FIFTH ARMY’S SUCCESS

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 January 1944, Page 5

FIFTH ARMY’S SUCCESS

WINNING SLOGGING MATCH GERMANS LEAVE MINTERNO LONDON, January 20. British forces are not only holding the gains north of the Garigiiano, but are fanning out and pushing on m a determined effort to link up the three bridgeheads across the Garigiiano. The Algiers radio says the British Fifth Army troops, despite fierce German counter-attacks at the western extremity of the Gustav line, attacked on a seven to ten mile front and captured additional important heights. The Germans, falling back beyond the valley, are reported to be digging in on higher ground. Reuter’s correspondent on the Fifth Army front says: The battle at the Lower Garigiiano has developed into a slogging match, wherein the Germans are slowly getting the worst of exchanges, although they have received reinforcements and are fighting resolutely. Rome radio announced: Liberators yesterday attacked Rome and Viterbo and other places; They destroyed the Rome waterworks, as well as a number of houses in the city. No casualties are so far reported. Repair of the waterworks is progressing. Meantime the population is warned to use water sparingly. Aerial reconnaissance shows that Allied air blows temporarily isolated Rome from the north by cutting off all rail communications. Only one of three major lines down the Italian Peninsula at present is open, an east coast line from Ancona to Pescara from which the enemy forces opposing the Eighth Army are obtaining supplies. Rome radio reports that Allied naval units yesterday shelled Scambi, near Minturno, in the area where the British crossed the Garigiiano River, causing great damage and heavy casualties among the population of Scambi.

EVACUATION OF MINTURNO

LONDON, January 20

The Germans have announced the evacuation of Minturno, near the mouth of the Garigiiano River, where .British troops of the sth Army are attacking. Allied reports have not yet confirmed the capture of Minturno. The last reports from the front said that the sth Army men were on the outskirts of the town, which was described as an important road and rail centre. The offensive across the Garigiiano was reported to have moved two miles beyond the river at some points. The Germans had recovered from their surprise and were making good use of positions dug into the hillside overlooking the attacking British troops.

AERIAL ATTACKS

RUGBY. January 20

The British crossings over the Garigliano River have been joined up and now extend two miles along a seven-miles front. Minturno has been almost reached, and the troops have started up the high ground further inland. They will, however, have a deep, wide river at their backs, which must cause supply difficulties for the present. The Allied communique states that British troops of the sth Army are continuing their advance in the Tyrrhenian Sea despite stubborn enemy resistance and two heavy counter-attacks. Suio, Tufo and Argento have been captured. Elsewhere on both . army fronts patrols are active. Suio is just across the river seven miles inland. Tufo is beyond the river, just outsTrfWjfenturno and east of that town. Meafiwhile German airfields and railways throughout Central Italy have again been pounded by strong forces of both heavy and medium bombers. Heavy bombers, escorted by fighters, well covered the airfields at Ciampino (a Rome airfield}, Canitocelle, Perugia, and inland from Ancona. Medium bombers went to Viterbo and Rieti (40 miles northeast of Rome), where stores, barracks, and dispersal areas were hit. Light bombers attacked the railway facilities at Sulmona and Colleferro.

Fighters and fighter-bombers attacked gun positions over the battle area, rolling stock in Central Italy, and shipping on the Dalmatian coast. Three enemy aircraft were destroyed and two of ours are missing. On Tuesday night a strong force of our bombers attacked the railway yards at Pontassieve.

STUBBORN RESISTANCE

RUGBY. January 20

The crossing of the Garigliano River by British troops, who are still fighting' and holding the ground gained in the face of stubborn resistance. was well prepared and organised. On Monday evening a smokescreen covered the crossing. While some men swam, boats and rafts were used to carry the assaulting forces across and others were taken by sea across the mouth of the river.

