AMERICANS REACH TERRACINA

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 201, 23 May 1944, Page 5

AMERICANS REACH TERRACINA

Appian Way Advance BASTION ENCIRCLED BY BRITISH AND POLES

LONDON, May 22. Hard fighting to throw the enemy out of the Hitler Line continues. The Americans on the Appian Way captured the town of Fondi and now have reached the outskirts of Terracina, the southern anchor of the 20-mile-switch defence line on which the Germans are falling back. The Americans have also captured high ground west of Fondi, which is believed to have been part of the switch line. In the area of Pico, northern pivot of this line, French and American troops have advanced in the face of counter-attacks. French troops are in the outskirts of Pontecorvo and have taken heights three miles west of that town. West of Cassino the important Hitler Line bastion Piedimonte has been encircled by British and Polish troops. The fighting is heavy. Austrian troops who were cut off in a nearby village surrendered. The prisoner total since the start of the present offensive is now well over 6000.

<By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, May 21. The Americans’ capture of Fondi brings them within 25 miles of the Anzio beach-head. Reuter’s correspondent at Allied headquarters says that as a result of the capture of Fondi the Fifth Army is now aligning itself threateningly against the 20-mile stretch of German defence switch line from Terracina to Pico. The advance against Terracina will have to be from Fondi past Monte San Biagio, which stands midway between them, because there are no roads across the marshy coast area above Sperlonga. A British United Press correspondent, cabling from the Anzio beach-head, sajs tiie Germans have flooded part of the Pontine Marshes in the path of the Fifth Army advancing from the south, but the Terr'acina-Cisterna highway is well built up and cannot be seriously flooded. Rome radio says that the beach-head forces are attempting to break out to join up with the advancing Allies. Thu junction -of the Itri-Pico and Fondi-Pieo roads is now under attack by French troops. The Germans rushed up self-propelled guns, and a desperate battle was being fought this morning as the Germans tried to get men and equipment safely behind the switch line. Other French forces are stabbing northward against the Pontecorvo and Pico defences. French troops pushing along the road from (Santa Oliva are now 1000 yards from Pontecorvo, “kingpin” of the Hitler

line, and Canadians are converging against the town from the east. The rapid progress of the French threatens the Liri Valley from behind. The Eighth Army is meeting the main wedge of resistance in the Liri Valley, where, though the Hitler line outposts caved in, the Germans brought up reinforcements to Aquino. Allied tanks are now storming the defences. The Eighth Army is driving along both sides of Highway 6, the inland road to Rome, and anti-tank obstacles on this sector are being systematically cleared up. The Germans are defending the Hitlerline desperately. Much of the heavy shelling is ours, but the Germans have brought up more guns and have ihcreas 1 - ed the weight of fire. On one sector, the scene of a bitter struggle, the Germans brought up 50 tanks today, but the Eighth Army artillery stopped them well and truly. Our forward troops whistled up the air force to attack the tanks, and the tanks pulled out again. The Poles have won some hard-fought ground in the mountains and have gone on to press on their attacks on a ridge. A fierce struggle in also going on for Piedimonte. The Poles were reported yesterday to have captured it. but it seems that they had to give ground later under a strong counter-blow. A correspondent says the battle is no easy job. He sums up by saying that the Adolf Hitler positions as a whole have not been broken yet, but the enemy’s prospects of bolding us are not as good as they were 10 days ago. He has lost material and has frittered away reserves.