The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-12-07
DOOlittle takes off for Tokyo

airmen hit the island las times in
that month alone.
Late in April, the Tunisian cam
paign rolled into high gear. United
Nations airmen swept the Luftwaffe
from the North African skies,
chopped up Axis communication
lines and cleared a path into vital
T'unis and Bizerte.
Americans Take Attn
In the fog-bound Aleutians,
American forces pulled a big sur
prise on the Japanese. The Navy
by-passed Kiska and on May II
landed troops on Attu Within three
weeks that island was completely
in American hands. Kiska was cut
off from its supply base and was
doomed.
Three days after the Attu inva-
sion, the Axis gave up the fight in
North Africa. An estimated 270,-
444 German and italian troops were
taken prisoner. Enemy dead num-
bered 10000 and wounded 27,OOO.
United aNtions casualties were es-
timated at 10000 dead, wounded
and taken prisoner.
With the end of the North Afri-
can campaign, talk of a second
front became rife. Allied airmen
began a campaign of attrition
against italian held islands in the
Mediterranean. On July II, Pantel-
leria island surrendered. Two days
later, Linose and Lampedusa is
lands had had enough of the Allied
vertical warfare and quit.
At the months end, Allied land,
sea and air forces began their first
major offensive against the jap
anese. Forces under the supreme
command of Macarthur landed in
the Central Solomons, in Woodlark
and Trobriand Islands off New Gui-
nea, and at Nassau Bay, near Sala-
maua. The Japaese air base at
Munda fell into American hands
and by December the U. S. flag flew
over most of the Solomons. Bou-
granville, the last important Solo
mon island and the major barrier
on the road to Rabaul, had been
invaded by American troops.
On July 6, American naval and
air forces in the North Pacific be-
gan the nonstop bombardment of
Kiska in the Aleutians. When
American and Canadian troops
finally landed on the island in early
August, they found the remnants
of the japanese garrison had fled.
Allies Invade Sicily
On July 10, the greatest amphib-
ious force in modern warfare be-
gan the invasion of Sicily. Amer
lean, British and Canadian troops
poured ashore and began a drive
that ended with the island in COM
plete Allied control within six
weeks.
The fall of Sicily brought series
of rapid-fire developments in Italy.
Benito Mussolini was ousted by the
Italians. Italy seethed with strikes
and unrest. Its people had grown
tired of the war and its War-mak-
erS. Marshal Pietro Badoglio took
over the reignS of government and
for a time it appeared that he was
going to continue Italy in the war.
Finally, as British troops landed
on Southern Italy in late August,
Badoglio saw the end coming. He
secretly arranged surrender to the
Allies. And a few days later, on
September 3, came the full-scale in
vasion of Italy. American and Brit
ish troops under command of Lieu
tenant General Mark w. Clark
landed near Salerno. After weeks
of furious battling against rein
forced German armies, Clarks
forces captured Naples. Now they
are driving on Rome.
The Allies had a pretty well I'M
broken chain of victories in the last
year. But the main eIiort is still
to come when Western Europe is
invaded. There is talk in Washing
ton that it may come before next
Spring and that General George G.
Marshall will head the drive.
Right now American and British
airmen based on Britain are smash
ing with increasing fury at Ger
many's industrial centers.
A 10 per cent reduction byb con-