The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-08-02
Oil Fields at
PIoesti Badly
Damaged
Gains Scored Near
Catania by British
Eighth Army

New land sea and air blows
against Italy we're disclosed to-
day as London quarters denied
Cairo dispatch saying the United
Nations rejected a peace offer
from Italian Premier Pietro Ba.
doglio.
Allied headquarters. In North
Africa disclosed that Allied cruis-
ers and destroyers bombdrded three
points on the Italian mainland
over the week end and that Allied
bom5ers plastered the blk Italian
naval base at Naples and the near
| by Capodichino airdrome and the
northeastern Sicilian port OF Mi
lszzo. west OF Messina
The naval bombardments start
ed Saturday with the Smelling OF
the harbor OF Who Nalentia Mar
ina. on the south coast OF the Gulf
OF Eufemia, and a bridge carrying
The coastal railway over the Olivia
River. 90 miles north OF Who Val
entia.
These bombardmentS were fol
lowed yesterday by the Smelling Of
the harbor OF Crotone. on the Cult
OF laramie, were only weak retalia-
tory fire from shore batteries was
| encountered
The bulletin from North Africa
was followed by near east com
munlque announcing great damage
Inflicted on the Romanlan Ploesti
oil fields by l75 to 200 American
l.iberator bombers which executed
the daring 1900 mile round trip
mission yesterday. They are be
lievsd to have deprived Germany
Of one third OF its OH resources.
Al lea 81 Axis warplanes were
shot down. the communique said.
announcing that 20 Liberators
we're lost and others stu have not
returned.
Attacks Continued
The merciless Allied al" war on
/ the Axis continent continued today
as Britain based American Me-
| dunn bombers. escorted by spit
| fires. attacked German airflelds
at Melville and 81. Omer in France
| without loss.
On the Sicilisn" ground fronn
American troops were reported in
! possession OF nine key points In
side the enemys defense line near
/ the Messlna bridgehead Among
the towns captured by the Amer
leans were Castelditusa. only five
miles west OF pivotal San Stefano.
4 nine mile American advance was
said also 10 have engulfed Castel-
diluclon. Motta and Pettinee IN
/ northeastern Sicily.
Gains also were scored before
Catania. by the British Eighth
Army. which pushed new salients
into enemy defense zones south
Of the port. and by Canadian units
pressing the Nszi flank on the
west.
Evacuation Ordered
Reports from inside the CONT.
nent said evacuation OF all civilians
from Berlin had been ordered in
fear OF new Allied mass air raids
like those which devastated Ham
burg. Cologne. Essen and other
cities OF the Reich. Berliners
we're reported to have spent the
week end frantlcally digging trench.
es and bomb shelters in parks. pub
I lie squares and back yards.
From Russia came word OF new
gains OF five TO eight miles in the
drive on Orel by Soviet forces
pressing on the pivotal Nazi base
from the north. from the east
and from the west. Frontline dis
patches to Moscow indicated that
! the Russians had whitfield down
the Nsh escape corridor westward
from Orel 10 a strip OF land 30
miles wide or less. In addition,
the Germans we're reported hight
ing savagely 10 stem Soviet units
which have scored new advances
northwest OF the city toward the
vital Orel.Bryansk railroad.
Liauidste Line
Russian seizure OF kuma. 81
miles northeast OF Orel. among
more than 100 populated places
recaptured in the last - hours
completed liquidation OF strong
German defense line in that area
The new Russian advances on
Orel from three sides placed So
Wet forces within 10 miles OF the
Orel base and represent the Red
Army's most substantial gains in
he last week
In the Pacific. the long awaited
an out Allied drive to wrest kisks
from the Japanese was reported
under way in a Vichy radio broad
cast. Official Washington was ST.
/ lent on the Nichy report but obser-
vers in the capital said it was OUTS
possible American forces bad start
ed invasion OF the Aleutuian is
land.
/ Gen. Douglas MacArthur's head
quarters insthe southwest Pacific
I Co. urAp-p aVp