Evening star., 1943-11-08
ItoIy
Australian BomberS Lead
Continued From First Page.)


advance.
Australian Bombers Lead
Co-ordinating air assault with the
Idestroyers' bombardment of Durazzo,
Allied bombers attacked the Yugo-
slav harbor of Split and bombed
Ulcinj on the coast south of Bar, in
/ Southern Yugoslavia. and north of
the Northern Albanian port of San
Giovanni dl Medua.
Australian Kittyhawk fighter
bombers led the onslaught. They
caught a mediums sized enemy ship
with steam up in the south harbor
of Split and left it sinking and
/ smoking from three bomb hits.
In a second mission, the same
KittyhaWk squadron hit the jettv in
the north harbor Of Spit and soon
huge fire covered a full acre of
the dock area. The drydock also
was bombed and a merchant vessel
in the north harbor was hit.
In a sweep up the Eastern Italian
coast, medium bomberS attacked the
harbor at Ancona.
Meanwhile, medium and light
bombers and fighter -bombers and
fighters ranged over the land battle
area, hitting gun positions, rail
communications, road functions and
troop concentrations. One aircraft
was missing from all operations re-
ported.
South African Flyers Help.
Advance air headquarters officially
described the Australian attack as
"a model of accuracy" South Afri-
can Spitfires joined in the operations
over Yugoslavia, shooting up and
destroying a train and two cars on
a railway north of Dubrovnik.
At least Is motor vehicles were
destroyed and 13 damaged as Amer
lean Warhawks, A-20 Bostons and
ABS Invaders roamed Italian skies
behind the enemy lines. They sight
ed total of about "a planes over
the battle area during the day, but
no combats were reported. Three
missions bombed enemy positions
in the vicinity Of Casino.
The fall of 50 towns and villages
to the victorious Allied warriors
along the length of the battle line
IN a single day was announced YES
terday as a climax to a year of war
since the Allied landings in French
North Africa.
Trigno FOOthclds Cleared.
Driving hard along a 19-mile front
on the right flank Gen Mont
gomery's British and Canadians
blasted the Germans from virtually
the last of their Trigno River foot
holds and cleared most of the area
back to the lateral highway running
southwest from Vasto on the coast |
to inland Isernia.
At the point of deepest penetra-
ton the 9th Army plunge had car
rled to Furci, 10 miles southwest of |.
captured Vasto and 6 miles north |
of the Trigno.
"a Berlin broadcast last night
announcing the evacuation of
Agnone, Carovilli and Forli-all
IN wedge shaped area 16 miles
north and northeast of Isernia-
indicated the 9th had carved a
further deep chunk out of the
center Of the line.)
Yesterdays Allied communicate
said American troops of Gen. Clark s
5th Army had knocked the enemy
from strategic heights rising to $500
feet on each side of Mignano and
had captured Gallucio to the south
west.
Nazi Position Outf1anked.
From there, the Americans were
in position for a sweep up the Via
Casllina along the broad valley
leading to Casino and Rome, at the
same time outfanking the Aurunci
Mountain range on which the Ger
mans had intended to base a new
defensive line.
The Nazis, possibly realizing their
dancer, threw another division
against the 5th Army front. Six
now are pitted against the 5tn Army
ard three against the 9Th.
From the hills beyond Mignano,
open country extends Is miles west
and northwest. Through this valley
flow the headWaters of the Garigli-
ano River as we'll as a long tributary
the Liri River, which comes from
the direction of Rome.
Speaking on a round robin NBC
program broadcast last night from
London, Algiers and Washington on
the eve Of the first anniversary OF
the American and British landings
in North Africa. 1t. Gen. Jacob L.
Devers, United States commander of
the European theater of operations,
declared that before us now lies the
main assault for which we are MATS
ng manpowcr md equipment
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Allied
commander in chief in the Mediter-
'aneal, promised to continue to in
3rease the fury of our blows at the
enemy" if the people of the United
Nations would continue "to produce
more and more effectively
Secretary of War Stimson praised