DIFFICULT FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 October 1943, Page 3

DIFFICULT FIGHTING

GERMANS HELPED BY WEATHER ENEMY HOLDING HIGH GROUND •• BEYOND RIVER. BUT ALLIES CONTINUE PROGRESS (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.0 a.m.) RUGBY, October 15. The battle of Volturno is assuming gigantic proportions, state Press messages from Allied Headquarters. The Germans are having a valuable ally in the swollen river and wet weather and hold the high ground dominating the battlefield. They are fighting with, the greatest determination, giving up ground only with the greatest reluctance. Nevertheless, a message received this Jnorning from General Clark’s army shows that the Allies are pushing back the enemy from the sea to the Appenines. When the Fifth Army attacked the night before last, the moon was shining brightly but yesterday the weather was rainy and stormy again. In the meantime, a landing had been made just north of the river and along a canal running from the sea to Castelforte. This successful operation was greatly helped by devastating covering fire from the guns of the British destroyers Laforey and Lookout and the Dutch gunboat Flores. The fact that the enemy holds most of the high ground gives him a tremendous advantage. The Allies are confronted with flat ground, intersected by small streams and fight in ankledeep mud. Despite this, a correspondent at the front reports that the battle can be considered a successful operation. The high ground four miles north of the river rises to four thousand feet. Strong resistance was met at Capua and north of that town, where the Germans are disputing every inch of ground protecting their left flank, in order to safeguard the centre. North of Capua the terrain is not so difficult. In this region, the enemy has been making many counter-at-tacks, often using tanks and mobile artillery. East of Capua the Allies have advanced two to five miles over the river. Engineers are throwing bridges of all types across and over these passes an uninterrupted procession of tanks, artillery and supplies. Over some bridges they had been able to pass not only tanks but also tank destroyers and heavy guns mounted on Sherman chasses. North of Capua the Americans have been able to capture some high ground which protects the town and the immediate vicinity. GERMANS TRICKED HOW VOLTURNO WAS CROSSED. NEW YORK, October 15. The first detachments of the Fifth Army forces crossed the Volturno without a shot being fired at them, says the Columbia Broadcasting System’s representative, in a broadcast from Algiers. Allied guns opened up along a lengthy strip of the river bank and then concentrated on a single point. The Germans, thinking that the big attack wps coming here, began heavy counter-fire. Meanwhile, from a point down-stream, Fifth Army forces began pouring across the river, and they continued to do so for about an hour without drawing any enemy fire. FURTHER PROGRESS IN VICINITY OF VINCHIATURO. MANY BASES ESTABLISHED ON VOLTURNO. (Received This Day, 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, October 15. The Algiers radio quotes semi-of-ficial reports that Vinchiaturo has been captured but the Cairo radio says the Eighth Army is now 8 miles beyond Vinchiaturo. The Fifth Army has already established many bases on the northern bank of the Volturno River and is building bridges at a number of points.