The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-09-05
Allies Extend FOOthOld
InLOWer Part OF Italy
CONTINUED From Page One)


of schedule in their push inland
and that the British were streak
ing ahead like a scalded cat" He
said the Italian natives were smil-
ing, waving greetings and throw
ing gifts of fruit to the invading
Canadians.
There was yet no report Of a
landing by the American 7th Amy
"a fact that had the enemy OBJ
viously worried. The German
military commentator, Capt. Lud-
wig Sertorious, speculated in a
broadcast on that possibility that
the present attack was intended
only as a diversion and that ma
jor landings would be attempted
somewhere else soon.
Elaborate demolitions similar to
those the Germans employed to
delay Allied forces in Sicily few
weeks ago confronted the invading
troops as they famed out from the
stretch of beach along which the
first landings were made.
These demolitions, which an Al
lied communicate described as
largely ineffective" seemed to
indicate that the Nazis had hoped
only to slow occupation of the
bridgehead.
Freighter Enters Harbor
A German news agency report
broadcast by Axis sources report
ed that yesterday afternoon
three British freighters entered
the harbor of Reggie Calabria and
landed heavy war material, which
obviously was for tank units en-
gagged north of Reggie Calabria
in heavy fighting with the Ger
man panzer grenadiers.
This was the only indication
from any source that tanks had
gone into action for either side or
that heavy fighting had begun.
The report was received here with
skepticism.
Reggie Calabria airfield, which
can be used as a fighter plane
base, was captured by the Allied
assault wave as it pushed rapidly
inland from the beaches.
General Montgomery was vast
ing no time in solidating his
continental foothold. Reinforce
ments and supplies were pouring
across the straits from Sicily in
great fleet of small craft. A
naval officer back from an opera
ton said the straits were litter
ally crowded" with ships.
Whether the Germans could risk
large force on a full scale bat
tie anywhere in southern Italy,
where the Allied air force rules
the skies and where railroads and
other vital means of communica-
ton have been battered into use
fitness, appeared doubtful.
Railroad Severed
Official reports indicate that
German reinforcements and sup
plies have been pouring into north
ern Italy over the Bremen Pass
rail line, which was severed two
days ago by heavy Flying For
tress raids on Trento, Bolzano
and Bologna. A movement of any
great number Of troops or large
quantities of war materials farth-
er south, however, particularly be-
yond Naples, would appear to be
an almost impossible task for the
Nazis in the present state OF their
air force.
They might attempt it, though.
Capt. Sertorious declared in his
Nazi broadcast today that Italy
would become "Europe's battle
field if it became evident that
the main Allied invasion effort
was directed there.
An official Allied report. mean
time, said that "sortie after sor-
tie" of planes ranged over lower
Italy from dawn to dusk and re-
turned to report no targets for
their guns or bombs. OF the few
enemy planes sighted, five were
destroyed and one Allied ship was
missing.
American Liberators from the
Middle East bombed the railroad
yards at Sulnona, Is miles east of
Rome, by daylight yesterday.
They ran into stiff opposition and
shot down q enemy ships while
themselves losing six planes. This
brought the total bag of enemy
planes to % against a loss OF sew
en- Allied craft. Raj Welling-
tons followed up last ni3n. with
flare raids On enemy airfields at
Capua and Capodichino in the Ma
pies area, setting fire to several
hangers.
Ross Munro, another Canadian
press observer who landed in Italy
with the initial assault, reported
in a dispatch today that he had
not yet seen single German,
though he had seen numerous
Italian prisoners.