ALLIES LAND IN ITALY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 57, 4 September 1943, Page 7

ALLIES LAND IN ITALY

British and Canadian Troops

"OFF WITH A GOOD START"

» (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, September 3. Allied headquarters in North Africa announces that the Eighth Army has landed in southern Italy from Sicily. 1 A special communique from the Allied headquarters this morning said: "Allied forces under the command of General Eisenhower have continued their advance. British and Canadian troops of the Eighth Army, supported by the Allied sea and air power, attaoked across the Straits of Messina early today and. landed on the Italian mainland." . ■ ■ ■• " , , The Algiers correspondent of the National Broadcasting Corporation reports that the landing occurred at 4.80 a.m. on beaches opposite the town of Messina, in the north-eastern tip of Sicily. "

The Columbia Broadcasting System's Algiers correspondent says: "The,landings are a continuation of the previous campaign; this is not the start of a new campaign. It is.expected that the resistance will be heavy, but indications are that we are off with a good start. _ "The landings were made in darkness. Before the mam assault forces went ashore a number of smaller reconnaissance landings were made to pave the way. These small amphibious operations, which were carried out night after night, set the enemy off balance for the main attack, and secured valuable information regardinghis dispositions. They also knocked out some of the coastal defences. "Bitter fighting is reported to be in progress. The Germans have done most of the initial fighting.' *