The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-09-04
Three Key Posts Have Already Been Captured
Continued from Page D

Maritius and Orion, the Monitors Erebus, Roberts and Abercrombie, and the destroyers Quillian, Quail and Queensborougg,
 Cunningham On Hand
 Admiral Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham, Allied naval com- mander in the Mediterranean, was aboard a ship in the Straits of Mes sina during the landing.
 ''The first loads were cleared well ahead of the time laid down in the program, and by early afternoon the second flights of craft were moving across the straits with re- Inducements and supplies" the naval communique said. "This work continues"
 The invasion force landed against only weak opposition from the shop defenses, mostly Italian units of coastal divisions.
 A Large number of prisoners were wounded up in the first day of the expedition, most of whom were believed to be Italian.
 GA German communique said German as well aS Italian troops were in action against the invaders)
 The unit which landed at Reggio hit the port from both sides and soon overran its air field south of the city, which was usable by fight CTS.
 Massed British artillery and ma chine guns laid down @ barrage with the added strength of American field artillery batteries-apparently the only United States participation in the ground activity.
 No Navy Challenge
 The Italian navy failed to chal- lenge the landing, and the continu- ous air umbrella provided by Amer ican, British, Canadian and South African planes found practically no opposition. Only five enemy planes were shot down during the day, against loss of one Allied plane.
 Civilians in the occupied area were found as friendly as those in Sic- fly. They lined the roads and streets, waving and cheering as the troops moved up. Airmen over the area saw several farmhouses with white sheets spread on the ground in token of a desire to surrender.
 While the first troops consolidated their bridgehead with the unloading of supplies, ammunition, rationS and equipment, other forces raced in- land where the slopes of the 6,000- | xoona
 Aloft, American Mitchell mediums attacked airdromes in southern Italy, while APO assault planes hit gun positions. Wellington bombers raided air fields at Capua and Saop Di Chino near Naples last night and suffered no loss.
 While the northwest African Air Forces smashed at enemy commit nications and defenses in southern Italy, American liberator bombers from middle-eastern bases ranged far to the north and spread destruc- ton through railway installations at Sulmona, IS miles east of Rome, in daylight yesterday.
 Swarms of axis fighters inter- | CCRVSu tdtE AAbCA0toAos bbe ~ Wt&S shot down. Six allied planes were lost in the Sulmona raid and other unspecified operations of the mid- die-eastern air forces.
 Front dispatches disclosed that battle-hardened British and Cana dian shock troops secured he first allied beachhead on the European continent yesterday virtually with out opposition. Residents Of one area said German troops stationed there had gone north into the hills three days before the invasion.
 4 few artillery salvoes from 6 couple of Italian pillboxes appar- ently were the only ahots fired by the enemy in the Initial stages Of the invasion and the occupants Of the plllboxes soon emerged with hands upFalaed in surrender. Round up Prisoners
 Soon other Italian troops were being rounded np in wholesale patches reminiscent Of the Bicilian campaign. Many came out Of the hills without attempting Fe4lNlanee, ! ready and nnKiogm lo surrender. Xlla iHgaalan heaehaA haa npt