POWERFUL FORCE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 6, 18 October 1943, Page 3

POWERFUL FORCE

READY FOR THE NEXT STAGE. ALLIES' THRUST TO ROME. VITAL ROAD JUNCTION ISSUE. (Rec. 12.35 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 17 Reuter’s correspondent at Algiers says that already a powerful force of men, tanks, guns and other war material has been assembled on the north bank of the Volturno for the next stage of the thrust to Rome, which is expected to be the battle for the vital road junction north of Capua. The fighting is expected to be heavy as the junction is one from which two highways fork. Our fighter-bombers silenced a great German railway gun, with a range of 20,000 yards, which was shelling the central front. The Combined British Press correspondent with the Americans across the Volturno says: “The sth Army made the pace too hot for the Germans north of the Volturno and the enemy is withdrawing for fear of being overrun.” The Berlin radio reports that British warships yesterday again bombarded German positions north of the Volturno estuary. It says that a German fighter-bomber hit a large warship which was later seen submerged by the stern. A heavy cruiser was also damaged. A picture of the territory in which the sth Army is operating is given by Reuter’s correspondent on the Volturno front. He says: “Across the coastal plain the steep Mount Massico bounds the horizzon northwards, with Cajazzo ridges north-eastward, the Volturno River southward and the sea westward. These bold geographical features bound 100 square miles of difficult terrain on which Allied troops are progressing toward Rome. This plain is difficult for tanks as

dykes intersect it and shelter dozens of enemy machine-gun posts. The tanks tackling the machine-guns become ideal targets for mortal’ batteries. The Germans are delaying their retirement across the plain to sow mines and destroy bridges, but these obstructive tactics may be considered the enemy’s final attempt to inflict damage and discomfort before giving ground more quickly.”