Allies rain blockbusters on Naples, supply port
By Reynolds Packard, United Press staff writer
Allied HQ, North Africa –
Allied bombers rocked Naples yesterday with its heaviest raid of the war and made a bold bid to cripple the Axis Sicilian campaign by smashing the enemy’s lines of supply and war production in Italy and Sicily, Allied announcements revealed today.
U.S. Flying Fortresses flew over Naples in waves, dropping hundreds of tons of high explosive and fragmentation bombs, principally on the dock, railroad and arsenal areas in continuation of the raids on the big port begun Wednesday night by British and Canadian Wellingtons. Smoke rose 21,000 feet from the city’s wreckage.
Seventy U.S. Liberator heavy bombers of the Middle East Command joined the assault on Italy by dropping almost 400,000 pounds of bombs on the vital airdrome at Foggia, 80 miles east-northeast of Naples, near the Italian east coast.
At the Sicilian end of the Axis lifeline, the northwestern port of Palermo was subjected to another heavy air assault. Billy Mitchell medium bombers spilled 100 tons of explosives on the city and port areas, starting many fires and causing at least one big explosion in four hours of steady bombardment.
These and other sharp air attacks put the Allied bombing on an around-the-clock basis and synchronized Allied air force operations with the growing fury of the land campaign for Sicily.
A headquarters announcement said the Allies had dropped two million pounds of bombs on the Sicilian eastern ferry terminus of Messina during the last week. Messina, opposite the Italian mainland, was believed to have been rendered useless as a funneling point for Axis reinforcements and supplies. Since the fall of Tunisia two months ago, 2,000 bombers have rained destruction on Messina, making it the most-bombed place in Sicily.
Blockbusters on Naples
The Canadian and British airmen dumped two-ton blockbusters on Naples during the night. Fires were still burning when the Fortresses arrived to wreak new destruction. Industrial areas and the nearby airfields at Pomigliano and Capodichino were among the targets.
Naples is the chief rail and shipping center on the mainland.
The Liberators made “a flaming shambles” of the main and two satellite airfields at Foggia, according to a Middle East communiqué. No Axis fighter opposition was encountered and all planes returned safely.
Observation was difficult during the latter stages of the Palermo raid because the enemy laid a manufactured smokescreen over the harbor to protect ships and port installations.
12 planes bagged
Allied night fighters based on Malta bagged 12 enemy planes during a 24-hour period.
Torpedo-carrying Wellingtons sank a large, heavily laden cargo ship 40 miles east of Olbia, northern Sardinia, and left its escort in flames. Fighter-bombers also attacked and damaged four merchantmen. During the last 12 hours, coastal torpedo planes have sunk or damaged heavily at least 20,000 tons of Axis shipping headed for Sicily.
Reconnaissance photographs of Messina showed a smoldering mass where 150 bombs fell within a few minutes Wednesday. Three large fires were still burning yesterday, including the remains of an ammunition train. Practically every building still standing was smudged with the smoke of countless fires.
An Italian communiqué reported allied raids on the provinces of Alessandria, Savona, Bologna, Parma and Reggio Emilia.