The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-05
Allies Rush Up Heavy Re- Inducements: Mont.
 gomery to Attack NAPLES ATTACKED
 IN BROAD DAYLIGHT Italian Base Now Within Bombing Range; Is Axis
 Shipping Port
B1 EDWARD ", BEArTIE United Press staff Correspondent

BA NAhD w. DBAA AsE United Press staff Correspondent
 London, December 5. -- (UP) = Allied air forces opened their promised attack on southern Italy with a heavy daylight raid on Naples, chief Axis reinforce ment port for Africa, it was announced today, while the Allied armies in Tunisia rushed up endorsements for a general attack on Tunis and Bizerte.
 Planes of the Middle Eastern Command, probably including United States Flying Fortresses, att tackled docks and other targets as Naples in heavy force in daylight raid yesterday, Cairo communique revealed.
 Mention in the communique, tor the first time tn days, Of patrol Gc- tivity along the Axis Agheila line on the Lihyan coast was accompanied by 0 German radio report that the British Eighth Army apparently was making final preparations for at tack there, in a renewed offensive aimed at driving the Afrika Korps back to Tripon and Tunisia, 4VS miles westward.
 Attacks Promised fes ton Church promised Italy merciless attacks extending to the south from the new Allied positions in North l Africa.
 Heavy bombers based on Britain had attacked Turin Saturday night before the speech, and Sunday night, after 1t, but now the attack on Southern Italy had begun.
 With Genoa closed to shipping, according to reconnaissance reports as the result of attacks on it, Naples had become the chief reinforcement port for the Axis troops in Africa.
 Though apparently the United States Army Flying Fortress of Maj Gen. James H. Doolittle's 18th Air Force in Northwest Africa did not join in the attack, 1t was believed here that they too would soon be blasting Southern Italy.
 New Bases Possible
 The Allied planes had been able to bring Naples within effective range because the Eighth Army had given them new bases by driving westward through Libya to the bulge at Benghazi, 700 air line miles away.
 Naples had been out of range for British-based planes to all purposes because the long flight would have reduced bomb lodas.
 Dispatches from northwest Africa indicated that Lieut.. Gen. Kenneth A. N. Andersons First British Army was now receiving powerful rein- forecments in men. weapons and supplies so that it might soon make its big attack on the Germans and Italians in the Tunis- -Biberte nortk- east corner of Tunisia.
 Counter Attacks Stopped
 Latest reports were that all Ger- man counter r-attacks had been stopped west of Tlris mad that the Allied forces, including about % per cent Americans and some French, were holding dominant hilly posl- tions in the neighborliood of Die. deida. Tebourba and Mateur which Allied leaders were confident they could maintain until the main Al- lied Army moved up fin sufficient strength to opsn a general offen- ; sive
 7 An American-French victory. ir which American parachute troops operating as ground forces aided had gained the Allies the villsgs of Sidi Bou Zid, 75 miles from Sfal on the east coast.
 There had been indications 10 days that strong Allied forces oDer ating toward the east coast misla l. have succeeded in effsctually cutsin communications between the Axl
 forces in the Tunis-Bizerte no n
 east corner and those in Lioya
 Reports that the Allied advance forces were holding good pcs. n
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