TWO TOWNS CAPTURED
Progress In Italy ENEMY’S STIFF RESISTANCE
LONDON, May 14.
Troops of the Fifth and Eighth Armies are making good progress in the attack on the western sector of the main Italian front. British troops have captured San Angelo, south of Cassino, an American tanks are mopping up in Castelforte, which was captured after French troops, supported by U.S. tanks arid artillery, ha stormed important pointe in the hills surrounding the town. British troops have established a bridgehead across the Kapido River and are getting tanks and supplies across in readiness for further assaults on the enemy positions. German resistance is stiff, but no stiffer than expected, and they have launched many counter-attacks. Their mortar fire is very heavy, but Allied artillery is hitting back strongly.
Correspondents say that the British bridgehead across the Rapido is about 31 miles long but is not very deep. ■Support from the Allied air forces continues on tile highest scale, and naval vessels are heavily shelling enemy positions. Correspondents report that tanks were ferried across to the Rapido bridgehead ready to help to throw baek expected German counter-attacks. The progress on the perimeter of the bridgehead -is, they state, slow, but - solid. British and Indian troops are having to hack their way through barbed wire, and are dealing with enemy strongpoints one by one as they encounter them. Castelforte was stormed by French troops, supported by American tanks and artillery. Prisoners have been taken both here and by the British at San Angelo. With the Allied bridgehead established across the Rapido River, Marshal Kesselring’s outposts in the Gustav Line have been pierced, writes a correspondent in Italy. Throughout yesterday and last night there were no counter-attacks t in the area. Fog lying over the Liri Valley most of the day and hampered the Hun just as much as it hampered the Allies. Visibility was still bad today over the entire valley. On the left flank of the Allied attack French troops, under the command of the Fifth Army, have captured one of their main objectives, Monte? Aito. The Germans still display arrogance. Those so far captured are mainly young (Nazi fanatics. Poles- Fight Bitterly. Polish troops, who magnificently beat off five solid German counter-attacks yesterday, today continued to fight bitterly for ground which commands the Liri Valley. So far there hag been no major fighting in Cassino town itself. Last night was regarded as quiet, but the boom and crash throughout the night made it plain the Allies' guns along both army fronts gave the Hun another solid hammering. ■ > Bitter infantry fighting is going on tonight on the German side of Rapido and Garigliano Rivers, where our troops have crossed on a broad front, reports .Reuters correspondent with the Eighth Army. Air the river crossings were accomplished in the; strength planned and with less casualties than feared, though the enemy’s® withering mortar and machinegun fire delayed some crossings. Troops assailing the heights around Monte Cassino secured two important objectives behind the monastery overlooking the enemy’s supply route. Defence 10 Miles Deep. The American Associated Press correspondent at Allied headquarters, says: “The Fifth and Eighth Aripies in their major offensive pushed forward to a depth of as much as two to three miles in some places.” .“German resistance along the 30-mile battle front is now stiffer than originally expected.” says the British United Press correspondent. “The German's are unleashing wave after wave of counter-at-tacks. throwing in tanks, self-propelled guns, heav.v mortars, and artillery.” An Allied spokesman stated that the Gustav Line is as deep as 10 miles in some places and would require the veryhardest fighting to break through. Reuter’s representative at Advanced Headquarters, reports: Eighth Army forces in the first 12 hqurs of the new assault crossed the Rapido z ahd forced back the Germans from outer defences of the Gustav Line. The Eighth Army have occupied San Angelo, 2} miles south of Cassino. and in the centre of the Rapido front, but.it is not an integral part of the Gustav Line. British officers described tlie battle as on a small scale at Cassino. . . The Americans have captured Damiano Hill, in the Liri Valley, five miles north of Minturno. and an adjacent hill, and also reoccupied. Ventosa in the face of bitter resistance. Americans, with tank support, also captured Ceracoli, one mile south of Damiano, and additional hills west and north of Minturno. They repulsed a whole series of local counterattacks and captured about 200 prisoners- ' . . The Eighth Army above Cassino is meeting with very fierce resistance from tlie German First Parachute Division. French troops of the Fifth Army captured the crest of the 2500-foot Monte Faito strongpoint in the Gustav Line, and have moved against neighbouring heights. ■- . The building up of the Eighth Army s bridgehead on the west side of the Rapido is continuing and the troops are rapidly massing quantities of material for a frontal assault on the main defences of the Gustnv Line. Cassino ifcelf is quiet and not under direct attack
.Enemy Reports. The German news agency this morning admitted t that the Allies had broken through a't several points in the Germanheld Liri Valley below Cnssino, but claimed that the attackers have nowhere reached the actual German defence system. The agency says, that approximately four British and live American divisions are participating. The. battle operations in Italy, despite their scale and extent, are unlikely to be the-decisive offensive to which the Allies have so often referred. It is much more probable that the attack will prove only a diversionary operatic!!. enabling the. Allies to launch another attack with the five fully-equip-ped divisions held in reserve in Italy. These divisions are equipped for an expected now landing on the coast. Endless columns of refugees are streaming northward from Borne, many thousands on foot. a Berlin radio quoted the German High Command announcement: “Under cover of a smoko screen the enemy launched fairly* strong attacks at five points at Xeftuno beach-head. The thrusts were directed against the northern fringe of Vallicelle Grnndi Wood and also against the Garano Cemetery.”
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Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 194, 15 May 1944, Page 5
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1,011TWO TOWNS CAPTURED Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 194, 15 May 1944, Page 5
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