Current Events September 20, 1043;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY SEPTEMBER 20, 1943:

 The Allied Fifth and Eighth armies, joined together as a single striking force, swept northward yesterday with the port of Naples as their next objective in the battle for Italy.
All along the 120-mile front reaching across the mainland from Salerno on the Tyrrheanian Sea to Bari on the Adriatic, troops of the Allied armies pushed forward after retreating German forces, which, the Nazi communique admitted, "have taken up a shorter line of resistance."

The Italian garrison at Sardinia has chased out the Germans and informed Gen. Eisenhower that the island is now in its possession. Thus the Allies are presented with an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" in the center of the eastern half of the Mediterranean and within easy flying distance of the entire Axis occupied coast from Salerno northward to the Gulf of Genoa, and westward through the Riviera to the Spanish border.

American forces today mopped up scattered elements of the Japanese army at Lae, big New Guinea base,
which was captured yesterday. The Allies blockaded jungle paths as American paratroops from the Markham Valley area were reported to be in contact with the fleeing Japs at Donna, northwest of Lae. 

Gen. MacArthur's communique said the destruction of the Japanese troops was certain.
       
             THE STARS AND STRIPES
                  Daily Newspaper of U.S. Armed Forces in the European Theater of Operations
                             New York, N.Y.—London, England Monday, Sept. 20, 1943

      Allies Race for Naples; Sardinia Ours

Nazis Speed Retreat;
Islands Within Range
Of Naples Occupied
 5th and 8th Armies Driving On Together;
Seizure of Islands Provides Air Bases
For Offensive on Vital Port
 The Allied Fifth and Eighth armies, joined together as a single striking force, swept northward yesterday with the port of Naples as their next objective in the battle for Italy.
All along the 120-mile front reaching across the mainland from Salerno on the Tyrrheanian Sea to Bari on the Adriatic, troops of the Allied armies pushed forward after retreating German forces, which, the Nazi communique admitted, "have taken up a shorter line of resistance."
Allied troops also have landed on Ischia, largest island in the Gulf of Naples and only 20 miles from the city itself. The islands of Procida and Ponza earlier surrendered to the guns of Allied warships. With the capture
of these islands important flank positions have been secured for the drive on Naples.
Procida, only four miles from the mainland and 12 miles from Naples itself, also could be used as a base for heavy artillery.
Sardinia, 140 miles from the Italian mainland, has been seized by the Italian garrison, and German forces there have retreated to Corsica, seven .and half miles to the north across the Straits of Bonifacio. Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark's Fifth Army, being increased steadily by tanks, reinforcements and supplies, continue to
move ahead across the hills back of the Salerno bridgehead. They now have occupied Battipaglia, the railway junction 11 miles southeast of Salerno, and Altavilta, another 10 miles to the southeast.
                                                           No Time for Burials
One report from the Fifth Army said the Germans are retreating so fast they are not taking time to bury their dead, indicating that the withdrawal is no longer organized.

Italian Troops
Seize Sardinia
For the Allies
Germans Ejected; Island
Offers Airfields Close
To Vital Targets


ALLIED HQ, Sept. 19 (UP)—
The Italian garrison at Sardinia has chased out the Germans and informed Gen. Eisenhower that the island is now in its possession. Thus the Allies are presented with an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" in the center of the eastern half of the Mediterranean and within easy flying distance of the entire Axis occupied coast from Salerno northward to the Gulf of Genoa, and westward through the Riviera to the Spanish border.
Possession of Sardinia will give the Allies airfields within 150 miles of Rome, 250 miles of Genoa and 250 miles of Marseilles. Equally important, it will permit fighter protection for bombers when they raid southern France and northern Italy.
It also will provide a jumping-off place .for any attack that might be launched against Corsica.
What the Germans in Corsica will do now is uncertain. Realizing their position, they may evacuate.
By this single stroke the Allies have jumped forward 300 miles nearer France, a lessening of distance of outstanding importance to our air and sea forces.

Bases Guarding
Smolensk Fall
Reds Capture Two Vital
Outppsts; Advance on
Kiev Continues
MOSCOW. Sept. 19 —
Smashing through to capture two of the most vital "hedgehog" .cities guarding Smolensk, Soviet armies tonight, in the words of Marshal Stalin himself, had broken the "defense line which blocks the gates" to
the greatest German base in Russia.
In one of three orders of the day, Stalin announced the fall of Dukhovschina, 30 miles northeast of Smolensk, and the town and key railway station of Yartsevo. 33 miles northeast of the German
bastion, which has been Hitler's headquarters in Russia.
Meanwhile, new and smashing successes farther south against the fastcrumbling German front were revealed in Stalin's other two orders of the day. One announced the capture of Krasnpgrad and Pavlograd by Red Army units driving forward southwest of Kharkov, the other reported the capture of Drubchev. after Russian forces had stormed the River Desna near that point, south of Bryansk.

U.S.-Australian
TroopsCapture
Lae Air Base
Fleeing Japs are Trapped
In Blockaded Paths;
'Chutists in Action
ALLIED HQ. Southwest Pacific, Sept. 19—
American forces today mopped up scattered elements of the Japanese army at Lae, big New Guinea base,
which was captured yesterday. The Allies blockaded jungle paths as American paratroops from the Markham Valley area were reported to be in contact with the fleeing Japs at Donna, northwest of Lae.
Gen. MacArthur's communique said the destruction of the Japanese troops was certain.
Lae, main Japanese base on.the coast of New Guinea since it was seized early in 1942, was taken by the Americans and Australians in a 14-day campaign. Preceding the final ground assault was an intense aerial bombardment. Heavy and medium bombers dropped 43 tons of explosives on the Jap's inner defenses
and strafed enemy troops with more than 30,000 rounds of machine-gun bullets. Infantry then stormed the Japanese positions-and overwhelmed all resistance.
Disorganized Jap units attempted to flee to the north through trails blocked by the Allies.