Evening star., 1943-09-14
j. ). Bombers Blast
Railways and Roads
In Pompeii Section
British and Cunodion
Planes Also Attack
Nozi Supply Lines
By the Associated Press.

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, Sept. 14.-The
area of Pompeii, known for its
destruction in 79 AID. by volcanic
Mount Vesuvius, was subjected
to devastation yesterday when
large flights of American me-
dium bombers heavily raided
railway and road functions over
which the Germans were supply
ing their troops. British and
Canadian bombers continued the
attack last night.
The historic Pompeii area was only
one of many districts in the vicinity
OF Naples under heavy bombardnient
as the Northwest African Air Force
continued its effort to cut off all
avenues of reinforcement and sup
ply of the German tank divisions
locked in battle with the American
5th Army at Salerno.
American and British fighters
patrolling the skies above the Sa.
lerno beachheads shot down 10 out
OF approximately 120 enemy aircraft,
mostly Messerschmitt and Focke-
Wulf fighter bombers and Dornier
medium bombers.
The pilots of American A-36 In
vader dive bombers, which switched
Tor the moment to fighter roles to
bag six of the victims, reported that
the German flyers seemed very in
experienced"
Other Sections Raided.
A third field of major activity of
Allied planes was continuous day
and night pounding of roads and
motor conveys in a 10O-mile area
between the Salerno battlefields and
the toe of Italy, where the British
9th Army was moving northward.
Invader dive bombers knocked out
at least 80 enemy vehicles, damaged
at least Is more and blocked the
roads at several points, notably
north OF Liveto, where ten 500
pound bombs were concentrated to
wipe out the entire roadway.
American B-26 Marauders and B.
25 Mitchells flew without escort to
smash the important highway and
rail functions at Pompeii. IL miles
southeast of Naples, and the rail
junction at Tore Annunziata with
many direct bomb hits.
The Mitchells reported the road
northwest of the Pompeii junction
and the railroad siding hard hit
while strings of bombs pockmarked
two roads southeast of the junction.
The Marauders planted bombs in
the railroad yards where a large
explosion resulted.
Fortresses Bomb Bridges.
Flying Fortresses famed out to
bomb highway intersections and
bridges at Sala Consilina, so miles
southwest of Salerno, and to cut the
costal highway at Tore del Greco,
just south of Naples, with a con-
centration of high explosives.
At Tore del Greco, a double wave
of Fortresses hit both the main
iooQo, dllu Vic lOWeT coastal ROAD
was severed. The second wave con-
centrated on the junction and
bridges running parallel and north
ward to the coast. It's attack, the
official report said, completely
blocked" the highway with craters
and debris
At Sala Consilina and the nearby
junction at Atena, the Fortresses
claimed hits on highway bridge
and rail lines.
Large forces of Raj and RCAF
Wellingtons strewed bombs along a
Smile stretch of highway near
Pompeii last night.
Photo reconnaissance, meanwhile,
showed more than go direct hits
were scored by the Wellingtons in
night raid Sunday on the road
| junction at Castelnuovo, 80 miles
east of Salerno. and the official
statement added, Roads to the
north, south and east have been
totally destroyed along a stretch of
about $50 yards, while the road to
| the west is blocked