The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-09-03

land guns before the first landing boats crammed with helmeted in- fantrymen and sappers crunched onto the beaches.
 American Flying Fortresses, rang ing far out ahead of the fleets, mus tered to support the invasion of Europe, smashed Axis communica- tions at the south end of the Bren- ner Pass bottleneck between Ger many and Italy in what appeared to be a blow aimed at blocking any Nazi reinforcement of the Italian peninsula.
 (First Axis radio reports of the invasion said the Allies had landed on both sides of Reggie Calabria; that the situation cannot be esti- mated" at the moment; and that the landing force was about a di- vision strong)
 Although a dispatch from Eighth Army headquarters in Sicily said that "our first foothold in Europe has been established" spokesman emphasized the difficult nature of the landings and urged against any feeling that the attack would be a walkover.
 The Eighth Army veterans prob- ably will meet more German troops in Italy than they ever have before 8 headquarters commentator said.
 Indicating that some delay might be expected in the issuance of an official account of the invasion, the spokesman said that the next com munique probably would be issued at noon Saturday.
 After Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower had flown to a Sicilian invasion port for final checkup with Mont- gomery and Gen. Sir Harold R. L. G. Alexander, the British and Can- adian troops struck out across the strait and hit the beaches before the mountainous Calbrian area at 4:30 a. m. C10:30 p. m. EWT).
 It was moonless night, and only the stars were alight to the il1- vasion force-"vaSt numbers" of men who had been streaming into the takeoff ports for ten days headed out over sea that had been calm for more than week.
 Practically every man of the battle-tried force had landed on en- emy soil before, and the invasion bargeS and mosquito fleet were same as those that carried the Allied force to Sicily.
 Several hundred Allied planes and Allied guns in northeastern Sicily laid down a pulverizng lombard ment against invasion-market toe yesterday, while Allied cruisers, de- stroyers, monitors, gunboatS and c.her craft joined in the actual crossing of the strait.
 The invasion followed a series of commando raids carried out by units of the Eighth Army over a period of several days. The raids were described today as successful in their two-fold purpose-reconnais- sance and nuisance value.
 The raids were intended to hold any positions. They determined that the area was heavily fortified. indicating thatt he first wave of troops gpilling out of the landing oafbGb mu1b AnfC &Aoh " obtab1 through barbed wire, plllboxes and prepared positions.
 official reports Of the invasion, announced in Q special comInunique credited the land operations entirely to the Eighth Army, making no mention of Lieut.. Gen. George 6, patton,s American seventh Army which teamed with ths Eighth in the conquest cf Sicily.
 Communlque
 The eommunique announcing the landing was Issued at 5;i0 q, IIl., u;i0 a. m EWTl at Allied heads quarters lo Q group Of 70 Anglo. American eQrreGponoon summoned for a special announcement
 It consisted of only two para gFanlas,
 sAllisd forces under the command of General EisenhoWor have cons finned lhelr advance.
 'sIne Brlllnh Eighth Army, mlp- ported hy Aille1 nsn and aiF power. aflaekea across tlla NffMila of Mesr alNa a8FIY fo0aY. IaNaka1 Nn tIG
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