Evening star., 1943-09-10
Last 9Th Army Attack
Carried Out After
Italian Surrender
BY DANIEL DEUCE.

Associated Press War Correspondent.
SOUTH OF PIZZO, Italy, Sept. 8
tDelayed Landing from the sea in
the half-moon Bay of Pizzo and
fighting throughout the day to con-
solidate their beachhead II miles
behind the Axis front, the British
9Th Army carried out the last Of
fensive operation against the Italian
Army today not knowing the world
was celebrating Italy's unconditional
surrender.
While London and Washington
were telling the world of the Italian
capitulation, game companies OF
khaki-clad troops were having a hot
fight against superior enemy forces
and our dead lie now. in heroic
sleep, beneath dusty blankets, tor
their comrades have not had time
yet to dig their graves in alien SOIL
Even now orange flashes stab the
horizon where British warships arc
carrying bombardment of distant
enemy coastal batteries.
Today's amphibious attack. which
gained Cape5 Vaticano and Cozzo
end the prosperous towns of Mileto
and Vibo Valentia, may seem in his
torical perspective to have been of
military irrevelancy but it lived up
the the highest standards of COM
mando courage.
Grenade Blasts Nazi Vehicle.
The desperate German guard,
fearful of being bottled up in the IT.
mile stretch between Mesina and
Angitola Rivers, nearly smashed the
small Pizzo bridgehead before their
counterattack was broken up.
Three German motorized units
struck at the British flonk but we'll
directed grenade exploded inside the
lead vehicle, killing all the occupants.
The other armored cars stopped,
withdrew and the entire German
force behind them turned and dash
ed toward the interior.
The British commandos continued
inland but failed to contact the Ger
mans again.
At one point 200 Italian officers
and men. waving Soiled white linen
came out of tunnel and surrend-
cred
Since the morning of the invasion
of Italy, our party of four Allied
war correspondents has tended to
become rather blase about demon
strations of native good will, but this
afternoons greetings to our troops
touched new high in warmness.
Greeted Effusively.
Previously, we agreed on the
formula taken by the Italian public
in reaction to the occupation
The first day, vivas and free
wine; the second day, demands for
food; the third day, boredom and
requests for chocolate
AS we drove into Vibo Valentia, we
still didn't know the war was ended |
with the Italian government, but the
ELUSIVE displays of relief and affec-
ton by the farmers and townsfolk
in Mileto, San Costatino and other |
minor settlements convinced us of |
the rising tide of Italian friendship
as never before.
These people didn't know any |
more than we did that Italy was
formally out of the war, but OBJ
viously they felt this fact in their
hearts.
Mothers with infants nursing at
their breasts; white-haired toothless
grand parents; young boys and girls
seemed to go wild with joy at the
sight of our troops.
Met by Bankers Nephew.
The commandos started with a
well-6ressed civilian youth appeared |
from a farmyard waving small |
American flag. He said he was the |
nephew of Amadeo Giannini, Cali |
fornia banking magnate.
tPoors register Of directors and
executives listed an Amadeo P.
Giannini as chairman of the
board and director of the Bank
of America National Trust IL
Savings Association of San Fran
cisco)
MY two brothers live in San
Francisco" the youth said. Il am
en- ally of America and Britain"
He insisted on accompanying a
commando patrol which was placed |
on guard along the southern ap-
proaches to Pizzo and which mined
the road-just in case.