DEFENSIVE RING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 September 1943, Page 4

DEFENSIVE RING

FORMED BY THE GERMANS ROUND NAPLES FIGHTING IN CITY BETWEEN ITALIANS & INVADERS. MANY EXECUTIONS BY NAZIS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, September 22. “The Germans are forming a defensive ring around Naples,” says the “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent at Allied Headquarters. Blasted from their bridgehead south of Salerpo, and pivoting back on the hills north and north-east of that port, their new line will face south, instead of west. They are now busy digging in and blocking the approaches to Naples. “Large fires and demolitions continue in the city, which is covered by a pall of smoke, indicating that Marshal Kesselring is not prepared to allow it to fall into Allied hands intact, if his army cannot hold our troops in their northward drive. Reports from neutral sources say that severe fighting is taking place in 'Naples between German and Italian 1 troops. Many Italian officers and soldiers have been executed. The Germans are reported to have executed General Gonzaga, Italian commander of coast defences on the Gulf of Salerno, for non-co-operation with the German forces.” ADRIATIC COAST GERMANS BEING DRIVEN NORTH. (Received This Day, 12.50 p.m.) A British United Press correspondent says there is little information of the fighting in what is called the Taranto area, though it is known that a stiff, but small-scale engagement is going on somewhere north of Potenza, possibly in the Altamura area.

Reuter’s correspondent at Allied Headquarters says British forces took Sanipriano and Americans took Campalna, Montecorvina and Ravella. When the Fifth Army landed on the Salerno beach-head, the British allotted the northern zone to the Americans and the southern sector to the British, who captured Salerno town and the mountain passes to the northward and north-eastward. The American sector saw some of the 1 bloodiest fighting before the bridgehead was firmly established. Salerno plain today is cleared of the enemy, but is littered with tanks and guns. Heavy casualties have been inflicted on the Germans and large numbers of prisoners have been taken. A fair percentage of the prisoners are non-Germans. They are levies from controlled countries indicating a shortage of German manpower. News from the Adriatic coast sector comes from a British United Press correspondent, who says the Germans who are holding positions somewhere north of Bari have been sending down armoured patrols to probe the strength of our advancing forces. As we advanced they became less curious. The Germans are moving back so fast that they have no time for demolitions. As a result our troops are rolling oyer bridges which they expected to find blown up. ARMY POSITIONS NOW MORE CLEARLY DEFINED. THE VALUE OF POTENZA. (Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, September 22. Front line news from Italy this evening, supplementing an Algiers communique, enables a clearer view of the pattern of operations in which the Fifth and Eighth Armies are engaged. These are now shown to stretch from north of Salerno almost straight across Southern Italy to the opposite coast. The Eighth Army “reappeared” with the capture of Potenza, which is almost in the centre of the southern Italian mainland, and is one of its most vital communication centres The capture of the town greatly increases the mobility of the main body of the Eighth Army, still coming up from the south. Potenza is practically in line with Campagn,. one of the places in the Salerno area the Fifth Army has captured. Campagna lies a few miles north-west of Buccino.

The Berlin radio’s commentator, Captain Sertorius, tonight said the bulk of General Montgomery’s forces were on the line Buccino-Potenza-Altamura. It is known that the Eighth Army is advancing north along the east coast road. The British United Press correspondent at Allied headquarters says an Allied patrol which stowed away on an Italian train and rode most of the way' to Potenza, played an important part in the fall of the town. The patrol jumped off when the train moved into the hills overlooking Potenza. For four days the patrol watched the Germans and reported back to the Eighth Army. It also had a grandstand view of the Allied bombing of the town. Finally theii’ information enabled the town to be taken with minimum trouble.

TIMELY ACTION

OCCUPATION OF ISLANDS. (Received This Day, 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, September 22. The story is told of how the occupation of the Dodecanese Islands of Kos and Loros began when a single R.A.F. plane landed on the main aerodrome at Kos, shortly after the Italian armistice, in order to examine conditions. South African Air Force Spitfires next day arrived at the same aerodrome and were greeted by an Italian Air Force officei’ and several Italian Army officers. Then, at night time, by the light of a full moon, transport planes dropped paratroops. Hundreds of islanders, awakened by the noise, rushed out, welcomed the paratroops, helped them to repack their parachutes, and carried their equipment to the nearest Italian garrison. The Luftwaffe arrived at dawn and began low-flying attacks. Eleven German planes have been shot down since then.