Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-08
j. 5. Bombers
Blast Nap|esin
Daylight Raid
American Flyers
Also Strike at
Surdinion Bose
BY the Associated Press.

Heavy American bombers
smashed the Naples water front
by daylight yesterday. starting
large fires and scoring hits on
i three ships in the harbor.. The
attack was made In two waves.
Brig. Gen. Patrick w. Timberlake,
chief of the United States Air Force
bomber command in the Middle
East. declared the attack was zone
OF the most successful" yet carried
out by the American air force in this
theater, and was q prologue Of
things to come"
The B-24 Liberators fought their
way in to the target and home
again through heavy anti-aircraft
fire and sti1 enemy fighter opposi-
ton.
AT least two Messerschmitt 100's
were shot down, and one of our air
craft is missing" United States
communique said, issued in Cairo.
The Italian radio said large
damage" was caused.
Also American bombers struck
across the Mediterranean narrows
yesterday afternoon to raid Cagliari,
in Sardinia, while ground activity
on the Tunisian front was limited
to patorls, 1t was announced today
at Allied headquarters in North
Africa.
B-26 Marauders and BIZ Flying
Fortresses, escorted by P-38 Light
nings, made the assault on the i'm
portant enemy base.
Aircraft on the ground was set on
fire and bomb hits were seen on the
airfield, airdrome buildings and on
the seaplane station" the commune
que reported.
Our aircraft were attacked by
.entthy 11th&kts,. 'flve III Which were.
shot down without loss to ourselves"
Last night British Wellington
bombers ssraided other Axis airfields
IN Sardinia.
British Patrols Active.
Allied fighter bombers were re-
ported again to have attacked rail-
way communications in Sicily and
shot down an Axis air transport.
On the Libyan land front, the
Cairo communique said, British pa
trolls were active In all sectors.
Indicating = further advance by
the 9Th Army on the coastal
road, the bulletin reported that
British patrols were in contact with
Marshal Erwin Rommel's forces
west Of Pisidia, which Is only IL
miles from the Tunisian frontier.
Sharp activity also was indicated
further inland, where enemy ar
mcSed cars were reported engaged
and dispersed.
Despite bad weather, the bulletin
said, Allied fighter bombers were
active over the battle front, sweep
ing more than IS miles into Tunisia
to cisperse enemy vehicles near
Ben Gardane.
Nazis Control Passes.
A temporary stalemate in Central
Tunisia was indicated by reports
that British troops were CONSOLE
dating new positions near Djebel
Mansour, 20 miles southwest Of
Pont du Fahs, after Withdrawing
from that strategic height which
they captured last Wednesday.
The British withdrawal left the
Germans in control virtually every
where OF the mountain heights
dominating passes which the Brit
ish and Americans must regain be-
fore they can drive to the sea.
A French government communi-
que last night reported that the
sector of the central front held by
French forces had been quiet yes
terday, although 1t mentioned con-
siderable patrol activity in the
Pincon -Ousseltia region and said a
surprise enemy subsequently,
on small scale-had been repulsed
near Kef- Ell Rhalla.