The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-08-24

Bombed

CONTINUED from Page u
the glow of dawn and aerial flares,
the Wellingtons laid string after
string of bombs across the Bagnoli
yards, blowing up rolling stock and
rail installations. Crewmen report
ed a great many" hits in the con-
centrated assault which caught the
defenses flat-footed.
Mitchells Found Nothing
The Mitchells found nothing over
Battipaglio to contend with but in
tense anti-aircraft fire. Their es-
corting Warhawks and ABS invad-
ers had nothing to do while the
Bombardiers planted their explosives
In the middle OF the yards, amidst
warehouses along the tracks, and
on the main line west of the yards.
An official announcement re-
vealed that the North African cam
paign has cost the Axis about 1000
planes since last November 8. The
figure included 1888 destroyed IN
aerial combat and about 1,700 seized
on captured airdromes In Tunisia,
Pantelleria, and Sicily.
The northwest African Air Force
also was credited with sinking ITO
Axis ships of all types totaling 170,-
400 tons since November 8. The
statistics ran through August 10.
While medium bombers from the
Northwest African Air Forces ripped
up tracks and fired railways cars
and installations at Battipaglia, 40
miles southeast of Naples, yesterday,
American four-engined Liberators
from Middle-Eastern bases dropped
a crushing weight of explosives on
Bari in southeastern Italy.
Twin-engined Wellington heavy
bombers from the Northwest African
Air Forces rounded out a day Of
heavy blows at communications with
a night attack on railway targets at
Bagnoli in the suburbs of Naples.
Battipaglia is the junction for the
italian west coast railway and an
important line running east to Met
aponto on the Gulf Of laramie, Is
miles west of the Tanarto naval
base. Bari Is the junction for the
east coast railway and line rum
ing almost due south to laramie.
American and British warships
buttressed the aerial offensive with
bombardments of the western and
southern coasts Of Italy and swept
adjacent waters clear Of Axis ship
ping.
Praise From Cunningham
Admiral Sir Andrew Browne Cum
ningham, commander Of Allied naval
forces in the Mediterranean, sent a
message of congratulations to Amer
lean military and naval forces on
what he called model of effective
application of sea power in support
of land operations" during the final
stage of the American drive along
the Sicilian north coast to Messina.
He also praised the splendid and
rapid advance" of the U. s. Seventh
Army.
The Northwest African medium
bombers covered the Battipaglia
railway yards with bombs yesterday,
a communique announced. Though
119 intercepting Axis aircraft were
shot down In raids on similar tar
gets during the previous four days,
the raiders met no fighter opposition
yesterday.
Swarms Of Fighters
SWarms of fighters took to the
air against American Liberators
from the Middle East during their
raid on Bari, however, and IA were
shot down without loss. Huge f1res
were started In the railway yards
and bomb bursts were observed
among hangers at a nearby air
drome, but clouds prevented detailed
observation. =. -,
British Wellingtons form the Mid
dle-Eastern command bombed Ger
man barracks at Lindo on Rhodes
island in the Dodecanese In a sub
sidiary raid yesterday, also without
loss. Explosions were reported.
Axis planes attacked the northern
Sicilian port of Palermo, where Ger
man and italian broadcasts have
reported Allied forces preparing for
further invasions, Sunday night.
-Four bombers were shot down.
Can Italian communique claimed
German bombers hit II merchant
ships and three warships at Paler-
mo-
Allied fighter-bombers extended
their offensive to southern Sardinia
Yesterday, where they scored hits on
enemy barracks and factories near
Carliari. No opposition was en-
countered.