The fighting has been of a give-and-take nature in an area strewn with minefields and under heavy fire from machine-gun nests in concealed eaves and the rough country forming Monte Aurunchi. which rises at some places to 3000 ft. We continued to force the enemy away from the bank of the river. There are indications that the Germans are stiffening their resistance and are determined strongly to defend Castel Forte, two miles from the river and six miles inland. Prisoners declare the brunt of the fighting has fallen on the re-formed German 94th Infantry Regiment. The Germans launched several coun-ter-attacks supported by tanks in the coastal sector.

Further north, the French are | maintaining close contact with the I enemy and in the centre the Americans on patrol again crossed the Rapido to probe the defences. The Rapido is not much of an obstacle. Although bridges are employed to cross it, the width varies from 20ft to 60ft at the confluence of the Garigliano near San Angelo. ■ On the Bth Army front there are the usual patrolling and exchange of artillery fire,, but little change in the forward positions. In the area of Crechio, six miles from the Adriatic, in a patrol encounter there was sharp fighting during which we captured prisoners and inflicted casualties on the Germans. The air forces co-operating with the ground forces were quite active yesterday, pounding throughout the day enemy positions and lines of communication. Fighters carried out offensive sweeps in the Rome area, destroying and damaging trains and trucks. Rail targets near Fonde, on the coastal line to Rome, were bombed and strafed, many fires and explosions resulting. PAINFUL PROGRESS (Recd. 12.35 p.m.) LONDON. Jan. 20. The Germans have apparently chosen Castleforte as the key point of the defence against the British forces, says the Algiers radio. Our progress is painful, as the ground is thick with mines and swept by persistent accurate gunfire and mortarfire. The British, nevertheless, are battling a way yard by yard up the hill overlooking part of- Monte Aurunci. Oui- casualties are not light. The Germans from the heights beyond the advancing British troops are firing on river crossings, damaging the rafts and temporary bridges. Al-

lied airmen, and British artillery are working incessantly to silence the troublesome German guns and mortar nests. In addition to the British troops who crossed the Garigiiano by swimming and raft, another force was landed from the sea north of the river mouth. These troops formed the spearhead which entered the southern outskirts of Minturno, which the German News Agency says the Germans abandoned after heavy fighting. Tufo, which we 'captured, is in the vicinity of the Rome-Capua railway four miles inland from Minturno. Americans and French tightened the net around the German defence beyond the Rapido. ADRIATIC "AND AEGEAN (Rec. 11.30 a.m-fLONDON, Jan. 20 R.A.F. Spitfires have been engaged in some of the most thrilling air fights of the war against German reconnaissance planes over ’ the Adriatic, sometimes as high as seven miles, says the Associated Press Algiers correspondent. A New Zealander, Squadron Leader R. W ■ Leven, and a Londoner, FlightSergeant E. A. Rushmere, recently chased one German plane for 100 miles, finally shooting it down from a height of 35,000 ft. . The Germans have been forced to reduce the size of supply convoys for the islands in the Aegean and lonian Seas, because Allied naval and air forces are constantly battering them. According to Renter’s Cairo correspondent. the Allies by last September had sunk 165 ships, totalling 53,580 tons.

ITALIAN DISSENSIONS

LONDON, January 20

The Badoglio Government arrested eight delegates, from the Brindisi region, who were to attend a Democratic Congress at Bari, reports the Associated Press correspondent in Southern Italy. Democratic leaders fear other arrests, and accuse tne Government of attempting to sabotage the Congress, which is almost certain to demand King Victor’s abdication. They also declare that trie Government drafted a large contingent of police to Bari in the attempt to convince the people that the Congress threatens Italian unity.

THE POPE’S APPEAL

LONDON, January 19

Pope Pius XIII gave a special audience to the members of the Nobility of Rome. In an pddress the Pope said: “Whoever has considered and has pondered over the past cannot deny that the evil that has come about could have been avoided had each carried on his and her duties in accordance with Divine Providence. Your task is to help to restore the normal functioning of the human machinery. You represent a tradition which is much more than simply a link with the past. Tradition means progress. You live in a modern society. Go among the people! Listen to their praise and to their condemnation. Feel their scars with your own hands. Let your hearts feel the ache that is throbbing in their hearts.”