The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-10-13
The War On
Many Fronts

The Italian government Of Mar
shall Pietro Badoglio was expected to
declare war on Germany today, turn
ing Its armed forces against the Nails
and creating situation akin to
civil war In italy to aid the Allied
push toward Rome.
The reported plan was for the
Armistice Government, which rep
resents King Victor Emmanuel's
ruling house Of Italy, to assume CO.
belligerent status but not that Of
an equal partner In the United Ma
tons.
This development, presumably un-
der the direction of Gen. Dwight
Eisenhower, came as Allied armies
fighting up italy hacked out gains
Of four to 10 miles, cutting 100.
square mile chunk from German
lines and winning positions dominat-
ing main trans-peninsula highway.
Anglo = American Fifth Army
troops In the Galore river sector -
center Of the first important Axis
line between Naples mad Rome-took
the town Of San Croce d. Sannio,
bringing the Termoli- Naples high
way under artillery fire.
The capture was the result Of q
l0-mile drive. Gen. Sir Bernard L.
Montgomery's British Eighth Army
troops on the eastern side Of the
Peninsula moved forward four miles,
taking Bonefro and ct. Els after
stiff fighting.
Effect Of the advances was to
threaten to turn the enemy line an.
chored In the west along the Voltur-
no river where rain and German re.
sistance were holding up 1t. Gen.
Mark w. Clark's Fifth Army.
Allied planes kept up pounding at
tacks ahead Of the ground forces,
ranging as far north as Civitavec-
CHA, SO miles above Rome, to attack
bridges and railroad yards.
In Russia, refugees from the burn
ing city Of Kiev reported the Ger.
mans had almost finished the evac-
uation Of that once.great Bastion on
the west bank Of the Dnieper. Red
Army troops were pounding at the
final defenses Of the city from three
sides.
Hand to hand battles ragged
around Kiev while one report said
that TO the north, on the White
Russian front, the Germans were
evacuating 0omel, southeastern
hinge Of their defense lines in that
area.
Meanwhile, British forces poured
into the Portuguese Azores TO set UP
air and naval bases from which to
dominate Middle Atlantic lanes In
the battle against German U-boats.
In the Balkans, German troops
launched q new drive to Gust Par
tisans from key points In northeast
ern Jugoslavia, touching of bitter
fighting around zagreb, part Of
which the guerrilla forces hold.
Partisan troops occupied the town
Of Dusla, capturing "a Italians.
In the Pacific, a break-through
by Australian troops in interior New
Guinea and the smashing of Jap.
anese counter-attacks near FinSch-
hafen put Allied forces in position
for final drive against the enemys
coastal base at Madang.
Four hundred japanese died in a
day-long battle Saturday near
Finschhafen where veteran Austral-
ians broke three strong counter
thrusts, Gen. Douglas MacArthur's
communique reported.
It was the first organized resist
ance around the base since it fell on
Oct. 2. Meanwhile, to the northwest
other Australians broke through
stubborn enemy defenses IS miles
from Madang, on the New Guinea
coast l65 miles above Finschhafen. |
The Australian forces in the in |
terror were completing tough over |
land march that took them through |
the Ramu river valley into the Uria
valley, where they were cutting
down Japanese resistance step by |
step.
MacArthur's communique report
ed q spectacular victory by four
Thunderbolt fighter planes In which
from eight TO 10 Japanese aircraft
out Of o force Of 80 fighters and
eight boInbers were shot down near
Wewak, UP the New Guinea coast.
Other Allied planes In the Solo,
mons attacked Bougainvllle and
Choiseul, two Of the few remaining
enemy held. areas IN that sector.
The Job Of public relations and
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