THE UMARU HERALD. SATURDAY. JAM ARA 1911 CRUSHING PRESSURE

Timaru Herald, Volume CLV, Issue 22785, 8 January 1944, Page 5

THE UMARU HERALD. SATURDAY. JAM ARA 1911

CRUSHING PRESSURE

Allied Armies In Italy

Enemy Gives Ground

Contest tor San Vittore

By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright LONDON, January 6. Devastating Allied artillery fire is to-night raking that half of San Vittore still in German hands, says Reuter’s correspondent at Allied Headquarters. He adds that the Americans are preparing to sweep in to complete the capture of this mountain village. Crushing pressure is being maintained along the Fifth

Army’s 10-mile fighting front. A series of British and American hammer blows with powerful artillery support is pushing the Germans back. Allied spearheads have at some points dug more than a mile into the German positions. One wedge, threatening to outflank Cassino. is slowly creeping forward in the mountains west of Venafro. Other British units attacking the southern sector near the bend of the Garlgliano River captured about 50 German prisoners. The Fifth Army began the new attack in the face of violent sleet and rainstorms on a front extending five miles on either side of the Rome road from a point west of Venafro to a point west of Rocca. The advance of one mile mentioned In a communique issued at Algiers was made in the face of stiff opposition. American troops entered San Vittore in darkness on Wednesday night and fierce fighting is still going on in the village, half of which has been captured. San Vittore is the key to the German defences of Cassino and the entrance to the Liri Valley. The British United Press correspondent says that the Eighth Army began its drive supported by an extremely heavy barrage and bombing and strafing from the air. Important Advance A combined groujt of Canadians and Americans made one of the most important advances through difficult-snow-capped mountain terrain. They captured another mountain peak, making three peaks captured in two days. Canadians of the Eighth Army captured a hill three miles beyond Ortona. They are now overlooking a coastal village eight miles distant on the road to Pescara. Fierce fighting continues in this coastal sector, where the infantry is clearing out enemy nesta south of the Foro River. A new type of fighter-bomber named the Invader is mentioned in messages from the Fifth Army front. It is an adaptation of the Mustang, and is suited for dive-bombing, carrying two 5001 b bombs. Invaders, attacking in the Cervaro area yesterday, used new tactics. Instead of dive-bombing they roared at a speed of 30 miles an hour through the narrow valleys as close to the ground as possible, gunning German positions. British and American troops of the Fifth Army in Italy have advanced a mile towards Cassino on a 10 mile front. They went forward together at dawn yesterday in blinding snow and a gale, and soon entered San Vittore, a small village in the mountains between Mignano and Cassino, which the Germans had evidently intended to be another Ortona. They had fortified every house, and they fought desperately to check the advance.

Medium and light bombers were Co have laid down a carpet of bombs for the advance, but the weather grounded the heavier machines and fighters and fighter-bombers were used instead. Mustangs were active in strafing troops, ammunition dumps, and other targets. In spite of grim fighting the Americans had occupied half the village by nightfall. Heavy Allied artillery fire was laid down, and the Germans replied with 88 nun. cannon and multiple mortar fire from hill positions. The advance would not have been possible had it not been for the work of 250 British sappers, who constructed a mountain road under constant fire from the enemy. They had to cross a storm-swollen river and beat off an enemy attack. Canadians of the Eighth Army have beaten off more counter-attacks in the last three days on the dominating ridge they hold three miles north of Ortona. Pesaro Bombarded British destroyers sailed 130 miles up the coast from this point to bombard Pesaro, a railway served Adriatic port, about 80 miles due east of Florence. About 200 rounds were pumped in. This is the farthest yet Allied craft have been up the Adriatic. "The American and British troops of the Fifth Army have launched an attack in rough mountain country,” states to-day's Allied communique. "Advances averaging a mile in depth have been made along a front of approximately 10 miles. Street fighting is in progress in San Vittore, where the enemy converted houses into pillboxes. Stiff fighting continues on the Adriatic coastal sector. “Light bombers on Tuesday night attacked the chemical works at Torre de Piassiera and fires were left burning. Bad weather yesterday limited air operations, but fighter-bombers attacked enemy gun positions in the Cervara area. One of our aircraft is missing." Furious Battle For Heights Fierce fighting is going on along the Fifth Army Front at the northern end of the 10-mile sector straddling the Venafro-Rome railway line, according to the Vichy radio. The Americans are waging furious battles for the heights dominating the road to Cassino and Rome. The Paris radio reports that heavy street fighting continues in Sah Vittore. The British and Americans, resuming their offensive, made several local breaches, but the German line as a whole has not been broken. The Berlin radio claims that French volunteers are with the German forces in Italy. It says that to-day's Berlin newspapers publish photographs of companies of French volunteers with the German air force motor detachment in a town in Northern Italy, ment in a town in Northern Italy .