POSSIBLY RESULT OF BREAKING OF DAM

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 191, 11 May 1944, Page 5

POSSIBLY RESULT OF BREAKING OF DAM

Nazi Withdrawal From Salient In Italy LONDON, May 9. When the Eighth Army troops have moved up southward of 8600 ft. _ Monte Maiella in the Calena area, 30 miles inland from the Adriatic coast, they will cut off a German salient which formerly extended 11 miles into the British lines, says the British United Press correspondent at the Allied headquarters. The Germans retreated the day after the Torre Dam was blasted by our divebombers. The water flooded the area only 20 miles to the north-eastward, possibly causing the withdrawal, The German withdrawal occurred over the weekend in the area of the villages of Palena and Lettopalena, about 27 miles from the Adriatic coast. The advancing Eighth Army troops, who were hampered by the demolitions, made no contact with the enemy, who blew up bridges, houses, and tunnels in the area. Another correspondent says that the German withdrawal may be ’the outcome of the threat to his communications by infiltration into the enemy’s flank, German artillery and mortars in the Cassiuo area hammered against the railway station, where our troops have dug in on the southern edge of the town. There have been several patrol clashes bn the Lower Garigliano. The Germans at the Anzio beach-head have shown signs of nervousness in the face of our patrols, especially south-west of Cisterna. The Italian military commander of Rome, General Rollo, was killed by revolver shot this morning near his headquarters, says Rome radio. The assailants escaped. The radio stated that Allied bombers attacked Rome today, causing civilian, casualties. ■Poor visibility in the target areas forced the cancellation of missions by Allied heavy and medium bombers yesterday, writes a Naples correspondent, but there wag some fighter activity. Light units bombed and strafed the highway north of Rome, destroying 32 motor vehicles and two tank carriers, and damaging 38 trucks and a third tank carrier. A motor-launch and barge were sunk in the Tiber River. Spitfires bombed and demolished the German headquarters at Srebic, on the Pcdjesak Peninsula,' in the course of activity across the Adriatic.

GERMANS STILL FALLING BACK LONDON, May 10. The Germans are still falling back on the inland sector of the Adriatic front, and Eighth Arm.v troops have occupied a village and are following up the enemy withdrawal.