GUSTAV LINE PASSED

Grey River Argus, 18 May 1944, Page 5

GUSTAV LINE PASSED

ON SOUTH OF LIRI RIVER

HIGHWAY SIX UNDER FIRE Enemy’s Next Line Very Strong ALLIEp LEADERS SATISFIED

[Aus. & N.Z. Press Assn.] LONDON', May 17. The 'battle in Italy has gone very lai-gely according to P lan ’ . casualties are well under figures, it was. learned authonta tively on Tuesday evening. The Columbia Broadcasting Sys tern in a-broadcast from Italy stated that Allied troops yesterday, captured 21 square miles of ground, making the total captured, in the first four days of the offensive, 81 square The German News Agency s military commentator, Praegner to-night admitted that the German troops have withdrawn to “prepared positions in the rear,’’ after abandoning four towns, Ausonia, Sligno, ban Giorgio and Castel Nuova. The Germans holding the nigh ground west of the Fifth Army are now dependent on rough mountain trails for communications. Reuter’s military correspondent points out that Praegner’s admission means that the Germans have retreated along a 10-mile curved front extending from a few' miles from the sea up to the . Liri Valley. His report agrees with Allied messages that the lower half of the Gustav Line has been over-run and that the Germans, have been swept west of the main lateral road through Ausonia. The positions to which the Germans say they have retired probably form the advance defence works of the Adolf Hitler Line, which is situated about six miles east of the four towns mentioned. Allied counter-attacks along the Adriatic have regained all the ground lost last Saturday. This sector is now quiet. The Algiers radio stated that members of the German Army Medical Corps captured in Italy were given a chance to return to their own lines but all preferred to stay in the Allied lines. The number of prisoners taken since the beginning of the offensive k is estimated at 3000. ROOSEVELT’S COMMENT. CONDITIONS IMPROVE. (Reec. 12.40.) LONDON, May 17. President Roosevelt, at his press conference in Washington said that on the Italian front conditions had improved and were more encouraging. He said that on the first day. after the new campaign began, he was feeling not at all well about the reports received. The Allied forces seemed not to be making much progress. However, on the second and third days the situation improved. Things were distinctlv better now. Rapid French Advance ENEMY REGIMENT WIPED OUT HITLER LINE NEARLY REACHED LONDON, May 16. To-day’s communique from Italy savs: French troops in the mountainous country south of the Lin Valley have made more progress. At one point they are eight miles from the positions where the advance, began and they have taken three more villages. . French troops driving northward and westward on the Upper Gangliano sector captured Santa Lucia ’ and Le Forche, both south-west of the .already occupied San Giorgio. Le Forche is the furthest point reached by the French and represents a total" advance of eight miles. The French also hold the villages of Casale. Annunxiata and Castelnuova, all 'between Ausonia and San Giorgio and have cut the road running north-west from Castelnuova. The Algiers radio to-night reported that Allied units of the Fifth Army had Monte Frammera less than two miles from Esperia, which is reported to be one buttress of the Adolf Hitler Line. French troops on the same front in a sudden attack, completely routed the German 71st Infantry Division, which is now in full retreat. The French have virtually destroyed the German 194th Grenadier Regiment with the whole of its headquarter’s staff, and 131st Infantry Regiment. A Reuter correspondent says:— French troops 'on jMEonte Frammera now look down on the Hitler Line. They are less than 3000 feet from Esperia. The Germans, except at Cassino and Monastery Hill, are already out of the original Gustav Line and are defending hastily-dug defences, states Reuter’s correspondent in a despatch to-night from .advanced headquarters. He adds that German reserves are already filling up the Hitler Line. „ , , The “Dailv Express correspondent «ivs- The Hitler Line has been .prepared for months with inner and outer defences. It Will not be easy fo break It has Hitler’s label .and the military engineers had to make sure it was good , eighth army threatenstoTut route ’LONDON, May 17. a Reuter correspondent stated. TTilhth Army spearheads are on the E nFut of cutting the German garn- . main escape road from Cassino six, which is the mam in K Eighth o A?mv e established new Which is now two miles deep, sino, vi iDi cm a taro Inter amna, ?,° n v f W tatks and 7.5 assault guns. S Sdn^he o C"g» S Road. re/ Ann Fan way and parallel '^th 1 the railway which is the coastal Highway 1 Six and the organised parachute units, £h?in nSE'oKS se r r wnr e correspondent says: The A ar vprv nleased with Hißh Sult? of d dive-bombing attacks the results of a particularly on ?. Army area, where in the Germin guns were sited m ” o sgon G s ™Xv g enient for our firt.l-

