring is still avoiding a battle against General Montgomery’s swiftly moving forces but the Luftwaffe’s evacuation of 12 satellite airfields around the big enemy air base of Foggia may be significant. However, evacuation of these airfields may not mean that Foggia is falling easily The roads across the Appenines branch out from Foggia towards Naples and Rome. There are also other routes northwards.

Possession of Foggia would give the Allies a stranglehold on south-eastern Italian communications.

Possession of the airfields would enable additional valuable air support to be given to the Fifth Army.

Eighth Army Pushing On

The Eighth Army advanced 25 miles yesterday and brushed aside some enemy resistance to enter the Plain of Foggia. The composite ’AngloAmerican Fifth Army at the other end of the Allied line is advancing yard by yard across mountain defiles a few miles north of Salerno. The Fifth Army moving forward on a 25• mile front holds a bottleneck on the read from Nocera to Naples, also keypositions on the mountain road to rsenevento.

Units of Fifth Army captured Cavaditerreni, four miles north-west of Salerno, and advanced another mile and captured Senerchiavalva.

Brenner Bottleneck Attacked

Strong bands of Italian partisans are concentrating attacks against the Brenner Pass railway, says the Zurich correspondent of the Stockholm newspaper “Gagens Nyheter.” This line, which is one of the main routes for the reinforcement of German forces in Italy has been hammered at three points by Flying Fortresses during the week-end says the British United Press Algiers correspondent. The weight of the bomber attacks fell on Bolzano, Verona and Bologna. Verona, which was the scene of the last meeting in Italy between Hitler and Mussolini, is now reported to be Rommel’s headquarters.

Bolzano is a bottleneck in the German communication lines through which the main flow of supplies is passing’. If the line was blocked, even briefly, it would be a heavy blow against Rommel’s chances of holding up the Allied advance.

Adriatic Coast Progress

An Algiers communique states that on the Adriatic coast our troops reached the line of the Ofanto River and the advance continues successfully in the entire area. The towns of Spinazzola and Atella have been captured. The Fifth Army is fighting its way forward through difficult country and the Germans are being forced to give ground slowly. The arrival at the Ofanto River line represents a rapid advance in the direction of the Gulf of Manfredonia. The river joins the sea five miles north-west of Barlatta and 25 miles north-west of Molfetta, the capture of which was reported by Algiers radio last night. Between Barletta and Molfetta lies another important town, Trani.

Spinazzola is the junction where the railway from Barletta meets the line north-west from A'ltamura to Melfi. It is 26 miles south-west of Barletta.

Capture of Atella, some 10 miles south of Melfi, represents a still furadvance from the former position.

Locked in Terrific Struggle

Reuter’s correspondent with the Fifth Army says that the battles in which the Germans were pushed back from the mountain fastnesses verging on Nocera Road, resemble that for Long Stop Hill and other battles for the Tunisian heights.

Transport in many sectors is possible only by pack mules. Well-concealed German artillery and 'mortar positions must be wiped out one by one. Allied bombers are ceaselessly hammering road junctiont and enemy positions before the advancing Fifth Army. The Associated Press says that Americans of the Fifth Army advanced 30 miles in six days. The advance was considerably inland, but the exact line is not revealed for security reasons.

Reports from Axis sources say that the British and Germans are locked in a terrific struggle north-west of Salerno. Allied wars!hip,s again approached the coast supporting land forces with heavy naval guns.

Mussolini’s Appeal

According to Berlin radio, Mussolini, appealing to Italian troops, said: “I know you will gather around me. It is better to meet a glorious end on the battlefield than to live as traitors.” The Republican Fascist Party has issued a decree extending compulsory labour in German-occupied Italy to Italians aged 18 to 23. Lifeless Naples The Eighth Army line in eastern Italy follows the Ofanto River to Canosa. Reuter says the capture of Canosa is not announced, but occupation of the town is implied in an Allied communique reporting that the Eighth Army has reached the river line. Naples is as dead as Pompeii says the British United Press correspondent who flew over the city in a Mitchell bomber. He adds: “The Mitchell came in low over Vesuvius and circled the city, but there Kvas no anti-aircraft fire, and no fighter opposition. There was no sign of traffic or smoke from chimneys, but great clouds of smoke from burning oil refineries south-east of the city.

“Everything in the harbour is flattened either by bombs or German demolition squads, but in the town area there is apparently little damage. There were nine ships in the harbour, three of which were lying on their sides. The other six were listing heavily. “The lack of any signs of life in the city suggests that either the city is evacuated or a curfew has been imposed by the Germans.”