EIGHTH ARMY ADVANCE

Grey River Argus, 8 January 1944, Page 5

EIGHTH ARMY ADVANCE

One mile on a 10-Mile Front LONDON, Jan. 6. An Allied communique stated that on Wednesday American and British troops of the Fifth Army yesterday made an attack in rough mountain country. They made advances averaging one mile in depth on a front of about ten miles. In the village of San Vittore, between Mignano and Cassino. there is still fighting. , A correspondent stated: At dawn on Wednesday. Fifth Army troops attacked San Vittore, and by nightfall had won half the village. They fought from house to house, cleaning out one heavily defended point after another. , , Another correspondent stated: lhe Fifth Army reports an advance of a little over a mile west of Venafro, land the capture of a (high (point north-west of that town. We now hold all the high range dominating the little village of San Vittore which the enemy has made a bastion of his Winter defence line. Over the rest of the front our patrols were, as usual, active m spite of the cold and overcast weather. A Reuter correspondent at Allied Headquarters stated: Devastating Allied artillery was on Wednesday begun, raking that half of San Vittore which is still in German hands. Americans are preparing to sweep n to complete the capture of the village.- Crushing pressure >is Ibemg maintained along the Fifth Army s ten-mile fighting front. A series of British and American hammer blows with powerful artillery support is pushing the Germans back. Allied spearheads at some points have dug more than a mile into German positions. One wedge threatening to outflank Cassino is slowly creeping forward in mountains west of Venafro (British forces who are attacking’ the southern sector near the bend of the Garigliano River captured about fifty German prisoners. The Fifth Army began its new attack in the face of a violent slee. and rain storm on a front extending five miles on either side of the Rome road from • a point West of Venafro tQ a point west of Rocca. . The advance of one mile mentioned was made in the face of stiff opposition. American troops entered San Vittore in darkness on Wednesday night., San Vittore is the key to the German defences of Cassino and the entrance to the Lari Valley. A new type of fighter-bomber named the Invader is mentinpea in the cablegrams from the Fifth Army front. It is an adaption of the Mustang suited for dive-bombing, carrying two 500-lb. bombs. Invaders attacking the Ceryaro area yesterday used new tactics. Instead of dive-bombing they roared through the narrow valleys as close to the ground as possible, gunning German positions at 300 miles an hour. Tho new Eighth Army commander. General Leese arrived in Egypt in September, 1942. In October his corps went into attack. For 12 [days the guns, infantry and armour —Englishmen. Scotsmen, Australians, South Africans, New Zealanders and I Indians—commanded by General Leese fought their way forward, crushing furious counter-attacks. By the morning of November 4 the Axis armies were broken. Mareth, Wadi Akrit and Enfidaville were other battles in which his 30th Corps showed again the skill, dash and tenacity for which they had become famous. In July they landed in Sicily and fought their way up the eastern flank of the islands past Catania to Mount Etna and, Messina. General Leese had not intended to make the Army his profession, but once he tried soldiering there was no longer any question about his career. He quickly proved himself an excellent regimental officer and an equally good instructor. At the outbreak of the present war he was Chief Instructor at the Staff College, Quetta (India), with the rank of Colonel. Called back to England in 1940. he was given an infantry brigade and a month later b e wa3 sent to France as Acting-Major-General to take up the duties of Denuty-Ch ; «f of the Genera' Staff at G.H.Q., B.E.F. He was just in time for the rapid advance through Bel-; giqm and the subsequent fighting withdrawal to Dunkirk. He was men-1 t'oned in despatches and received the; C.B.E. He was selected to command: the 30th Corps in the Middle East!, almost ready for the knock-out blow of Alamein. /