CAPTURE OF TWO KEY POINTS

Waikato Times, Volume 193, Issue 22189, 8 November 1943, Page 3

CAPTURE OF TWO KEY POINTS

GERMAN RETREAT ALONG WHOLE FRONT REMNANTS OF POWERFUL DEFENCE LINE SMASHED LONDON, Nov. 7. Further progress by the Eighth Army in Italy is indicated by German reports, which say that the Nazis have withdrawn front three more towns in the Appenines in advance of any territory so far claimed by the Allies. Despite fierce opposition, including repeated strong tank attacks, the Eighth Army advanced from three to five miles and captured seven more towns. The farthest point of the advance is south-west of Vasto, where the Eighth Army spearheads seized Montedorisio, within one mile of the Sinella river, running to the Adriatic, six miles north of Vasto. The six other captured towns are Cupello, Fuci, Palmoli, Tufillo, Celinza and Badnoli, the possession of which gives the Eighth Army complete control as far as Furci, which is ten miles west of Vasto, on the lateral highway from Vasto to Isernia. Cupello, which is about four miles south-west of Vasto, was believed to be the site of the German headquarters for the Adriatic. The Americans on the right wing of the First Army also have advanced. • • With the capture of the key points of Vasto and Venafro, the Allied forces smashed the last remnants of the Germans’ powerful Massico Ridge line, states a message from Allied Headquarters. According to the Morocco radio, the enemy is retreating to new positions along the whole front.

Eighth Army’s Drive ! i The Eighth Army, in driving the Germans back ten miles in the last ; three days, fought hard all the way. The Germans put in all they had in an effort to check the advance. The bitterest fighting of the Fifth Army front is going on in the mountains north of Venafro and on the j heights dominating Mignano. The , i Fifth Army in the latter area cap- | 1 tured Galluccio, on the northern slopes of Mount San Croce. Further westwards the Fifth Army advanced troops are probing the German defences across the Garigliano river. They cross the river under | cover of night in collapsible boats and bring back valuable information about the German dispositions. These advanced units line the south bank of the river from the estuary to the village of Banocella, 8J miles inland. The Berlin radio admitted the evacuation today of Carovilliagnone and Forti del Sanio, east of the Isemia-Caveldisangro highway, but claimed the capture, after heavy fighting, of the village of Santa Maria Oli£vto, in the Venafro area. | The radio, describing the battle in this area, claimed that the Germans have occupied strategically important heights. Americans Improve Positions During the last three days good progress has been made on the Eighth Army front, where we have thrown back the enemy more than ten miles despite serious counterattacks, supported by armour, says a correspondent at the Allied Headquarters in North Africa. Through • this push forward we have complete control over the road running south-west from Vasto to Castel- ■ glioni and over the river Trigno 19 miles from the sea to the bend of , j the river inland. Heavy fighting I is still going on in the American sec- • tor, northward of Venafro and around Mignano, still held by the j enemy, but we occupy nearby high .! ground. In the entire sector, despite strong opposition and evident orders given to the Germans to hold j on as long as possible, the Americans I are improving their positions steadily despite the difficult terrain.

At the western end of the battlefield the Germans have thrown in another infantry division, making nine divisions fighting on this line.