JAWS CLOSING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 October 1943, Page 4

JAWS CLOSING

ON GERMANS IN ITALY FORMIDABLE CuNVERGING ATTACKS. ENFORCING AN ENEMY WITHDRAWAL. |By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, Noon.) LONDON, October 17. The speed of the Allied movements in Italy and relentless pressure from the two jaws of the Bri-tish-American pincers are keeping Marshal Kesselring’s forces moving back from the Volturno line, say dispatches from the front. The Germans have already been forced to abandon most of their positions anti it is confidently expected that disengaging movement must continue. Briusn troops landed from, the sea Jorth of the Voliuino form the left jaw il uie pincers, mey are consolidating positions along the canal north of the estuary and are striking inland, developing a threat to the German coastal flank. The Americans form the right jaw, embracing valuable heights north-east of Capua dominating the flat land north of the city. Fifth Army units, fighting for a crossing of the Titerno River, which is a tributary of the Volturno, flowing in 30 miles upstream, are now a little over 20 miles from the Eighth Army patrols thrusting out from Vinchiatura. A British United Press correspondent says that when the Allies are in a position to exert fully unified pressure from these interlocking movements, the fate of the Germans in the Volturno region will be sealed.

Late dispatches emphasise that the construction of bridges across the Volturno is continuing at speed and that masses of men and material, concentrated on the south bank, are pouring across the river as each new bridge becomes available. '

Correspondents say General Clark expected a week of hard fighting for the crossing, which was gained in 48 hours of mighty effort. Ah air communique states that the North-West African Air Forces operated heavily against the enemy in Italy yesterday. Medium bombers, escorted by Lightnings, attacked marshalling yards at Ancona on the east coast. Light and medium bombers, operating north of Capua, attacked road supply sheds. On targets on the east . coast railway, fighters and fighterbombers shot up trains and destroyed many vehicles. On Friday night, light bombers attacked motor transport and railways south of Rome. Lightnings bombed a merchant vessel off the coast of Greece and left it sinking. A total of eight enemy aircraft were destroyed during the period. None of our aircraft are missing. THRUST TO ROME ANOTHER GREAT BATTLE expected FOR VITAL ROAD JUNCTION NORTH OF CAPUA (Received This Day, 12.35 p.m.) LONDON, October 17. Reuter’s Algiers correspondent says that already a powerful force of men, tanks, guns and war material has been assembled on the north bank of the Volturno for the next stage of the thrust to Rome, which is expected to be a battle for a vital road junction north of Capua. Fighting is expected to be heavy for this junction, from which two highways fork out toward Rome. Heavy fighting continues 17 miles east of Capua, where the Fifth Army has pushed the Germans back three to four miles. The Germans are struggling to hold on to hills flanking the Allied advance northward. The Luftwaffe several times attempted to attack concentrations north of the Volturno. Formidable forces of planes were sent over, but attempts to pierce the Allied screen met with little success and the enemy suffered considerable losses. Our fighter-bombers silenced a great German railway gun, with a range of 20,000 yards, which was shelling the central front. Mr Noel Monks, Combined British Press correspondent with the Americans across the Volturno, says the Fifth Army made the pace too hot for the Germans north of the Volturno. They are withdrawing for fear of being overrun. The Berlin radio reports that British warships yesterday again bombarded German positions north of the Volturno estuary and says a German fighter-bomber hit a large warship, - -■•which later was seen submerged by „„the stern. A heavy cruiser, the enemy radio states, was also damaged. ■ A picture • of the territory in which the Fifth Army is operating is given by Reuter’s correspondent on the Volturno front. Across the coastal plain, the steep Mount Massico bounds, the horizon northwards, with the Cajazzo ridges north-eastward, the Volturno River southward and the sea westward. These bold geographical features bound 100 square miles of difficult' terrain, on which the Allied troops are progressing towards Rome. This plain is difficult for tanks. Dykes intersecting it shelter dozens of enemy machinegun posts and tanks tackling the ma-chine-guns become ideal targets for mortar batteries. The Germans are delaying their retirement across the plain to sow mines and destroy bridges, but these obstructive tactics may be considered the enemy s final attempt to inflict damage and discomfort before giving ground more quickly.

WORSE THAN RUSSIA

fifth army barrages ON VOLTURNO FRONT. ACCORDING TO GERMAN PRISONERS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 1.10 n.m.) RUGBY, October 17. Exploiting the succes of the Volturno River crossing, the Fifth Army is pushing on, says a correspondent in Italy today. Resistance in pockets north of Capua, which is roughly in the middle of the Fifth Army zone, are being evacuated or eliminated. Villages abandoned by the Germans are burning. One ruined village had only two inhabitants, both old ladies—the others had fled. Along the British sector ,anti-tank guns, six-pounders and 17-pounders, continue to be ferried across the river, while tanks are also being transported in

landing craft. Other tanks are being waterproofed and forded across. The effects of the Allied bombing of Capua is shown in the destruction of armament works and in the damaged arsenal and barracks. The terrific artillery concentration over this area resulted in a number of Germans deserting and crossing the river. They stated that their officers' instructions were that soldiers leaving equipment behind would be shot. The number of German prisoners being taken is increasing. Some brought in today said they had served in Russia. They were all about 20 years of age, poorly clad, shocked and hungry. They declared that the Fifth Army’s artillery barrages were worse than anything they had experienced on the Soviet front.