TOE OF ITALY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 208, 3 September 1943, Page 5

TOE OF ITALY

UNDER BOMBARDMENT BRITISH BATTLESHIPS <By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright') Recd. 7 p.m. London, Sept. 1. Two of Britain’s biggest battleships, the Rodney and the Nelson, with a screen of cruisers an 1 destroyers, sailed up the Straits of Messina in broad daylight yesterday and shelled enemy batteries in the toe of Italy. A correspondent at Allied headquarters says that the battleships swept up the straits and. shelled the shore batteries on the Italian mainland in one of the greatest naval bombardments of the war. Their 16-inch guns poured armour-piercing and high-explosive shells into what was once the mainland terminus of the Messina ferry at Reggio. The roar of the bombardment could be heard for miles, and clouds of dust could be seen mingling with the smoke from exploding enemy ammunition dumps. The reply from the Italian shore batteries was ineffective, and no enemy aircraft opposed the warships. Other warships, with a cruiser and eight destroyers, engaged enemy batteries in the Cape Pellaro area, south of Reggio. ATTACKS FROM THE AIR VARIOUS ITALIAN TARGETS Reed. 6 p.m, London, Sept. 1. To-day’s air communique from Allied headquarters, North Africa, says that heavy bombers of the Northwest African Air Force struck yesterday at targets at Pisa, near Florence, north of Rome. There were large explosions, and many fires in the railway yards and in an aircraft factory. Naval yards were again attacked last night. Important railway communications in the toe and foot of Italy were attacked by medium bombers, which also attacked an important railway junction. Our fighterbombers attacked railway targets in the Bay of Naples. Six enemy aircraft were shot down during these operations. Two of ours are missing. Liberator bombers of the United States Army Air Force based in the Middle East joined in the assault on Italian rail communications with a heavy attack in daylight yesterday on Pescara, on the east coast opposite Rome. The marshalling yards were well covered with bomb bursts, and hits were scored on a railway station and a railway bridge. Ten intercepting enemy fighters were shot down. R.A.F. Beaufighters damaged a merchantman off the west coast of Greece. A Rome communique says that Allied planes yesterday bombed Pisa. Pescara. Salerno, Cosenza, and Catanzaro, and caused considerable damage any many civilian casualties. NOT TO BE MISTAKEN DISINTEGRATION OF ITALY Recd. 6.30 p.m. London, Sept. 1. The diplomatic correspondent oi The Times writes that the definite political news from Italy which all await has not yet arrived, but that there is no mistaking the extent of the disintegration within Italy and the sapping of the Italian, will lo continue the fight.