HIGH COMMAND IS VERY PLEASED

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 197, 18 May 1944, Page 5

HIGH COMMAND IS VERY PLEASED

Progress Good, Casualties Relatively Low (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 16. The battle in Italy has gene very largely according to. plan, and our casualties are well under estimated figures, it was learned authoritatively this evening. A war correspondent says the rfign Command is very pleased with the results of dive-bombing attacks. on eumy su" positions, particularly in the Army area, where many Geiman suns were sited in positions inconvenient for our artillery to attack. The Allies consider they y e veloped a fighter-bomber technique far superior to that used earlier by the Germans. ____ MAZE OF ONE-MAN FOXHOLES Gustav Line Examined (Received May 17, 7 p.m.) ' LONDON, May 16. Describing the Gustav Line, the Daily Mail’s” correspondent says: lhere are no massive fortifications and underground cities of the Maginot pattern. It is much more ®rim and sordid. There is a maze of holes big enough to hold a curled-up man, cunning observation posts, an d machinegun emplacements in passageways. “I saw hundreds of the holes. It must have been held for our infantrymen to come upon these one-man strongpoints after crossing the river under mortar-fire and through the mine-strewn fields. There are chains of such holes along roads and tracks. They are four feet long.and two feet deep, and have an embankment above them to give protection from bomb “The idea is that if the advancing Allied troops get too close to the first hole every defender moves back with a quick dash of not more than five yards to the next bole.. Of course, if the tenant of the first hole is killed there is no need for anybody to go back. Perhaps this explains why our men are not making ginat strides forward.” HARBOURS BOMBED LONDON, Muy 16. Allied medium bombers yesterday attacked the harbours of Piombino and Ancona, railway bridges at Orvieto and I ontadera, and industrial objectives at Port Ferrajo. Light bombers aud fi allterbombers attacked supply dumps, gun positions, bridges, troop concentrations, and motor transport in the battle areas. Shipping off the west coast of Italy and the Yugoslav coast and other targets in Yugoslavia were also attacked. »even enemy planes were destroyed, and eight of ours are missing. The AUies-flew more than 1800 sorties, and about 30 enemy planes were encountered over the battle area.