lery to attack. The Allies consider that they have developed fighterbomber technique far superior, to that used earlier by the Germans The Allied air forces flew 1800 sorties yesterday. Heavy bombers vvei e not operating, but medium bombers attacked ports on the west coast, and light and fighter-bombers attacked targets in the battle area. About o 0 German aircraft were over the battle area and seven of them were destroyed Eight Allied aircraft are m Th“”Air Ministry’s News Service states that the 400th enemy aircraft shot down by -the Spitfire wing m Italy was shared by Warrant Officer Vounsf of Bulls, and a South African l eutenant. It was a Fockewtilf dive-bomber. It was the first time any wing had shot down 400 enemy aircraft outside Britain Allied Official Report NO CHANGE NORTH OF CASSINO. GUSTAV LINE FIGHTING CONTINUOUS. (Rec. 1.5.) LONDON, May 17. Wednesday’s Allied communique from Italy says: The battle for the Gustav Line continues, without a pause. There is no change in the hills north of Cassino. British and Indian troops, however, evicted enemy forces from most of their original positions in the Liri Valley. Eighth Army bridge-heads have been enlarged. The enemy is resisting our advance from further prepared positions in the rear. All the positions of the Gustav Line south of the Liri River have been overrun “‘French and American troops of the Fifth Army continue to fight their wav forward to gain contact with the .Adolf Hitler Line. “Medium bombers on Tuesday attacked Piombino Harbour, shipyards at Voltri, and railway bridges and a tunnel in Central Italy. Light bombers and fighter-bombers numerously attacked gun positions, troop concentrations, road bridgees, and motor transport in the battle area, and railway lines north of Rome. The weather prevented heavy bomber operations. Our bombers on Tuesday night attacked Piombino, San Stefano, Porto Ferraro. Seven enemy ’planes were destroyed in these operations. Six of our ’planes are missing. The Mediterranean Air Forces flew more than 800 sorties. Ten enemy ’planes Were fciglited 'over the batjle area during daylight. AMERICAN CAPTURES. THREE VILLAGES. LONDON, May 17. The Americans have repulsed enemy counter-attacks against their hill positions and resistance in this sector has decreased. American troops west of a road running south from Ausonia have captured Snigno, three miles southwest of Ausonia, on the lower Garigliano River; and also captured Capo d’Aqua, south of Spigno, and just west of the lateral road. They also captured Monte Lacivita, west of Santa Maria Infante, J Frederick Faust, war correspondent for “Harper’s” magazine and a well-known author of American thrillers under the pen name of “Max Brand,” was killed in action on the opening night of the Allies’ offensive. Faust went in the opening assault with the troops on the Lower Garigliano. FURTHER AMERICAN CAPTURES. (Reec 12.5.) LONDON, May 17. A Reuter correspondent at Allied Headquarters says: The American troops of the Fifth Army have captured Scauri on the coast, almost due south of Spigno. They also have taken Castel Longrato, about half-way between Scauri and Spigno, which fell after heavy fighting.

.INDIANS TAKE PIGNATARO.

MOPPING UP IN TOWN CONTINUES.

(Rec. 12.50.) LONDON, May 17. A , Reuter correspondent with the Eighth Army reports: On Tuesday night forces of the, Indian Division after stiff fighting, captured Pignataro, an important fortress town in the Liri Valley. The Indians have overwhelmed German resistance on high ground east of the town. On Wednesday night they were continuing to mop up enemv cellars and, other hide-outs. General fighting north of Pignataro on Tuesday night continued to be severe. Fight for Highway Six RAPIDO BRIDGEHEAD IMPROVED.

(Rec. 1.15.) LONDON, May 17. Reuter’s correspondent says: The Eighth Army's bridge-head across the Rapido (River is now four or five thousand yards deep. Severe fighting continues north of Pignataro. British infantry and tanks there have repulsed enemy counter-attacks. They pushed forward four hundred yards. Effective Allied air' bombing of hostile gun areas and counter artillery fire have resulted in less enemy sheL ling of the Rapido gateway, where bridging operations continue. All types of vehicles can now go over. It is believed that the Germans are still using Highway Six for bringing up supplies for their garrison in Cassino. Highway Six is threatened, as the Allies can sweep it with mortar and machine-gun fire. The Germans are pouring out a deadly fire from the hills behind Cassino against the Eighth Army troops who are rushing forward to close Highway Six. The enemy’s resistance has stiffened to t cover his vital communications along ■ Highway Six. The Germans have made several counter-attacks, supported bv tanks, but they have been thrown back. British infantry and tanks continue to advance. ADOLF HITLER LINE. STRONGEST' MET IN WAR. (Rec. 12.40.) J ' LONDON, May 17. A Reuter correspondent with the Eighth Army says: General Alexander’s offensive is, generally, proceeding according to plan. Distances, are not our objective, but rather a neutralisation or destruction of the enemy’s forces in Italy. Marshal Kesselring is now manning the Adolf Hitler Line, to which German forces are rolling back. Reports are coming in which describe the Adolf Hitler Line as the most closdjv ipacked 'defence system encountered throughout the war. The Germans have begun flooding the Lin Valiev in the area of the Eighth Army’s Rapido River bridgehead The enemv also have brought up tank and infantry reinforcements in a desperate effort to save their Cassino positions. . German Defences I GRIMMER THAN MAGINOT LINE.

(Rec 5.5.) LONDON. May 16. Describing the Gustav Line, a “Dailv Mail” correspondent says. There are no massive fortifications nor underground cities of the Magi-

not Line pattern. If is much more grim and sordid. There is a maze of holes big enough to hold a curled-up man, cunning observation posts, and machine-gun emplacements in pas-sage-ways. I saw hundreds of holes. It must have been hell for our infantrymen to come upon these one-man strong points, aftei’ crossing a river under mortar fire, and through minestrewn ' fields. There are chains of such holes along roads and tracks. They are four feet long and two feet deep, aiuljiave an embankment above them to give protection from bomb or shell. The idea is that, if advancing Allied troops get too close to the first hole, every defender moves back with a quick dash. It is not more than five yards to the next hole. Of course, if the tenant of the first hole Is killed, there is no need for anybody to go back. Perhaps this explains why our men are not making giant strides forward.