The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-12-31

NCOIILlIluEO d6C ~
heavy attack against the British
positions at Pontefiume on the river
estuary two days ago.
Skinny official reports were sup
plemented by German broadcasts
claiming that an Allied landing OPP
Grafton aimed at Minturno on
Wednesday was repulsed.
(The official description Of the
Carigliano action as raid" sug-
gested that the Allies. presumably
British units on the coastal wing
Of the Fifth Army front, had struck
suddenly and perhaps withdrawn
according to plan).
The Allied air campaign against
German transport facilities behind
the lines reached near record pro-
portions, Flying Fortresses attacked
Rimini, Ravenna and Padua. Ma
rauder medium bombers raided the
Florence and Leghorn areas, and
Mitchells were credited with causing
great destruction" in the Jugloslav
harbor of cara.
The Eighth Army push up the
Adriatic gained another mile to
bring the Canadians within some
10 miles Of Pescara, Adriatic port at
which the tranS-peninsula road from
Rome ends.
The daily communique reported
patrol activity all across the italian
front, in which prisoners were taken
and valuable information gathered.
Probe Nazi Strength
Reynolds Packard, United Press
correspondent with the Fifth Army,
reported that strong American
patrols probed the strength of the
German forces Wednesday night in
the town of San Vittore, outpost of
the Casino defenses on the Rome
road.
Thwarting determined German eff
forts to cut them off, the Americans
worked their way back after throw
ing the whole town into turmoil and
drawing tonadic fire from enemy
strong points.
Across the peninsula, the Can
adams were pushing slowly forward
under heavy German machine gun
AAAC. lA1Cy 4lOW RIOulll
OH the Adriatic two miles north of
Crtona. Inland the Eighth Army
made a series of small raids in the
mountains on which the right flank
OF the German line facing the I'M
perials is hinged.
Steadily mounting Allied air &C
t1vtiy sent strong forces of flying
fortreSses against the Rimini rail
yards on the Adriatic for the third
straight day, while other forts at
tackled Ravenna and Padua all
three targtes on the main railway
lines from the Balkans into Italy
and from the Pc Valley down the
Adriatic coast to the Eighth Army
front.
All American heavy bombers re-
turned safely, although one forma-
ton ran into Is German planes
over Ravenna, shooting down five.
Rimini and Padua were undefended
by German planes, and no anti-air-
craft fire was encountered at any
of the fortress targets.
The Germans have been concen-
trating their defenses farther north
along the Pc valley lines of COM
munication, and even the fighters
encountered over Padua were be-
lieved to have come from the We
roma area northwest of Padua.
Marauders attacked rail yards and
bridges at Borgo San Lorenzo, ten
miles northeast of Florence, via
Reggie 10 miles north of Leghorn,
and Roccasecco, IS miles behind the
German lines on the Fifth Army
front.
The Mitchells which hit cara
dropped bombs on a dump of land
mines, setting off a terrific blast
Other Mitchells attacked Falconara
near Acona, hitting yards. ware
houses and repair sheds.
Fighters bombers were active in
the Tollo area Of the Adriatic while
Bostons raided the Atina area.
All told, II German planes were
destroyed and six of the Allies were
missing.