Evening star., 1943-08-30
fortresses Hit 0rte,
Rail Center 40 Miles
From Italian Capital
BY the Associated Press.

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new blows at vital rail targets at
Tore Annunziata on the Bay of
Naples yesterday in the methodi-
cal daily destruction of the
Italian communications system.
At the same time light and me-
dium bombers, divebombers and
fighters ranged far and wide over
the toe of Italy, laying waste the
enemy's gun positions and rail and
road links and encountering only
slight opposition in the area already
reported nearly deserted,
After the heavy pounding by
American B-26 Marauders, Tore
Annunziata railway yards again
were smashed last night by Raj
and Canadian Wellingtons.
20 Enemy Planes Destroyed.
Twenty enemy planes were de-
stroyed in the day and night opera
tions, II of them shot down by
bombers and fighter escort in the
raids on Orte and Tore Annunzi-
alta. Three Allied planes are miss
ing, an Allied headquarters COM
nunique said.
Yesterdays far-reaching air at
tacks followed bombardment of an
enemy artillery battery on the Gala
brian coast near Cape Pellaro Sat-
urday afternoon by British cruiser
and destroyer. The return fire of
the coastal batteries was ineffective.
an Allied naval announcement said.
British Boston and Baltimore
bombers and American BIS Mitch
ellis and P-40 Warhawks participated
in the concerted attacks on the Ital-
ian toe, hitting gun positions near
Reggie Calabria and San Giovanni
on the eastern shore of Messina
Strait, railway functions at Cosenza
and freight yards at La Mezia. A-36
Invaders also scored direct hit on
a temporary bridge over the Angi-
tola River.
Explosions in Freight Yards.
The marauders rained bombs on
large concentration of boxcars in
the Tore Annunziata freight yards
south of Vesuvius, causing a large
explosion and many fires.
The most determined enemy op-
position of the day was encountered
by the Marauders when about so
enemy fighters attacked them.
The FortreSses, which employed
their customary high-level precision
bombing tactics at Arte, hod scant
trouble with the enemy fighters.
Orte, which is one of the i'm
portant points on the Rene Flor
ence rail line, was chosen to receive
its first taste of Fortress bombing
after high-flying American raid
ers on successive days had smashed
at Sulmona, 100 miles east of Rome.
and Terni, 40 miles north of the
italian capital.
Tore Annunziata has been one
of the favorite targets of the cease
less campaign to wipe out Southern
1talys communications. 1t had been
battered on two nights by yelling
tons.
tRome reported in its daily
communique, recorded by the AS
sociated Press, that Orte, Salerno
and Catanzaro had been raided
and that considerable damage
was caused. Seven Allied air.
craft were reported shot down.
Gtalian and German air for
nations attacked Allied naval
units in the port of Augusta. the
communique said, adding that
one oil tanker of 5000 tons was
seen to explode and another of
equal tonnage set afire. An at
tack on an Allied convoy in the
Western Mediterranean by Ger
man bombers was said to have
damaged battieship and cruiser.)
MeSsina Area Undefended.
A complete lack of defensive ac-
ton around the Messina Strait and
deeper inland surprised tactical air
force raiders as they gave the Ca
1abrian coast another concentrated
blasting. One Raj fight leader
declared the area appeared dead
and deserted"
Air force officials, however, were
reluctant to attach any immediate
significance to the lack of fax or
other signs of enemy activity.
Previously, both 6nti-aircraft guns
and artillery had been very active
in that area.
One of the heaviest of the week
end attacks was delivered in day
light Saturday by American Lib
orators from the Middle East
against shipping and rail installa-
tions at Taranto, important naval
base on the Italian heel.
Attacking in two waves, the Lib
orators made a direct hit on a large
cruiser in the harbor and a near
miss on medium sized vessel be-
neVed to be transport. The main
station was hit and a freight train
in the yards was seen to explode.
On the previous night. British
Liberators and Halifaxes from the
Middle East started fires in
chemical works at Crotone on the
sole of the Italian boot and re-
turned without loss.
Saturdays deepest penetration
into Italy was made by Flying
Fortresses Of the North African
Force. They struck briefly at rail-
road yards at Terni, IS miles north
of Rome.
Large numbers of enemy fighters
were encountered by the Fortresses
and also by medium bombers which
attacked many other communica-
tions targets in the Naples area.
Twenty EIGHT were reported shot
down against an Allied loss of eight
planes. Another enemy fighter was
destroyed by the Crotone raiders
friday night
Attacks in the Naples area were
led by Mitchells and Marauders.
which hit the rail yards at Cancello.
about IL miles northeast of Naples.
and at Aversa, Is miles to the north,
and shot up radio installations on
The islands of Ventotene off the
coast,