Mediterranean Algiers Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 4, 1943, Algiers, Algiers                                Vol. 19 no. 39 saturday september 4, 1943 for . Armed Force two franc a italian coast invaded Continental Battleground Allied Force hits Europe s Mainland on calabrian coast bombers smash key rail centers All across Italy nazis lose steadily on 900-mile front Christmas delivery promised for gifts Greet German bastion of Smolensk was described As the Quot costliest 600 Miles to the North the red German defeat since  Washington sept. 3�?shop Early for Christmas if you want gifts delivered to servicemen Over from the sea of Azov to the j russian hands in a Battle which seas the Post office department yesterday warned families and friends of members of tile armed forces. The army postal service expects to handle 10,000,0 0 Drift packages for men overseas but promised to deliver every one by Christmas Day ii Quot they Are mailed Early. No Christmas gifts for overseas shipment will be handled after oct. 14. Army this week smashed at the weakening wehrmacht in seven Days of steady spectacular advances. Tile guns of Moscow boomed out in Victory salvos and marshal Joseph Stalin issued a series of special orders of the Day congratulating his forces on their accomplish a . Por their part the germans wer hard put to find suitable alibis for the steady Stream of Tagan Rog is an important port on the sea of Azov 40 Miles West of Rostov. Its capture plus a the subsequent red army Advance to the West threatens the whole nazi position in the Crimea. 2. Stalin heart of the Industrial donets Basin 65 Miles Northwest of Tagan Rog also in nazi hands since 1941, is under attack from three sides and judging from the inexorable Speed the red army Allied Force Headquarters sept. 3�?the powerful air umbrella that covered the Allied Landing on the Mainland of Italy this morning was Only a continuation of a sky offensive that lashed the entire country from end to end during the past week. Medium Light and fighter bombers of the Northwest african air forces had softened the calabrian Peninsula to the Point where the ground forces could Cross the narrow Straits of Messina. Day and night sorties hundreds of them virtually knocked out the meager coastal Roa Road line and the italian toes Only Good Road. From Cape Pellaro and Reggio on the South to Lamella and Catanzaro in the North hardly Quot an Axis gun emplacement hardly a single rail or Road Junction escaped the sting of b-25 Mitchells and b-26 marauders p-38 lightnings p-40 War Hawks and a-36 invaders of the Saaf As Well As rap Bostons Baltimore and wellingtons. So great was Allied air superiority in the skies above Italy that the rest of the country received no respite while the invasion Point was being hammered mercilessly. Vital rail communications were the chief targets of the Naaf heavy bombers mostly american flying fortresses amply supported at night by Raf wellingtons which rained ton upon ton of deadly explosives on marshalling Yards at every key Junction Point in Italy. Even As me final pre invasion raids were being made by their lighter Brothers on Southern Italy b-17�?Ts yesterday made a spectacular round trip of nearly 1,500 Miles to smash the Gateway to the Brenner pass the principal Supply route across the Alps. One formation blanketed historic Bologna for the second time while another group flew farther North to administer a heavy pounding to Bolzano Only 30 Miles from the pass itself. Railroad lines and equipment there and at Trento another important Supply Center were pocked with direct hits that will do much to continued on Page 8 Allied Force Headquarters sept. 3�?the United nations have gained their first foothold on the european Mainland this morning and hitlers european fortress has again been breached. At 0430 hours an Allied Force under command of Gen. Dwight d. Eisenhower and composed of British and Canadian troops crossed the narrow Straits of Messina and landed on the coast of Calabria More familiarly known As the toe of Italy. This dramatic operation was first announced in a special communique released Here at 0720 hours which read a a an Allied Force under the command of Gen. Eisenhower have continued their Advance. British and Canad an troops of the 8th army supported by Allied sea and air Power attacked across the Straits of Messina today and landed on the Mainland of Italy.9 big in its 2000 hours broadcast tonight said operations were proceeding a a according to plan the Allied  simple As was the wording of the communique significantly the words a a continued their Advance Quot warned that the present assault was to be considered from a military standpoint a Mere continuation of the Campaign which began Allied Force Headquarters an rap spitfire Pilot has brought Back the Best Eye witness View of the opening stages