FOGGIA CAPTURED BY EIGHTH ARMY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 September 1943, Page 3

FOGGIA CAPTURED BY EIGHTH ARMY

Considerable Losses inflicted on Enemy FURTHER GROUND GAINED ALSO IN ADVANCE ON NAPLES AND BY FRENCH FORCES IN CORSICA LONDON, September 28. The capture of Foggia by the Eighth Army is the highlight of today’s news of the Italian campaign. Strategically the capture is of great importance as the numerous airfields around Foggia were a key base for the Luftwaffe in Italy. These airfields will now be of great value and importance to the Allies. They are advantageously placed as bases for air attacks on the enemy in the Balkans as well as in and beyond Northern Italy. The Germans attempted to hold up the British advance on Foggia, but the Eighth Army broke through and its troops entered Foggia yesterday afternoon. The enemy suffered considerable losses. Further inland, in the mountains which separate the east and west coast, the Eighth Army advanced something like 20 miles yesterday in the face of stiff rearguard opposition. The Fifth Army also gained more ground and captured a town 50 miles east of Naples. South of Naples, British troops of the Fifth Army are still fighting hard to smash through the German defences covering the Naples plain. Bad weather yesterday hindered air operations over Italy. In Corsica the enemy has evacuated a place 20 miles south of Bastia. The Germans now hold a strip 40 miles long and varying from a few miles to about 20 miles in width. The enemy is making great use of mines and demolitions. French troops, assisted by patriot forces, are adopting commando tactics very successfully.