Daily Post - 12.12.1943, Blaðsíða 1

v
íCELAND’S ONLY
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ON SALE 6 A.M. EVERY DAY
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Snnda^ Post
IV
244
Sunday, Dec. 12, 1943
Price 50 aurar.
U. S. Howitzer In Action
-An American gun crew swings into action in the Naples area of
the Italian battlefront, firing on German positions in the distance
with their 105mm. howitzer
Eighth Arniy Advance Stady
Against Firce lesistance
'■■■ ' +
Ifaliam Troaps €o~operating
WIfl3 FiftSi^Army
i—.. .1—1.1 ♦
London, Dec. llth.
In Italy, the British Eighth army, pushing up the Adriatic
«oast on a 15 mile front, has gained more ground in face of fierce
German coimter attacks.
To-day’s communique from
Allied H. Q. reports that Allied
forces in the east coast sector
-are within three miles of Or-
tona, which lies ten miles
south-east of the big town of
Pescara , after capturing the
town of San Leonardo, two
miles inland. The Germans con-
tested everý inch of ground in
this area, launching repeated
counter attacks with tanks, and
latest front line dispatches
speak of continued heavy fight-
ing all -the way to the coast.
In the middle of the fifteen
:mile front, the Eighth army has
■established a second bridge-
head, and further inland, Al-
lied tanks are reported to be
shelling the enemy’s defences
at Orsogna. Allied armour in
strength has been got across
the river and is giving invalu-
able support to the ground
troops. German panzers are
also much in evidence.
In the Fifth army sector, the
Germans are clinging despera-
tely to their positions on the j
east side of the main road to
Rome, about 4—5 miles north
of Mignano. The enemy’s main
strong point is San Pietro,
where the Germans have con-
centrated their artillery, and
constructed elaborate defences
of barbed wire and pill-boxes.
American troops have gained
some high ground in this sec-
tor, as well as further north,
and thrown back counter at-
tacks. Italian troops have been
in action for the first time with
the Allied Fifth army. They ad-
vanced into the foothills bey-
ond Mignano, but were forced
back by units of the Hermann
Goering division. Allied patrols
are probing the enemy’s defen-
ces across the Garigliano, while
their gains on the east bank are
being extended and consolida-
ted.
The improvement in the
weather has enabled Allied
fighterbombers to make hun-
dreds of sorties over the battle
area. Traffic ahead of the ad-
vancing Allied armies æas par-
ticularly severely handled, and
the Allied airmen estimated
that at least 180 trucks were
wrecked or damaged. Out of
the hundreds of attacks, only
one aircraft was lost, and the
pilot of that is safe.
American Invader fighter-
bombers attacked shipping at
Civitavecchia on Italy’s west
coast, damaging a 10,000 ton
vessel and setting fire to .ware-
houses. Warhawks flew to raid
shipping at Split, while Marau-
ders bombed two railway-brid-
ges on the Riviera.
The biggest raid carried out
yesterday was made by escor-
ted Liberators of the long range
Allied air force, which flew for
the third time in a month to
bomb the Bulgarian capital,
Sofia, whose railway yards
are the hub of the German
supply network in south-east-
ern Europe.
The eastern and western sec-
tions were covered with bombs,
the smoke rising a mile in
the air from the fires and ex-
plosions caused.
The enemy put up strong op-
position, not only over the capi-
tal, but also over the Albanian
coast as the bombers were on
their way home. Eleven enemy
aircraft were shot down in
these combats, but not a single
Liberator failed to return.
The Bulgarian premier to-
day stated that considerable
damage had been caused.
A Swedish mesage reports
railway chaos in the Leipzig
area following the RAIf raid of
last week.
U. S. Bombers Agaia
Blast Gerraany
London, Dec. llth.
American heavy bombers,
based in Britain, today flew
with escort to bomb targets in
north-west Germany. Several
German controlled radio sta-
tions went off the air for two
hours. Details are awaited.
Bomb-carrying Mosquitos
last night attacked without loss
objectives in western Germany.
Other Mosquitos were out hunt-
ing the skies over Britain for
enemy raiders. One pilot, a Ca-
nadian, bagged three out of the
four shot down. This equals the
record set by the famous Czech
night fighter pilot, Lieutenant
Karel Kuttelwascher, who also
shot down three Nazi bombers
one night. It is estimated that
this reperesents '20% of the
total number sent over by the
Luftwaffe.
Japs Retreat
íb New fiiinea
London, Dec. llth. i
In New Guinea, three Aust-
ralian columns are now on the
move in the Finschafen area,
where the Japanese are in re-
treat. The Allied troops are ex-
tending their grip on the stra-
tegically important Vitia Straits
between New Guinea and New
Britain. Their gains will enable
the Allies to build more air-
fields and so step up the air at-
tacks on Japanese bases in this
area.
Allied aircraft have been
‘ bombing and shooting up ene-
my supply trails in and around
the battle area, while others
flew to New Britain to bomb
Cape Gloucester for the elev-
enth day running.
^ ■'•' :i:
Food ships are on the waý
from Australia to India to help
relieve the food situation in
Bengal.