FIERCE FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 September 1943, Page 4

FIERCE FIGHTING

FIFTH ARMY ATTACKING GERMANS IN HILLS BEHIND SALERNO. EIGHTH ARMY PUSHING NORTH. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.35 p.m.) LONDON, September 13. The Fifth Army is stiil locked in desperate fighting against the Germans near Salerno, while the Eighth Army, in Calabria, is making a steady advance, as General Montgomery is doing his utmost to link up the two Allied armies with all possible speed. Reuter’s correspondent says the Fifth Army is battling against a determined enemy, who is entrenched in strong positions in the hills behind Salerno. The battle is a series of grim attacks and counter-attacks and the fighting is much more severe than after the landings in Sicily and North Africa. The Germans have made a series of coun-ter-attacks with tanks in the past 48 hours, all of which were beaten off. Allied armoured forces have also landed, but there have been no reports yet of armoured clashes. The Eighth Army has covered about 70 miles in the past three 1 days and is now a little over 100 miles from the Fifth Army. The Eighth Army is now in the mountainous instep of Italy, where its progress may be delayed by the difficult country and continuous demolitions. There are now no Germans south of a line running due west across the base of the toe of Italy, from Cotrone to the west coast of Calabria. The whole Apulian Peninsula, comprising the heel of Italy,, is also in our hands. Altamai a, which has been captured by the Allies, is an important road junction, where the route from Bari joins the highway from Taranto to Salerno. Crack German troops are desperately resisting the Allies about two miles north of Salerno, says an American broadcast from Algiers. We are using Salerno Harbour, which is under fire from German artillery. In the toe of Italy the Germans are evacuating part of their forces by ail. According to the Berlin radio, three Allied divisions, pushing inland over 10 miles from the coast, south of Salerno, are battering against German forces blocking the road to Potenza, in the centre of the mainland. They reached Eboli, 16 miles from Salerno, where heavy fighting was going on after attacks northward, towards Naples, had failed. A British United Press correspondent points out that these reports, if true, indicate that the Allies are moving i across the ankle of Italy, probably in- ' tending to cut off the whole foot. * The Algiers radio announced today £ that the Allies are now in possession ’ of ten large aerodromes in Southern i Italy, including Grottaglie and Lecce. . Allied planes are still effectively pre- ■ venting large-scale enemy air interference with out land operations. Reports i from Allied Headquarters state R.A.F. •’ Spitfires and American Lightnings yesterday Uroke up two of the enemy s . biggest efforts to attack our bridge'heads. Ninety to 100 enemy fighters >• were encountered throughout the day. Our planes, on the other hand, took a i heavy toll of enemy transport. Invaders, sweeping low over roads in the j Salerno area, destroyed or damaged 365 ' enemy lorries. WIPED OUT IMPORTANT JUNCTION EAST OF NAPLES. HEAVY BLOW TO ENEMY. *’’ (Received This Day, 1.10 p.m.) « Z ■ LONDON, September 13. " Reuter’s Algiers correspondent ' “ says R.A.F. Wellingtons, on Saturt s day night wiped out the important Casteinuovo junction, east of Nap- - " les. This is a heavy blow to the u enemy, as the junction was one of the main points- through which the Germans were able to move reinforcements for counter-attacks against the Salerno invasion force. The German news agency tonight claimed that the Fifth Army had suffered a big reverse in. the Salerno battle, and asserted that at least one American division had been wiped out, over 2,000 Americans taken prisoner, and more than 60 tanks, captured. There are now 41 Italian warships in Allied ports, including 39 at Malta. ' Further 'units are expected. Reuter’s Valetta correspondent reports that fopr Italian submarines and a 5,000-ton merchantman arrived today. A Madrid message says two Italian * destroyers left Majorca, but five other warships, comprising a cruiser, de- : stroyers and gunboats, have been interned for overstaying the 24 hours for - which they had permission to enter harbour.