The Wilmington morning star., 1943-09-14
ICR0T0NE IS SEIZED
Both Sides Throwing Men
And Machines Into
Land Engagement
VERY HEAVY CONFLICT
Struggle Said To Surpass
ANY OF Encounters In
North Africa

A L. l. II u HEADQUAR-
TIERS IN NORTH AFRICA,
Sept. 13-(P)-The most vio-
lent battle of the whole Me-
diterranean campaign ragged
tonight around the American
bridgehead at Salerno within
Is miles of Mount Vesuvius,
while in extreme southern
Italy the British captured
Crotone after a 30-mile ad-
vance and beat up the Adria-
tic coast from Brindisis to-
ward Bari.
Both sides were throwing
tanks and achievements
|prodigally into the crucial Sal
emo combat, described in
latest frontline dispatches as
hotter than any fought In the
African or Sicilian campaigns.
The combat rounded out It's
fifth day and both sides had
suffered heavy casualties.
The Germans were ensconc-
led in high ground commanding
the whole Allied bridgehead
with their artillery.
Every heavy fighting con-
tinues in the area of the Fifth
Army at Salerno," Gen. Eisen-
hower's communique said be-
fore noon. "The Germans are
resisting desperately our de-
termined thrusts to break
through their POSITIONS
Americans Hold Fast
The Americans with their British
units not only held doggedly to
their hard-won bridgehead 20 air
line miles below the great metrop-
oils of Naples, but managed to
push into the mountains. Much
fighting was 1900 feet above the
sea. The enemy was pushing re-
serves toward the battle area de-
spite day and night pummeling
from sky-ruling Allied air fleets,
which were challenged by large
German plane formations. Despite
the mounting fury of the fight, its
climax was not in sight.
1t. Gen. Mark w. Clark's men
encountered stiff tank opposition.
The ferocity of the German de-
tense attested to the Importance
the emmy attachd to the battle
and suggested that the Nazis were
trying to hold open at all costs
an escape route for their scattered
forces in the southern third of
Italy which Gen. Montgomery
army was herding northward at
an accelerated pace.
Montgomery's closest elements
were 40 miles below Salerno and
were racing ahead without even
making contact with the enemy.
The British appeared intent upon
reaching the Salerno area at the
earliest possible moment to shut
the jaws of a trap clutching at
enemy forces between them and
the American bridgehead.
At last reports, the Eighth was
well north of the bottleneck on the
Italian toe between the CULTS Of
Eufemia and Squillace on the west
coast
Another arm swiftly negotiated
the 30 miles between Catanzaro
and Crotone on the east coast OF
the toe and captured the fairly inn
portant harbor at Crotone intact.
Crotone, town of about 10000
has chemical works and is an i'm
portant railway junction. It is ITO
miles from the extreme tip of
Italy.
At headquarters, it was learned
that all enemy troops in the Ital-
ian heel south of the Taranto-
Brindisi road had been cleared
out Possession of the heel gave
the Allies many first-class air
dromes within short range Of the
Salerno area. These likewise pro.
vided potential bases from which
Flying Fortresses could asily
pound all of Italy to the Bremen
Pass, the Ploesti oil fields of R
mania and scores of other inviting
targets.
The British moving up the Adri.
attic coast from Brindisi encoun.
tered small German forces includ.
ing elements of the first parachute
division. Reinforcements sweled
the Allied expedition which was
! Continued on Page Eight; Col. ~