The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-10-01

should break through quickly.
The occupation of Naples gave
the Allied air forces a system Of
excellent fields from which long
range bombers as well as fighters
can operate in great strength in
concert with the aerial campaign
froEn the Great Foggia base across
the peninsula.
Srd City, 2nd Port
Pre-war Naples was 1taly's third
city and second port, In Allied
hands It was--or was expected to
be made speedily--one Of the great
est Mediterranean bases for the
battle Of Europe.
Once the Allied foothold at Nap
les is established, Gen. Dwight D
Eisenhower's men will have FORM
liable springboard for the north
ward march to Rome and beyond.
Naples fell after the Fifth army
had thanked 1t by the capture OF
the Avellino road junction to the
northeast.
Allied shock troops broke down
the last formidable barrier Athwart
the coastal road leading along the
bay to Naples by the capture Of
Tore A1nunziata, II miles from the
city, after O 24-hour artillery bar
rage and bitter fighting IN the
streets.
(The German controlled Paris
radio said the Germans had aban-
doned Naples to the Allies, with
drawing northward. Radio France at
Algiers said the Germans were re-
treating along the whole front in
italy. The Cairo radio said Amer
lean columns had entered the sub
urhs of Naples)
At some points the Fifth army
advanced as much as 10 miles yes
terday. American troops, battering
down determined Nazi resistance,
seized Avellino Thursday morning
The road junction Is ~ miles north
east Of Naples.
Fall OF AvellinO
The fall of Avellino unhinged the
eastern flank of the German de-
Tense around Naples, and apparent
" contributed to the Nazi decision
resulting in the withdrawal into
yesterday.
The fall Of Tore Annunziata
brought % the Allies to within 10
miles Of the outskirts Of Naples It.
self. A terrific pounding by big guns
of the Fifth army softened the knot
of Nazi resistance for the final as
sault which won the iron and steel
"a Fifth army front dispatch of
the combined British press filed
Thursday night said advance pa
trols were mot many miles" from
Naples and were meeting no sus-
tanned resistance. There were &C.
casonial pockets Of solated German
resistance to be cleaned out, because
if they were by-passed they would
interfere with the progress OF the
main forces the dispatch said.)
The Allied advance was about tWc
miles in the Tore Annunziata area
along the coastal road, up In the
hills east of Naples the gains were
higher as the German yielded terri
tory to avoid the flauk!ng threat
both from the right wing OF the
Fifth Army and the Eighth Army
on the east side of the Peninsula.
The German withdrawal on tht
Naples front seemed to be orderly
The enemy was giving way before
the Allied barrages by tanks ant
other units acting rs mobile artii
,ery.
According To Plan
THE Eighth Army advance con-
tinues according to plan" the dali!
coInmunique said. It was In contac
with the German rear guard, ant
captured a number of points. Blu
there was no specific report Of tn
British progress.
The new line runs from TORI
Azzunziata TO San Severino, tn
capture OF witch was announces
Yesterday, then almost due north y
AvelIino. to Montemarano, Melfi an'
onto the Adriatic.
An air eommunique reported tina
Allied planes yesterday repeate'
Wednesdays operations almost ex
actly, attacking targets within q
arc IS miles north and east Q
Naples, without encounEerlng Q sin
glegle enemy plano over Italy.
AmatlaaR announcement alnGloNel