DRIVE ON ROME

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 October 1943, Page 4

DRIVE ON ROME

LATEST ALLIED GAINS IMPORTANT THOUGH NOT SENSATIONAL,’ PENETRATION OF ENEMY DEFENCES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.15 a.m.) LONDON, October 25. The Fifth and Eighth armies have made gains in the past 24 hours which, though not sensational, have great importance for the drive to Rome. The Fifth Army tonight, after the capture of Sparanise, is now within four miles of the historic road to Rome —the Appian way. The Eighth Army is at about the same distance from Vasto, having driven deep wedges into die German lines north of the Trigno River. The Americans, north of Capua, advanced three miles to capture Sparanise. The Germans fought back furiously at Sparanise, says Reuter’s correspondent at Allied Headquarters. The Americans defeated four counter-at-tacks and, as a military observer reported, “on each occasion, gave . the enemy a bloody nose.” The Americans are now fighting beyond Sparanise for 2,000 feet heights. Severe fighting occurred on another American sector, in the Pignatoro area, where four coun-ter-attacks have been thrown back in 24 hours.

Reuter says the Fifth Army threat to outflank the Germans has reached a point where Kesselring may be forced to evacuate his troops from the western pocket. Bitter struggles for the heights beyond Sparanise will decide the fate of the German troops in the coastal pocket and force a withdrawal from the Capua plain, for which the enemy is preparing by mining bridges, culverts and drainage ditches, burying mines in fields and turning cottages into defence posts. Reuter’s correspondent reports that General Clark’s right wing is at present striking beyond Alife towards Venafrofi the Appenine town on which the German western defence line is buttressed. The Germans, two miles ahead of the Fifth Army forces on this middle Volturno area, are established in mountains 2,000 feet high The battle sways on the lower slopes, among scattered corpses, mule tracks and twisting footpaths. Before the Allies lies a sheer precipice—the steepest mountain face the Fifth Army has yet encountered.

Referring to the Eighth Army’s success in establishing a bridgehead on the north bank of the Trigno River, Reuter’s correspondent stresses that the whole Eighth Army is not on the move. General Montgomery is concentrating on the establishment of realty adequate bridgeheads before striking at the next obstacle.