CASSINO EVACUATED

Grey River Argus, 19 May 1944, Page 5

CASSINO EVACUATED

Ger man Announcement (Rec. 10.15.) LONDON, May 18. The evacuation of Cassino is announced by the German News Agency. “The German defenders of Cassino evacuated their positions according to plan, so as to retire to shorter lines, in conjunction with a movement in the south of their sector.” says the News Agency. “The move was carried out without any interference from the British or Americans, who, after all of their attempts for over two months to force a break-through, had given up all intention of making a direct attack against the German positions injihe Cassino area. The evacuation of Cassino has been so complete that no heavy arms fell into the British or American hands. There were attempts to overrun the German rearguards. These failed, with, heavy enemy losses in the face of our fierce resistance.” HIGHWAY SIX CUT. NEAR CASSINO. (Rec. 11.53.) LONDON, May 18. The German announcement of the evacuation of the town of Cassino was followed swiftly bv a dispatch from a British United Press correspondent with the Eighth Army reporting that British tanks are on ‘Highway Six beyond Cassino. Armoured reconnaissance forces have crossed the road in two places three and a-half and two and a-half miles respectively beyond Cassino. Infantry forces at nightfall yesterday were moving in to consolidate the barriers, and thus close a trap on German garrisons to the eastward. AN ANGLO-FRENCH ADVANCE. (Rec. 11.55.) LONDON, May 18. A British United Press correspondent at the advanced Allied Headquarters says: Eighth Army spearheads, after capturing Pignataro, joined up with a French column, which has entered the Liri Valiev from San Giorgio, and this combined force has begun a powerful attack towards the Hitler Line FRENCH AND AMERICAN CAPTURES. (Rec. 12.50.) LONDON. May 18A Reuter correspondent at Allied .headquarters in Italy reports: After heavy fighting French forces have captured Esperia. Americans are closing in on Formia. They captured Maranola, two miles north-east of Formia. also a village. Trivio, threequarters of a mile west of Maranola. Monte R.uazzo. six and a-half miles west of Spigno, was also captured, representing the farthest westward advance. ! MORE PRISONERS.

(Rec. 12.58.) LONDON. May IS. It is officially announced that pris-

oners taken since the opening of the new offensive in Italy exceed 4,500. The number is still growing. The grand total of prisoners since the opening of the Italian campaign is now beyond twenty thousand.

MOVE ON ROME POSSIBLE.

BY BRITISH AND POLISH FORCES.

(Rec. 11.55. i LONDON. May 18. A Reuter correspondent says: The fall of Cassino opens up a prospect of a new break-through move bv the British and Polish forces to Rome.

HITLER LINE OUTPOSTS

REACHED BY ALLIES.

CRec. 12.45.) LONDON. Mav IS. Thursday’s communique from the Allied Headquarters says: The battle for the Gustav Line is drawing, to a close. A battle for the Adolf Hitler Line is about to commence. The Poles, in the hills north of Cassino. have renewed their attack, after heavy fighting, and have taken an important hill feature. Eighth and Fifth Army troops in the L.ri Valley and hills to the south continued to advance. making contact in many places with outposts of the Adolf Hitler Line.

“A medium force of heaw bombers on Wednesday attacked with good results the ports of Porto San Stefano, Piombino and Porto Ferraro. Other formations attacked Ancona and Bihac. Medium bombers hit bridges at Poggi Bonsi and Ceprano and caused a road block at Frosinone. Light bombers and fighter bombers flew in support of the ground forces and attacked motor transport, railwav tracks, and gun positions in the battle area, and also attacked a vessel at Via Reggio. Night bombers attacked Frosinone. One enemy ’plane was destroyed during the day. Fifteen of our ’planes are missing. The Mediterranean Air Force flew 2.500 sorties. Enemy activity in daylight amounted to only one sortie over the battle area. Naval patrols last Saturday night operating off Anzio beach-head, sank an E-boat and damaged another. ALLIED NAVAL SUPPORT (Rec. 12.40.) LONDON. May 18. An Allied comunique states: In support of the Fifth Army, enemy batteries, positions and concentrations n the Itri and Formia sectors were again successfully bombarded from the sea on Tuesday, many hits being registered. There was increased and more accurate retaliation from the shore, but our ships were, not damaged, and no casualties were Allied cruisers in the last six days co-operating on the left flank of the army have fired nearly three thousand rounds against enemy positions. Minesweepers have been operating oil the enemy coast under intermittent shell fire.

SOUTH AFRICANS IN {ITALY. RUGBY, May 15. The South African 6th Armoured' Division is officially stated to be in Italv It is described as one ,of the largest and most heavily armoured divisions in the world. . r T months squadrons of South African engineers and signallers and hundreds of officers seconded to the British forces have been serving with the Allied armies in Italy; General Smuts recently said that South Africa has the equivalent of three divisions serving outside the Union. There is no indication that the South African armour has yet been in action, ado's the correspondent.