Evening star., 1943-09-21
Italy
Continued From First Page

ing eloquent testimony of the devas-
tating effect of incessant Allied air
attacks on retreating German
columns.
Cairo headquarters, reporting the
bombing of Venice, said one explo-
sion caused there was followed by a
column of smoke 5000 feet high, but
the full results of the attack were
obscured by clouds.
Liberators based on the Middle
East also hit railway yards and
bridge approaches at the Adriatic
port of Pescara.
Most of Corsica's Italian garrison
OF about 10000 men has Joined ma
tive guerrillas and French troops
landed from fast French warships
In a fight to wipe out the German
forces on the island, an official an
nouncement said.
Submarine Makes First Visit.
The announcement, issued by the
Allied naval command, declared
that French destroyers of the latest
design, which are among the world S
fastest warcraft, had dashed into
Ajaccio harbor with troops and sup
plies after first visit was paid by
a French submarine. This subma-
rine Joined the French navy after a
daring flight from a French port
last November.
Some nights after the first opera
ton at Ajaccio the same warships
made a second fast trip to the har-
bor with more men, guns and other
equipment. At the time, the naval
announcement said, there were be-
lieved to be some $4,000 Germans
on the island east of line drawn
from Bastia to Bonfacio. With them
had Joined an Italian Fascist regi-
ment."
The Corsican patriots already
were waging an effective guerrilla
campaign in the mountains, with
one group capturing 1875 Germans in
a single day.
On both the first and second swift
runs which brought them into Ajac-
clio in the middle of the night. the
French warships were spotted by
enemy reconnaissance aircraft. but
they succeeded in escaping attack.
Wildly Cheered at Docks.
When the ships arrived and the
wildly enthusiastic Corsicans gath
cred on the docks to stage a cele-
bration as French Moroccan troops
disembarked, fires were still blazing
on the hillsides. They were started
by German planes which on the pre-
ceding day sought to fire Italian
ammunition dumps.
The first French invasion move
went through without a hitch. Off
cial sources failed to disclose imme-
diately whether the Germans on the
island, among whom were members
of the Nazi garrison who fled from
Sardinia to escape the pursuing
Italians, were still resisting the
French troops and patriots.
tFlrst announcement of the
landing in Corsica by some of the
French forces which took part in
the Tunisian campaign was made
last night in terse cammunioue
issued by Gen. Henri Giraud. He
said only that the fighting had
taken a favorable turn
Meanwhile the Northwest African
Air Forces concentrated their at
tention yesterday on the Salerno
battle area and without opposition
practically wiped out large convoy
OF enemy motor vehicles.
Fifty gasoline and oil laden trucks
travelling west of Potenza were
bombed and strafed and when
fighter bombers pulled away 80 big
tank trucks were aflre and others
were damaged Other motor trans
port also was attacked and the days
bag was 81 destroyed and as many
damaged.
Bombers attacked roads and rail-
ways within short distance of the
front and once again not a single
German aircraft came up to try to
stop them.
American Flying Fortresses hit
the railway yards at Tore Annun-
ziata, the tracks south of Pompeii
and three roads south of Sarno.
Mitchells attacked the road juno
tion at Castelnuovo, and Ameri-
can Marauders successfully raided
the bottleneck between two rail-
way yards at Formia, hating south
bound traffic.
Fires Are Started
The night before, in the face of
bad weather, RAF Bostons started
fires, hit roads and railway juno
tons close to the battle area. Yes
terday Mitchells bombed Avellino
and Calabritto in the rear of the
battle front A large explosion took
place at the Avellino road junction.
United States African Air Power In
vsaers knocked cut some gun posi-
tons.
Last night Raj and RCAF We'll
lingtons bombed roads and rail-
way yards in Benevento.
There were no losses in yester-
days raids, and since there was no
opposition no German planes were
shot down.
Pound Supply Lines.
In the Naples area unescorted
Fortresses continued to pound Ger
man supply lines with an attack
on communications at Sarno and
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