of the operation. He is flying officer George Craig of Edinburgh flying his 64th sortie. Quot the first sign or the invasion visible from the air Quot he said Quot was a flotilla of Large warships skirting the coast. They were going at top Speed causing a Zig Zag. Many score of Small Craft were sailing in formation. From my height they appeared like a Large Shoal of fish. During the time i was Over that area i think mine was the Only aircraft in the sky. A few Miles Inland i could see fires in the Hills but otherwise no  catastrophes on the Eastern front is showing seems certain to fall. Ult  rail Roii a Oil a a Jan % a although or. Goebl Els did give an explanation that the nazis had an a a elastic defense Quot of the russian line. This Quot elastic defile a however snapped Only one Way. Going from South to North on a russian Mac this is what the nazis had to explain away i. T. , in Gorman hand 5 Shythe fail of 1941. Fell into Exchange ship sails for East India port Jersey City n. J. A the swedish. Liner grip Holm sailed Friday with 1,300 japanese civilians for portuguese East India where the second Exchange of u. S. And enemy nationals is scheduled to take place oct. 15. The state department said that the ship carried food clothing and medical supplies for american military and civilian prisoners in Japan. 3. Advancing far beyond Kharkov the red army drove deeper into the Ukraine in a move aimed directly at Kiev 200 Miles West. By the end of the week the russians had covered half the distance. If the russian momentum on this part of the front is not reduced soon nothing seems Likely to Stop the red army Short of the Dnieper River. 4. Smolensk the Anchor of the entire Eastern front was directly threatened by a russian crash through which gained As much As 18 Miles in a Day. The red forces by by passing Bryansk occupied Selyna 45 Miles to the Southwest and a6 the week ended were 37 Miles away from the stronghold itself. In his order of the Day Stalin called Selyna the Quot most important stronghold in the Smolensk  it was a fair guess that despite heavy soviet pressure resistance at Smolensk would be Tough. German reserves were reported Rush  am darts 6 k Eleanor pays Call maoris adopt Ber Washington Quot Eleanor is on the move again Quot said an unidentified american this week on an undisclosed Island in the South Pacific. What lie meant was that mrs. Franklin d. Roosevelt had arrived. Mrs. Roosevelt heard the exclamation and told it on herself later when she popped up in new zealand headed for Australia. Mrs. Roosevelt who has a Knack of getting around has been showing the new sealanders How she does it. Officially this week she visited an american naval Hospital various hospitality centers a Marine corps training station and a few new zealand War factories. She also visited the famous to Tura Region on the North Island where geysers spout out of the Beautiful lakes and there she also saw the maoris the famous polynesians of new zealand. The a re in Iii Maori maids featured on All the local picture postcards greeted America s first lady by chanting native songs. Later she was the honoured guest at a traditional tribal singing and dancing ceremony which is normally reserved for Royalty. Before leaving she was made an honorary member of the Tarawa tribe of the Maori people and presented by the tribal chiefs with a hand carved Canoe paddle a Greenstone Tiki ancient Charm and a Feather from the extinct Hausa Bird. Earlier in the week mrs. Roosevelt had the Wellington police department sending volunteers Down to the Majestic theater. She was slated to make an address before a women a club and thousands of women swarmed across the main Street tying up traffic during the continued on Page 2 in North Africa was then extended to Sicily and was now being further extended to Italy. In no sense it was emphasized Here do the present landings Mark the beginning of a new and separate Campaign. Up to a late hour today no further official communique had been released on the operation. An absolute Seal tight lid was clamped Down on any of the myriad of details for which the world breathlessly waited. It was left until later to learn How Strong the opposition was or How far Inland the Landing forces had penetrated. Today a landings came in the Vicinity of Reggio directly from the historic Sicilia seaport City of Messina which Fen to the same Allied forces Lusi two weeks ago. The operation was preceded by what Waas described As Quot the greatest Day Quot of american flying fortresses of the North african air Force. They delivered a blow to the entire communication system of the kingdom of Italy by flying a round trip of nearly 1,500 Railes to strike in three places the railway which winds through the famed Brenner pass the link that binds the Axis the most important railway tie Between Germany continued on Page 2