Evening star., 1943-09-06
Allies Holding 40 Miles Of Coast
Take Italian Town1OMi|es Inland;
7OORAFBombers Slit Rhine Cities
Salient Reaches
Mountain Area
At Sunto Stefono
Ey the Associated Press.

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, Sept. 6.-Brit-
ish- Canadian invading forces
have pushed slowly and surely
along the coast road of the Ital-
ian toe and cut a salient 10 miles
inland to Santo Stefano D'As-
promonte, it was announced to-
day from Allied headquarters.
Three thousand prisoners have
been taken by the forces which have
advanced eastward of Bagnara or
the Tyrrhenian shore and beyond
Melito on the Ionian shore, it was
stated, while the inland spearheao
has reached the gaunt precipices Of
Aspromonte-bitter mountain--the
great elevation of the Sila range.
A number of villages fell into the
hands of the Allied forces, including
Calanna, San Roberto, Fiumara,
Santa Lucia, Rosali, San Rocco
Musuala, Laganadi and Santo
Alessio.
Among booty falling into British
hands were three locomotives and
100 railroad cars, all capable of be-
ing used.
lSanto Stefano, northeast of Reg
gio Calabria, is 10 miles inland from
the Calabrian coast in mountainous
territory.
The communique said the ad-
vances yesterday were carried out
sin spite of very extensive demoli-
ton" left behind by the retreatine
enemy.
20 Miles of Shoreline Occupied.
'The mountainous nature of the
country is also of great assistance
to the enemy in his defensive, par
ticularly in the center of the 'front.' 81
the headquarters announcement
said.
Columns tanning out In both
directions along the coast have oc-
cupied more than 40 miles of shore
line.
fThe German news agency,
DNB, acknowledged the "evacua-
ton of Southern Calabria' by
Nazi and italian forces and Ital-
ian citizens. It said in a broad
cast that the evacuation was
carried out according to plan
and in complete order and all
supplies were saved, =. q
CAN indications point to Sec
ond large-scale landing of Brit
ish and American troops at an
other place in the Mediterranean
to come soon," the broadcast said.
It speculated on an attempt. to
capture Sardinia and Corsica, a
direct operation" against Cen
tral Italy or an attack on the
eastern side of Italy north of
Brindisi)
A headquarters spokesman an
nounced that the inland highway
from Reggie Calabria to Santo Ste
fano has been brought under con-
troll of the invading troops, giving
the liberating forces an effective
salient in this area"
During limited advances" made
yesterday, the 9th Army was re-
ported to have captured a quantity
of valuable railway material still
In working order. Some enemy
tanks were encountered.
otherwise resistance continues
relatively weak the spokesman
said, adding:
Elements east of Bagnara and
east of Melito report the Italian
population is still friendly"
These towns form the extremities
of the 4o-mile coastal stretch now
in Allied hands.
Area Near Rome Bombed.
Still pounding away at the enemy
communication lines, Allied heavy
bombers bombed the Viterbo area,
about SO miles north of Rome, in
daylight sweeps yesterday.
At the same time, medium bomb
ers with long range fighter escort
made new attacks on airfields in
Southern Italy.
Light bombers returned to the
Naples area again last night and
hit the railway yards at Villa
Literno.
Targets hit by the medium and
light bombers yesterday included the
railway yards at Battipaglia, where
many bursts were observed; airfields
at Grazzanise, and a railway bridge
near Minturno.
Formations of other Allied air.
craft attacked troop concentrations
and motor transport.
Sandman Airfield Attacked.
The Northeast African Air Force
also sent raiders into Southern
Sardinia Saturday night, the air
communique said, to attack radio
installations and an airfield.
Two Allied aircraft we're reported
missing as against a total of seven
enemy planes destroyed in the raids
over Italy
A naval communique today said
that the Strait of Messina has now
been fully opened to Allied naviga-
ton and that maintenance and
reinforcement" of the invasion army
continues.
Rome admitted that the Axis
troops in the Calabrian Peninsula
have fallen back to new positions
In the face of the 'enemy's over
tsee INVASION, Page A-3J
Gen. Old TO Command