N.Z. TROOPS IN ARCE

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24271, 31 May 1944, Page 3

N.Z. TROOPS IN ARCE

Bth Army Moving On Frosinone

ENEMY RETREAT CONTINUES

(Rec. 12.30 a.m.) LONDON, May 30. “The British occupied Arce yesterday morning,” says Reuter’s correspondent with the Bth Army. “The Germans fought a bitter rearguard action from heights outside the town. The British in the hills beyond Arce late yesterday ran into renewed rearguard resistance. The German withdrawal from Arce left the town comparatively intact. “There is a race between the British and Canadians beyond Ceprano to reach Frosinone, which is one of the most important of the Bth Army’s objectives.” An Official War Correspondent with the N.Z.E.F., in a dispatch from Arce, on Monday, said: The New Zealanders have moved up the Liri valley in the vanguard of the Bth Army, and to-day they entered the town of Arce. Continuing their advance on the extreme right of the Bth Army’s drive, New Zealand forces have taken Atina, an enemy gun stronghold three miles north of Belmonte, and have made, good propress towards Sora, which lios astride Main Highway 82. [Atina is nine miles almost due north of Cassino, and is linked by road with Sora, about 12 miles

further to the north-west.] An earlier report said that British and New Zealand troops were closing in on Arce. one of the strongpoinls commanding the Liri valley. Three German divisions had been wiped out in the Liri valley fighting, and other units had also been annihilated. The Algiers radio says that a threepronged attack is developir against Frosinone. mounted bv beachhead

troops from the west, Bth Army troops from the cast, and French troops from the south. Other reports say that the mountain drive in the eastern sector of the front continues northward againct generally light resistance. French troops are pushing on after the capture of Monte Siserno and Villa San ftefano (south of Ceccano), while Bth Army forces are cleaning up the hills north-west of Roccasecca (about six miles south-east of Arce) , , , A report sent before the capture ol Arce said that although Monte Ono, dominating Arce from the south-east, had been taken, German paratroops were putting up a fierce rearguard resistance on Monte Grande, one miile south of Arce. Their only possible escape route lay northward through Avezzano. over a narrow mountain road which was being constantly bombed. The fall of Arce would unlock the northern clrsp of Highway 6 Road-block units were hastily improvising bridges across the Lin and Sacco rivers and harrying the German rearguard. The Allies here had pushed five miles further west and were now only six and a half miles from Fros - none.

SERGEANT’S COURAGE AT CASSINO

HACHINK-UUX I’OST WII’ED OUT SINGLKHANDED

mnuM rugby, May 29. A°med only .'ill, a revolver and fav line near Cassino, under a had o. cncmy C defond^°fiercc 1y! 11 Cy a Withering machine-gun flic the u’ont steadily forward led hy Scant Sn«S. Suddenly, ano.her mKhinc-sun ripened up from lire rear Shouting to his men to t-diiy o». b fl As hiM’an towards the post Sergeant Sinoe lluew first one grenade and aVe four Germans. Not one of them survived his courageous attack. He immediately ran back to the head rtf hie nlatoon who. inspiiod by their splendid example, then went into the attack heedless of canger.