TRYING TO CUT CASSINO-ROME ROAD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 126, 29 May 1944, Page 5

TRYING TO CUT CASSINO-ROME ROAD

ALLIED BATTLES IN ITALY

STIFFENING OF RESISTANCE

GERMANS FALLING BACK ON TO THE OUTER ROME DEFENCES

Reed. 8 p.m. I.option, May 27. Allied forces are racing to cut the Roine-Cassino road, the main escape route for Kesselring's forces in the Liri \ alley, and the remainder of the southern part of Ihc front, a Reuter report says.

A beachhead spearhead ye wiles south of Valmontone. If t considerable part of the German a of being trapped. The Germans appear to be 1 flank. The loss of Sangiovanni Kesselring’s defence system. He efforts to get the remainder of h trol. The Allies have captured £ According to Algiers radio, toe Allies have bypassed Velletri on the eastern side. Other Allied forces are pushing along the Koine road and increasing the threat. Reuters corieoponrteat with 'he Sth Army reports that the Liri Valley is almost clear ot Germans, but there are still a number near the western edge. The sth Army continues the mopping up of the Monte Cairo hills. The Germans have been forced to pull back artillery and are now using night-bombers over the Bth Army front line. The British, thrusting up Highway Six, have liberated areas and are organising a return to civilian life. A civil affairs officer has already been moved into battered Pontecorvo. He received 20 days of food for 12,000 inhabitants, who, in a filthy condition, are being paraded for baths in the river. A finance officer is bringing supplies of currency which has been completely lacking for many weeks. “Still the Hun is on the run,” a correspondent cables from Aquino, 10 miles south-east of Arco. “To-day (Saturday), British and Canadian troops are pushing forward to attack strong-points over 28 miles from the original starting line on the banks of the Rapido River. All along the Bth Army front in the Liri Valley, the Germans continue to fight swift, hard rearguard actions as the retreat continues. “There are many features of the Sth Army’s present attack comparable with their offensive which drove the Germans from El Alamein, across North Africa. When General Leese’s offensive opened on the night of May 11. and the infantry and tanks surged forward to crack the Gustav Line and encircled Cassino. the Germans quickly became disorganised. They fought grimly and desperatelv in the early stages to save the Gustav Line, for thev knew* that once it was gone it would be a difficult tactical operation to fall hack on the Adolf Hitler Line. But. th? Sth Army’s thrust was so powerful that the Gustav Line was] reeling under the terrific weight of the power of the land and air forces. It cracked ouickly and there .wasi great confusion amQng Kesselring s 10th Army as British, Indian and Polish troops chased the Germans back to the Hitler Line. It was th° same at El Alamein. when the Bth Army punched a hole in Rommel's line to let the armour stream through and chase the Germans across the desert there was great confusion among the Germans and Italians on the first few days of the retreat, but ouickly Rommel organised battered # scattered forces and. a few days later, was fighting a military copybook retreat. “That is just what has been happening here on the Bth Army’s front, the Gustav Line was smashed and the Hun retreated in confusion and disorder to the Hitler Line That, too. was smashed with a brilliant attack c-f the Canadians, and again the Germans retreated in comolet o disorder and confusion, which almost brought about a rout. “To-day, things are different. With their customary facility, the German High Command quickly pulled together many loose ends of the retreat, and now th? advancing Sth Army is frequently running again 4 strong, well-organised, well-equipped pockets of resistance, which are fighting grim and bitter rearguard actions. “It appears-unlikely that thev can ha’t the Allies’ sweep towards Rome, but the rate of progress is slowed until these pockets are mopped up. “There is much evidence to show confusion in which the Germans found ■ themselves after the Hitler Line was ] smashed. Dozens of tanks and selfpropelled guns, and dozens of heavy artillery field pieces are in the Bth Army’s hands, and along the sth and Bth Armies fronts more than 12,0001 prisoners have been captured. “The enemy has rushed regiments, from the Adriatic and the Anzio 1 beachh°ad to try stop the rout, but, instead of stopping it, in many cases he has accelerated it. The Germans! threw in reserves piecemeal, without: careful planning and without organ-; i sat ion. There were times when the geineral confusion was so great that units did not know they were surrounded and the men did net know where they were. “I was told to-dav of a German tank recovery section on the other side of ihe Melfa River, who went out at n’ght to recover a Mark IV tank left behind in lhe general confusion of the retreat. It was in perfect running order. The leader of the section, unknowingly, approached a British officer in the dark and asked permission to cross the Melfa to get his tank. ‘By all means, come along with me.' said the officer. The Germans were amazed to find they were prisoners. “Indians. Poles. British, New Zealanders and Canadians ar*- driving the Germans steadily back to the Avez-zano-Valmontone-Velletri fine, where It is expected the Germans will make a desperate stand to defend Rome. “The Germans are putting up a stubborn defence along th? Cori-Val-rnonton Road, writes a correspondent with the sth Army near Artena. “This morning I v. atoned American infantry battling to force its way through cleverly concealed snipers’ posts to a vine-covered pergola. Tanks had penetrated up the road overnight, but had been forced to withdraw to await the arrival of the infantry, who opened up an attack at dawn. Five and a-half hours la!er th? battle was still in progress, and Allied guns were being brought io bear on the German positions. "Th? commanding hill, rising steeply to the south of lhe roadway, provided excellent vantage points fo. the Germans, who were accustomed to fighting reaigua*! actions. Th? hill was being steadily cleared, and I saw 50 prisoners, including two officers,

sterday approached Artena, 2| he Ronie-Cassino road be cut, a ruiy in the south faces the threat binning their forces on the left, ind Pastena is a serious blow to is now clearly making desperate s disorganised forces under conezze.