The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-09-09
Advance Despite Stiff
Enemy Resistance
CONTINUED from Page u

miles south Of Rome. and the island
Of Sardinia.)
U. 8. Warships
(An italian frontier dispatch re-
ported that American warships an
chored In Genoa harbor late yes
terday and said that the U. s.
Seventh army had landed all along
the italian west coast with the most
important landing occurring at Leg
horn. Hundreds Of American planes
were said to be diving down on Ital-
ian airfields and occupying them
without opposton.)
(The Allied-controlled Tunis radio
was heard by the office Of war In
formation broadcasting that Amer
lean, British and Canadian armies
were Handing" at various points in
the heart Of Italy" The broadcast,
beamed to Italy and in italian, APP
pealed to italian soldiers and civil
ians alike to take vengeance on
the Germans.'D
Other italian frontier reports said
German troops had seized control
Of industrial cities n northern Italy,
as well as Of the sland Of Corsica.
A Stockholm newspaper reported
from the italian border that italian
naval units at Spezia, including
three 35,000-ton battleships, had
sailed for Sicily, presumably to sur
render to the Allies.)
The announcement that American
ground forces had poined the battle
for italy came shortly before Z q.
m. Il a. m. EWTO and consisted Of
only one paragraph: 81
Further Operations
further operations have started
on the italian mainland in the Vi
entity Of Naples"
From other sources 1t was learned
that the landings occurred on
beaches not far south Of Naples,
third largest city In italy with a
pre-war population Of 25,32S, whose
capture could open the way for q
drive across the italian waist that
would cut off German forces still
resisting in the south.
Naples has been softened for in
vasion by upwards Of 100 air raids
that served all railroad communica.
lions with the rest Of Italy and
shattered that further raids on the
city would be futile because 1t al.
ready had been blasted into useless
ness.
The network Of airfields ringing
Naples also had been hammered
systematically by American flying
fortresses and other Allied bombers
until most OF them were unservice-
able.
It was presumed that Allied naval
units and air fleets supported the
landing operations, but the para.
doxical fact that Italy already had
surrendered made the invasion uni
que and pending an Official an
rlouncement or eyewitness reports
there can be no true picture OF what
occurred.
Main Objective
The main objective Of the inva-
sion obviously was to seize Naples
for use as a supply and reinforce
ment port for further operations TO
rout the Germans from Italy and
obtain bases for prosecuting the war
against Germany itself.
Naples lies at the northeastern
corner of the Bay Of Naples and
possible invasion points along the
gulf coast to the south are Por-
tici, Tore Del Greece, Tore
Anunciata and the naval base town
of CaStellammare, while still Tar"
Their south lies the port and railway
junction Of Salerno. 80 miles from
Naples. Naples Is 100 miles south
east Of Rome.
The landing came six days almost
to the hour from the British Eighth
ArInys invasion Of the italian toe.
At last reports, the Eighth Army
still was pushing northeastward,
hampered only German demolttions.
There has been no Italian resistance
and the Germnas have fought IN
no more than patrol actions as they
retreated steadily back along the
Calabrian peninsula.
Only once before In this war have
American troops landed on the Eu"
Topean mainland. A small conttn-
gent Of American rangers-the coun-
terpart Of Britains commandos--
participated In the raid on Dieppe
In August. 1912.
Badogllo's Order
Marshal Badoglio,s order 10 the
Italian armed forces 10 cease op.
position 10 the Allies but 10 resist
all attacks from other quarters
pointed up the possibility that the
Italians soon may be fighting ct
the Hsde Of ngio-Anlerican forces
against he Germans.
II appeared probable that the Ger.
mans would attempt 10 selEe control
OF key points on the Italian maiEl-
land, II only for the purpose Of
slowing Allied progress toward the
southern approaches Of Germany "
self.
A. last reports, MaFshal Albert
KehselFing was IN command og 0eF-
man forces IN italy. believed 10 nulll-
Der between $4,000 70 $4,000. most-
" y TIE northern hall q the
Gn1a4steu