Hitler Line Outposts

Grey River Argus, 22 May 1944, Page 5

Hitler Line Outposts

fails to hold. ALLIES REACHING MANY DEFENCES. (Rec. 6.30) LONDON, May 20. Reuter’s Agency, reports Allied armies in Italy are smashing through the Adolf Hitler Line from end to end. The Eighth Army has swung in with a massive offensive against the Cassino-Rome highway. Five I more towns have fallen. German forces at Terracino, whilst less than twenty miles from the Anzio beachhead are under a withering fire from the sea. A high official at the Allied Headquarters made this comment on Sunday: “The Hitler Line is collapsing. Allied troops in twenty-four hours smashed through defences the Germans took months to build.’’ A Reuter Agency says; The plight of the Germans is desperate. They have been bounced right off the Hitler Line. Gaeta and Itri have fallen to Americans, Piumarola (two miles north of Pignataro) to British, and Santa' Lucia (2i miles north-west of the Cassino Monastery) to the Poles. American forces also entered Santa Olivia, a Hitler Line bastion on the Itri J Pontec.orvo road, and captured Mont Conca, two miles west of Formia.

Berlin admits the loss of Campo di Mele, half-way between Itri and Pico, and the most westerly point of Allied penetration. When it became apparent that the Hitler Line was being overrun, a high Allied staff officer bn Saturday declared: “The Germans have been outmanoeuvred. Marshal Kesselring, either through lack of reserves or because he did not move them quickly enough, failed to get them into the Hitler Line, to which he had' withdrawn his retreating forces.” Reuter adds: “Consequently Allied troops advanced through the Germans faster than anticipated. British forces advancing beyond Aquino village, in the Liri Valley, are at present firing against Germans from • a point east of Aquino, where, they have taken German infantry by surprise. British mopping up along the valley south of Aquino, captured many prisoners in heavily-wooded country, where observation of tank movements was difficult. British tanks and armoured cars smashed through light resistance to the outskirts of Aquino aerodrome. German parachutists attempted to defend the aerodrome, but were badly shot up and dispersed. Fifth Army forces penetrated the Hitler Line over a broad front in rugged mountains south of the captured village of Santa Oliva. Fifth Army forces also occupied high points west of the village. Poles have sent patrols into Piedemonte. Germans taken prisoner since the start of the offensive now total over 5,500. The French have captured intact vast stores at San Andria, Ausina and Esperia. They include forty guns.

GERMANS ANNOUNCE RETREAT.

(Rec. 6.30) LONDON, May 20. A German communique on Saturday stated: “A Great defensive battle on the south Italian front continued without respite. Our troops on one sector between Gaeta and Ponte Corvo, are in a grim struggle against far superior enemy infantry and tank forces, fought their way back to new positions. We evacuated the protruding salient of Gaeta. Several heights north of Itri and the township of Campo di Mele fell into enemy hands after severe fighting. ALLIED NAVAL AND AIR SUPPORT. (Rec. 6.30) RUGBY, May 20. An Allied communique slated: — Naval co-operation on Friday included a successful bombardment of targets in and around the enemyoccupied town of Terracina. There were many hits in the town and on roadways. Fires also started when a dump was heavily plastered. Allied aircraft flew 2270 sorties. The ports of Spezia, Genoa and Leghorn and several railway bridges in northern Italy w r ere attacked by strong forces of escorted heavy bombers. Medium bombers attacked bridges and viaducts in the .area of PoggJboni and Pontassieve. Fighters hit supply dumps, bridges, motor transport and gun positions and maintained a patrol over the battle area. ITRI AND GAETA CAPTURED ’ ( Rec . 6 .30) ‘“RUGBY, May 20 I An Allied communique from Italy on Saturday' stated that a thrust forward with great vigour all along the battle front .has, despite difficulties of terrain, prevented the enemy stabilising a line south of Liri River. A Naples correspondent stated a great Allied drive against the Adolf Hitler Line is making splendid progress. Two places were captured in the south. They are Itri (on the Appian Way, and five miles northwest of Gaeta), and the port of Gaeta. High ground west of the Itri-Formia R<sad is also in Allied hands. The Eighth Army made . a rapid advance against light resistance on the outskirts of Aquino aerodrome. They then pressed forward to wire of the Hitler Line east !of Aquino. Aquino is six to seven : miles west of Cassino. Allied artillery put down a heavy concentration

FAST ENEMY RETREAT ON COAST. AMERICANS NEARING ANZIO (Rec. 11.50.) LONDON. May 21. A correspondent at the Allied advanced Headquarters in Italy says. Americans, advancing north after breaking through the southern half of the Adolf Hitler Line, are now about thirty miles from the Anzio beach-head. . , Americans making rapid headway along the coast, captured a coastal village, Sperlonga, and are now over a mile north-west of the village. The spearhead of the American forces pressed along the left flank of tre Allied advance on Saturday afternoon and reached a point midway between Itri and Fondi. The ItiiPico lateral road is now firmly m Allied hands from the coast to a point two miles north of Itri. “In the northern part of the Filth Army front, the German resistance has stiffened. The enemy has frequently counter-attacked east of Pico. Latest News MAIN hitler LINE under PRESSURE.

(Rec. 11.15) LONDON May 21. An Allied communique fiom Italy says: The Allied offensive continues without pause. Severe P ies^ mv being maintained against the enemy all along the battle front. Eighth Army troops have driven mto an outposts of the Adolf Hitler Line the Liri Valley and now are» closely contacting the main defences, connaissance shows that Liri strong as was expected, and stm resistance is being encountered. The Fifth Army troops have continued to drive back the enemy from his main defensive positions. ine whole of Gaeta Peninsula has been cleared of the enemy. The foremost French troops now 1 threaten tne Pico-Ponte Corvo road. (Rec. 12.50.). LONDON, Ma v 21. The British United Press Correspondent with the Fifth Army reports: A series of sharp explosions' from/ Terracina late on Saturday indicated

that the Germans were carrying out demolitions. Allied troops, though advancing as fast as possible with artillery close behind them are finding it difficult to maintain contact with the Germans, so rapid is the retreat. ■ Another correspondent says: The Eighth Army in the Liri Valley, is still battling for possession of Piedmonte. Rain has turned the valley into mud, ALLIED AIR ACTIVITY (Rec. 11.17) LONDON, May 20. The Allied communique from Italy states: Fighter bombers were active in support of ground forces on Saturday, .and against forward enemy lines of communication. laj> gets included gun positions, ' troop concentrations, defended areas, roads, railway rolling stock, motor transport, a tunnel near Terracma, and a bridge north-east of Rome. Other fighter-bombers attacked_shipping off the Dalmatian coast. Fighters flew patrols over our frontline areas. Bad weather prevented heavy bombers and medium bombers operating. Six of our planes are. missing. No enemy planes were sighted in daylight over battle areas. We flew 640 sorties. It is now known an additional 22 enemy planes were destroyed in heavy bomber operations'on Thursrif”' One enemy aircraft was destroyed. Ten Allied planes are missing. Twenty enemy aircraft were reported over the battle area.