Evening star., 1943-11-10
Heavy Casualties
Inflicted on Foe;
War Plants Blasted
Yy the Associated pres.

ALLIED HEADQUARTER
AlgierS, Nov 10-German troop!
lashed out in nine furious coun-
terattacks in the last "a hours
against American soldiers press
ing in the Venafro area against
the core of the greatly reinforced
Nazi winter line, it was an
nounced today, but all were
thrown back, with United States
artillery and infantry fire taking
a heavy toll.
In a sharp new blow at Nazi war
production, American Liberators
battered the ball-bearing works at
Vlllar Perosa southwest of Turin
the last Italian source of vital bear
ings-and Flying Fortresses bombed
the Ansaldo steel works, docks and
railways at Genoa, Italys leading
port.
The Germans charging in the
Nenafro area tried vainly to hurl
the Americans into the craggy
ravlnes of the upper Volturno River.
Nael resistance stubborn.
Enemy resistance was almost
equally stubborn along the entire
line, but the 9Th Army to the east
further consolidated its positions on
high ground overlooking the San
gro River and inland seized two i'm
portant areas, including the towns
OF Castiglione and Forli, in gains of
over four miles
The Germans launched a heavy
counterattack at Calabritto on part
Of the 5th Army front held by Brit
ish forces, but this, too, was re-
pulsed
These frenzied sallies cost the
Nazis heavily in casualties and pris-
oners captured, Allied headquarters
announced. American artillery
backing up the infantry in the Ven
afro area poured shells into enemy
ranks by day and night in barrages
whose detonations echoed through
the valleys and whose shells ripped
up the mountainsides.
Told to Hold for Eight Weeks.
Captured enemy documents con-
firmed prisoners stories that the
Germans had chosen their present
front as a winter line" and that
the enemy command had ordered
the line to be held at all costs for
"at least eight weeks"
Allied patrols probed the stout
German line.
Besides throwing in many more
troops supported by heavy artil-
lery concentrations and tanks ready
for disruptive sorties, the Germans
have cut many machine gun en-
placements in mountainside rocks.
(Today's German communique
said Allied attacks near Mignano
and Venafro had been repulsed
with heavy losses. A bombing
raid on Naples caused severe
damage to ships and docks, it
added
The 9th Army advances to Cas-
.iglione, Carovilli and Forli put the
lateral road inland from Vasto un-
der Allied control Advancing to
Forli British forces crossed the VAN
dra River on the Volturno's head
waters. They encountered As major
demolitions in their drive. and big
fires were seen in Castel di Sangro
and Rionero, still German-held.
Dozen Other Villages Taken.
The advance took more than a
dozen other villages, including
Macerona, Vallepiccola, Roccasicura,
Montalto, Monticello and Sebiana
The blow upon the Villar Perosa
ball-wearing works by 18th Air
Force Liberators came a day after
Flying Fortresses had wrecked SIM
liar works in the nearby Fiat fac
tories in Turin.
There was no Official announce
ment on the damage at Villar
Perosa, but the Fortress raid on
Genoa was reported successful.
With snow falling over the Apen-
mines and low clouds preventing
flying over the 9th Army front in
Italy, sWarms of Allied fighters ano
fighter -bombers crossed the Adri-
attic to support Balkan guerrillas
RAF Spitflres fired small ship
off Saseno Island near the Albanian
coast, shot up radio stations ano
gun positions near Durazzo ano
strafed five enemy tanks dug in fol
gun positions at Kavaje, Albania
RAF Kittyhawks hit medium
sized merchant ship at Split. Yugo-
slavia, and set fire to railway cars
near the docks.
Train Near Rome Blasted.
In Italy, American A-36 Invaders
blew up locomotive and four rail-
way cars near Rome and ham,
mered highway transports, while
o-40 Warhawks bombed bridges
roads and the town of Cerrano
north of Isernia. Last night Wei:
lingtons bombed railway bridges al
PontasSieve, u miles east of Flor
ence Mosquitoes the previous night
fired trains between La Spezia and
Rome.
Two enemy planes were shot
down, against no Allied losses.
An official announcement said &
final tally showed Flying Fortresse:
and Liberators had established 6
new record in this theater by shoot.
ing down 56 enemy fighters in the
big aerial battle over the Messer
schmitt factory at Wiener -Neustad
in Austria November 2. The larges
previous total had been As doWnee
over the Gerbini airfields in Sicil,
in July.
German Puppet Leader