FEVERISH WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 4, 6 January 1944, Page 5

FEVERISH WORK

ENEMY DEFENCE LINE

Rec. 11.50 a.m. RUGBY, Jan. 5. Prisoners recently captured in Italy say that the enemy is now feverishly building up new defensive positions in the rear of the battle area, writes a correspondent at Allied headquarters in North Africa. These are several miles deep and are concentrated on the lines of the Todt system, so as to impose the maximum amount of delay in the advance towards Rome. Some of these formidable fortifications, which are reached • by way of communication trenches, are well supplied with machine-gun and mortar posts, which have not only been built all along the new defensive line but at vital points of the old line, probably in the vicinity of Cassino and San Vittore and also in the Pescara area. The correspondent adds that there has been no change in our positions on the Eighth Army front. On Tuesday, despite very determined fighting, we captured, a 180-foot elevation which the Germans were making a persistent effort ■to retain. Indian troops made a small advance of several hundred yards in face of very heavy machine-gun fire. They succeeded in .occupying a road, south-west of San Tomaso.

The Fifth Army reports an advance a little over a mile west of Venafro, and the capture of a high point northwest, of that town. We now hold all of the high range dominating the little village of San Vittore, which the enemy has made a bastion of his winter defence line. Over the west front our patrols were as usual active despite cold and overcast weather.— 8.0. W.