Last River On Cassino Road Crossed

Northern Advocate, 18 January 1944, Page 3

Last River On Cassino Road Crossed

i Rec. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 17 American patrols have already passed the Rapido River, which is the last water obstacle before Cassino and runs two miles south of the town. The Germans built strong defences along Its northern banik.

The french has captured additional heights in the advance from Acquafondata. They are now overlooking Sanelia which is about iholf-a-mile away. It lies five miles north of Cassino and is situated at the northern end of the Germans’ 20 miles’ long Gustav line which runs to the Tyrhennian Sea.

General Clark in a congratulatory message to General Giraud said: "A French expeditionary corps fighting in adverse weather and over difficult terrain, has succeeded in capturing all initial objectives against deter-, mined German resistance. The corps is continuing to make excellent progress northwards.” Many Bombing Targets Fortresses and Liberators turned their attention on Saturday .to rail installations and communication lines. Most of ' the targets were in the Florence area.

Liberators bombed railway yards at Prato. They were escorted by Lightnings and met no enemy aircraft. Fortresses carried out widespread attacks on enemy supply routes, bombing rail and road targets at Obrieto. Poggibonsi, Certaido and Arezzo, all on the main line to Rome. ,

Railway bridges and a highway at Proto and Civitanovo, on the east coast, south-west of Ancona, and port installations and railway yards at Cicitavecchia were also bombed. Mitchells attacked a railway junction at Foligwio, midway between Rome and Florence, scoring hits on tracks. Marauders bombed three railway bridges at Orvieto. Fighter-bombers attacked a supplydump and railhead at San Valentino. 15 miles west of Cheti, causing several large fires and explosions. Kittyhawks scored hits on 35-foot motor vessels in Sibenik Harbour. Yugoslavia, and also bombed and strafed two torpedo-boats. Ahead of the Fifth Army, fighters cuad fighter-bombers attacked defended postiions and communication lines. Two of our aircraft are missing from ail these operations. New German Line

A correspondent writing from Fifth Army headquarters states that in the northern sector, French and American troops have pushed forward against strongly fortified enemy positions at Cassino which is the keypoint of the new German defence of the Gustav line. This line runs from the village of San Elio to the sea, a distance of roughly 40 miles. French troops are now within 1000 yards of San Elio, from which the enemy’s defence line follows the Rapido River as far as Cassino, and by San Algelo up to the Garigliano River. The line follows the course of the river as far as the village of Broggio and on to the sea. In the coastal sector, the Canadians have slightly improved their position and in the vicinity of San Eusanio. four miles inland, a German patrol was driven back by Indian troops, who inflicted healvjy casualties and took some prisoners.