EIGHT MILES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 October 1943, Page 4

EIGHT MILES

CLIPPED OFF FROM ROAD TO ROME - IN LATEST FIFTH ARMY ADVANCE. FIERCE GERMAN RESISTANCE IN EAST. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, October . The Fifth Army has clipped off eight miles from the road to Rome by the capture of Aversa and Maddaloni. Moreover, our line in this sector has been straightened out to one running almost due west from Aversa to the coast. This is just 100 miles from Rome. Allied non-stop air attacks are hampering the German retreat from the Volturno line. Fighters and fighterbombers. operating from newly won airfields, are pounding the roads behind the enemy and strafing his troop concentrations and transport columns. The Eighth Army is now meeting with the fiercest resistance since it crossed the Straits of Messina. The German counter-attack west of Termoli has now spread along the Biferno River, with the British standing firm against enemy thrusts. British 25-pounders are in action along the line of the Biferno. It is not stated how far along this line General Montgomery’s men are consolidated. The German news agency states that British warships and guns are supporting the Eighth Army forces at Termoli. “Landing forces,” the agency adds, “were thrown back yesterday still further behind the hills on the fringe of the town. Shell-fire from light British naval forces was unable to loosen the iron ring which confines other British troops to the shore. German fighterbombers attacked fresh British landings.” The enemy news agency claims that two 1500 ton, fully-laden landing craft were grounded after bomb hits, and that three smaller landing barges capsized.: NEW PHASE BATTLE FOR ROME BEGUN. AMERICAN TROOPS CROSS VOLTURNO. (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, October 6. American troops have pierced the German line on the Volturno River, and at one point have crossed the river. The Allies have captured the key transport junctions of Aversa and Maddaloni. Aversa is on the main road from Naples to Rome and Maddaloni is 14 miles north-east of Naples, on the direct route from Benevento to Capua. With Fifth Army vanguards across the Volturno, a new phase of the Italian operations opens. The battle for Naples' has ended and the battle for Rome has begun. The crossing of the river was a major success, in view of the stiff German resistance. The Fifth Army advanced forces who crossed the Galore River apparently slipped round or through the German Volturno defences. GERMAN TROOPS RETIRING INTO HEART OF MOUNTAINS. DESCRIPTION OF VOLTURNO RIVER. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 9.45 a.m.) RUGBY, October 6. The Algiers radio states: “German forces, under the pressure of the Allied troops from the southwest, and harassed by Allied planes are retreating deep into the heart of the mountains of Central Italy and their sole object now appears to be to delay the Allied advance in order to enable Rommel to organise his line of resistance.” It is most probable that the enemy is consolidating himself in high ground in the Volturno region, which he cannot hope to hold indefinitely, but which will give him ample scope for Relaying action. A correspondent writes that the Volturno in its lower reaches is about 100 feet wide, with six feet of water running in it. At this season the banks are not steep and the river has silted up, so that in places it is almost fordable. Unfortunately the sand banks do not coincide with the road approaches and can only be reached across muddy ploughed fields. All bridges, except one, were blown up some days ago and the Germans are unlikely to leave the remaining one intact. Any Allied efforts to bridge the river wil have to be carried out under direct enemy fire. VITAL TO ENEMY ROAD AND RAILWAY CENTRE. ; BLASTED BY AMERICAN BIG BOMBERS. (British Official Wireless.) /Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) RUGBY, October 6. A corresnondent at Allied Headquar-ters-in North Africa says the heavy and concentrated daylight attack by Flying Fortresses on a road junction near Bologna, which is of great strategic importance to the Germans may well have an influence on future fighting A very high proportion of the traffic that flows from the Brenner Pass, Milan and Trieste to Florence and Rome, by both the electrified railway system and motor roads of recent construction, passes through the Bologna road and railway junctions. The marshalling yards were heavily hit and many fires were observed. On this occasion, German fighters promptly took the air to do battle with the Flying Fortresses. Thirty to 35 fighters swept in to attack the raiders, in running fights lasting for 35 minutes. Many of them, a majority Messerschmitt 109’s, were shot down and many others were damaged. The enemy fighters appeared to have little effect on the raiding force, and the bomber crews declare that they completed their runs, most accurate and successful attacks being carried out.