ITALIAN FRONT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24793, 17 January 1944, Page 3

ITALIAN FRONT

ACQUAFONDATA TAKEN ADVANCES BY FRENCH (Reed, .fi.fSO p.m ) LONDON. Jail, in Allied troops of the Fifth Army are steadily converging on Cassino. The last, official news dealt with Friday's operations, when troops came within five miles of the main road which supplies the town from the north. The capture by French troops of the village of Acquafondata and three new heights is announced in an Allied communique. Enemy counter-attacks were repulsed. Acquafondata is in the mountains seven miles north-east of Cassino and about eight miles south-east of Atina. The French pushed forward another two miles after taking Aquafondata, reports a correspondent at Allied Headquarters. In spite of most stubborn resistance, Moroccan troops, using bayonets and knives, captured Acquafondata. which was reported to have been splendidly fortified and full of machineguns, mortars and automatic arms. They went on to take three 3000-foot heights, Monte Ferro, Monte Pegano and Monte Pile. General Join's French troops have now advanced live miles and hold the slopes overlooking the valley of the Rapido River, which flows through Cassino from the north. Meanwhile the Americans found Monte Trocchio, the last height before Cassino, strongly defended Attacks from three directions are, however, making good progress. The Fifth Army, according to the Rome radio, is making one attack after another. Cassino appears to be the aim of the renewed thrusts. It is a small and insignificant village, which enemy propaganda has depicted as an immensely strongly-fortified town. Allied Headquarters announce that 80(H) German prisoners have been taken since the landing in Italy on September .'3 last year. RAIDING PARTIES NEW ZEALANDERS ACTIVE (Reed. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON. Jan. IB The Allied communique says that on the Eighth Army front British and New Zealand troops raided German positions. They occupied some of these positions and inflicted casualties. BOMBING ATTACKS MANY AIRFIELDS SUFFER (Reed. 8.30 p.m.) DOXDOX, Jan 15 Allied aircraft attacked gun positions at San Flia, near Cassino, and San Guiseppe. Hits were scored on the docks at Anzio, south of Rome. Medium bombers attacked the railway bridge, at Pontecorvo, west of Cassino. Four enemy aircraft- were destroyed and live of ours are missing. Enemy airfields at Guidonia and Centicella were attacked by escorted heavy bombers and later by medium bombers. Perugia was -attacked by escorted heavy bombers, while medium bombers attacked other airfields. Ten enemy aircraft were destroyed. Five of our planes are missing. Guidonia is an aviation city wholly devoted to aeronautical research and production. Fascists boasted that Guidonia was the most'complete scientific and military institution of its kind in Europe. Renter's correspondent says that Flying Fortresses and Mitchells attacked Guidonia, where they made craters in the airfields, tore up runways, and hit experimental buildings, workshops, assembly plants and barracks. EUROPEAN COMMISSION (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) < LONDON, Jan. 15 The European Advisory Commission held its first formal meeting to-day at its London headquarters under the chairmanship of the United States representative.