GREAT FORWARD STRIDES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 November 1943, Page 3

GREAT FORWARD STRIDES

MADE BY THE ALLIES IN ITALY Whole of Massico Ridge in Hands of Fifth Army TROOPS ADVANCING UP COASTAL ROAD TO ROME CENTRAL JUNCTION OF ISERNIA CAPTURED BY EIGHTH ARMY LONDON, November 4. , ' Tollowing on the good news from Italy that troops of the Fifth Army have captured the whole of the Massico B4dge and are pushing up the coast road to Home, it was announced tonight that the Eighth Army has captured Isernia, thus completing the rout of the last German attempt to hold the strongly-fortified defensive line they had established across Italy from coast to coast. The news of this latest success came from correspondents at Allied Headquarters. They state that General Montgomery s men entered the town at 3 o'clock this morning, after covering the last few miles at a good pace. It is not clear whether rhe town was taken by storm or not. The Germans may have de-, cided to abandon it after their right flank had been turned by the Fifth Army. For several weeks the Allies had been threatening Isernia, which proved a tough nut to crack. The town is small,hut the Germans had fortified heavily all the approaches. They had every reason to hang on to Isernia, as it is an important load and rail junction, its fall may prove as important in the advance on Rome as the fall of Naples. , The battle is primarily one of roads. There are only a few good roads across the Apennines and one of them is that which runs from the Adriatic coast to Isernia. and then links up with the main road to Rome. There is not another good road across the Apennines for at least 40 miles to the north. There is excellent news also from the Adriatic end of the front. With the help of the Navy and the Air Force, the Eighth Army has strengthened its hold on the ground north of the Trigno River. The enemy launched a strong counter-attack without success.

HEAVY FIGHTING

IN ADRIATIC COASTAL AREA / IMPORTANT ALLIED GAINS. ALONG. MAIN BATTLEFRONT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.0 a.m.) RUGBY, Noevmber 4. An Algiers communique states: “In the northern sector of the Eighth Army front heavy fighting took place in the area of San Salvo, where the enemy used tanks and fought" strongly in an endeavour to prevent our advance to the north-west. Elsewhere good progress was made. Further crossings over the Trigno were established and Castelpetroso was captured. “Satisfactory advances were made by the Fifth Army in the western coastal sector. The important Monte Massico feature was captured and our troops are astride the main road near Sessaaurunca. Further north, more commanding heights were taken and the enemy was forced westwards. In addition to Sessaaurunca, our troops held Roccamonfina and Presenzano. “United States patrol boats yesterday sank a large escorted tanker south of Elba. Our forces sustained no casualties.” ' Sessaaurunca is 18 miles east of Gaeta, Roccamonfina is in the midst of heights five miles north-east of Sessaaurunca, and Presenzano is seven miles south of Venafro. Castepetoso is six miles south-east of Isernia. San Salvo, on the Adriatic, is 2| miles beyond the Trigno and the same distance from the sea. ARRESTED BY NAZIS FORMER ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER. LIKELY TO BE SENTENCED TO DEATH. LONDON, November 3. Count Ciano, former Italian Foreign Minister, according to Italian sources in Zurich, was discovered hiding alone and wearing a long beard for disguise in a lonely country house in Tuscany. He had bought the house secretly as a precautionary measure before the Fascist collapse. A German officer’s suspicions were roused by stores of food and delicacies which seemed unusual in the house of a taciturn man living like a hermit The Italian police established Ciano’s identity after his arrest and took him to Verona, near which Signor Mussolini’s headquarters are reported to be situated. A stormy interview is stated to have occurred between the Duce and his son-in-law, who will be charged with treason before a special tribunal. The death sentence is expected. (According to other reports, Mussolini is still in semi-confinement in Germany and is allowed only to telephone instructions to north Italy).

BOMBED & DISABLED

LAST ITALIAN CRUISER IN GERMAN HANDS. SHIP LYING ON HER SIDE AT ANCONA. LONDON, November 3. The Ottoviano Augusto, the last Italian cruiser remaining in German hands, was put out of commission during an American bomber raid on Ancona harbour on Monday. Reconnaissance photographs show the cruiser lying on its side, says an Algiers message. It was completed in 1941. PLEA FOR TIME BADOGLIO & HIS PROBLEM. LONDON, November 3. ■ Marshal Badoglio appears to have postponed the formation of a new Cabinet, says the “Daily Express” correspondent in southern Italy. Marshal Badoglio asked the Italian people not to be impatient for the creation of a representative Government, particularly before Rome Was reached. It would not be fair, he said, for one-third of Italy to decide for the other twothirds. On Monday Marshal Badoglio told King Victor that members of the six Italian parties had been invited to join the Coalition Cabinet, and that all insisted on the King’s abdication. MANY TARGETS IN GREECE AND ITALY. ATTACKED BY ALLIED AIRCRAFT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.0 a.m.) RUGBY, November 4. Medium bombers of the North-West African Air Force, escorted by longrange fighters, attacked an airfield at Araxos, in Greece, yesterday. Light and medium bombers attacked supply dumps near Cupello, leaving large fires. Light bombers attacked Ceccano and Palmoli. Medium bombers attacked road junctions at Coprano. Fighterbombers attacked airfields at Ancona and lesi and also a field north of Littoria. Enemy troop concentrations, gun positions, motor transport and bridges were attacked throughout the day by fighters and fighter-bombers. On Tuesday night, light bombers attacked Zara Harbour. One enemy aircraft, was destroyed' Two of ours are missing. From previous operations five more of our aircraft are now known to be missing- ' . A Middle East air’ communique states: “Bombers of the R.A.F. attacked warehouses and shipping in Syros Harbour on Tuesday night. Other aircraft bombed the airfield at Heraklion, in Crete. Last night an airfield at Antirnechia, in Kos, was bombed, explosions being seen in the landing and aircraft dispersal areas. Syros Harbour was again bombed and a fire was started. None of our aircraft are missing.”