The Allied Fifth and Eighth armies steadily pressed an estimated four to fiive German divisions back toward Rome today after capturing two of Italy's foremost airdromes and a mountain strongpoint.
American spearheads of Lieut. Gen. Mark W. Clark's Fifth army stabbed to within about 80 miles of the Italian capital seized Montesarchio and smashed well beyond the Calore river British eighth army units, heavily reinforced after putting ashore at Termoli on the Adriatic coast behind the German lines, crushed
a powerful nazi counter-assault and battled to extend their beachhead and join hands with other British forces coming up from the southeast
A strong Anglo-American naval formation, paced by planes from a United
States-aircraft carrier, was disclosed tonight to have staged an
audacious attack on German shipping along the heavily guarded coast of
northern Norway.The allied task force sallied boldly under the very noses of the German
navy's reputedly powerful bases in the sheltered Norwegian fjords and
executed the offensive sweep across the North sea early Monday.
between Admiral Ernest L. King, commander-in-chief of the U. S. navy, and Admirals Chester W. Nimitz and William F. Halsey, Jr. The conferences were held last week and were announced only tonight on the return of Admiral King to Washington.
GERMAN SHIPPING IS
SHATTERED BY ALLIES
LONG BEACH INDEPENDENT
Long Beach, California, Wednesday, October 6, 1943
GERMAN COUNTER
ATTACKS BEATEN
BACK BY ALLIES
Fifth and Eighth Armies Advance to
Within 80 Miles of Italian Capital
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NORTH
AFRICA, Oct. 5.— (INS)
The Allied Fifth and Eighth armies steadily pressed an estimated four to five German divisions back toward Rome today after capturing two of Italy's foremost airdromes and a mountain strong point.
American spearheads of Lieut. Gen. Mark W. Clark's Fifth army stabbed to within about 80 miles of the Italian capital seized Montesarchio and smashed well beyond the Calore river British eighth army units, heavily reinforced after putting ashore at Termoli on the Adriatic coast behind the German lines, crushed
a powerful nazi counter-assault and battled to extend their beachhead and join hands with other British forces coming up from the southeast.
The co-ordinated allied advance was covered by a widely expanded air offensive in which flying fortresses
crippled the flow of German reinforcements into Italy by wrecking a key rail bridge at Bolzano below the Brenner pass.
The vital coastal junction of Pisa in northwest Italy also was heavily hit from the air. And for first time the allied northwest African air force sent Liberator and Mitchell bombers yesterday to join with the Middle East air units in smashing raids on nazi airfields in Greece.
Audacious Attack Made Off Coast of
Norway; U.S. Planes Score Direct Hits
LONDON, Oct. 5.—(INS)—
A strong Anglo-American naval formation, paced by planes from a United States-aircraft carrier, was disclosed tonight to have staged an audacious attack on German shipping along the heavily guarded coast of northern Norway.
The allied task force sallied boldly under the very noses of the German navy's reputedly powerful bases in the sheltered Norwegian fjords and executed the offensive sweep across the North sea early Monday. Planes from the American _ carrier were credited with scoring bomb hits on several nazi vessels, including
an 8000-ton tanker.
This action, which cost three American carrier-home planes downed as against two nazi aircraft destroyed, coincided with a clash off northwestern France early Monday between light British naval units and a squadron of German destroyers.
Japs Denounced by
FDR as 'Barbaric
And Uncivilized'
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5.—(INS)
—President Roosevelt denounced the Japanese today as barbaric and uncivilized in commenting on reports of the decapitation of an allied airman taken prisoner by Japanese in New Guinea.
The President told a news conference that this was another example, of which many are known, of Japanese barbaric conduct.
He declared that the Japanese have shown that they lack civilization, and pointed out that such a statement is probably as stinging a remark as could be directed against the Japanese as nothing gets under their skin more than to be called uncivilized. But the President said he didn't care if he did offend their feelings.
Reports of the beheading of the captured flyer by Japanese officers also aroused strong feelings in congressional circles.
"It is ghastly and terrible—it is such a terrible thing that it is difficult to express one's horror in words," said Sen. Robertson (R) Wyoming.
Sen. Johnson (D) Colo., said that the incident was "just one more reason for the liquidation of the Japanese quickly and without restraint."
Sen. Thomas (D) Utah, once a resident of Japan, said that the action was a product of the "military
madness" of the Japanese overlords.
Plans for Pacific Campaign Outlined
At Conferences Held at Pearl Harbor
HONOLULU, T. H.," Oct. 5.—(INS)—
Momentous conferences on "plans for the Pacific campaign" have been completed at Pearl Harbor
between Admiral Ernest L. King, commander-in-chief of the U. S. navy, and Admirals Chester W. Nimitz and William F. Halsey, Jr. The conferences were held last week and were announced only tonight on the return of Admiral King to Washington.
An official statement that the meetings concerned "plans for the Pacific campaign" was taken to mean that the conferences foreshadow important naval developments in that war theater.
Nimitz is commander of the United States Pacific fleet, Halsey is commander of U. S. naval forces in the South Pacific. High ranking members of the staffs of all three admirals were present at the sessions which extended over several days.
The meetings marked the first time Admiral King has been farther west than San Francisco since the start of the war. His previous meetings with Nimitz have been held in California.
It is believed that the principal reason for holding the latest conferences at Pearl-Harbor was to save precious traveling time from the South Pacific for Admiral Halsey.
Belief that the talks presage a major naval offensive in the Pacific is bolstered by the fact that the Pacific fleet has been strengthened greatly in recent months.
Activity of the fleet has been stepped up, notably by the raids on the Marcus and Gilbert islands. Of particular interest was the participation of Admiral Halsey in-as-much as recent actions in the Pacific theater have been carried out by the central Pacific forces while those in the south under Halsele's command were operating separately. Halsey's appearance may indicate a forthcoming major, joint action.
Conjecture and opinion were divided whether the big Jap base o£ Rabaul is the probable target.
Some competent unofficial observers held that the combined Pacific forces.may be able to encircle
the Jap-held Marshall and Gilbert islands, thus forcing the Jap perimeter back toward Truk.
Whatever the details, it was generally conceded that the conferences are ushering in highly important activities in the central and south Pacific areas.
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