Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-12-05
Fifth Army Smashes Into Heart
Of German Line Behind Terrific
Air and Artillery Bombardment
Some Nuzi Troops
Driven Insane
By Poundings
BY the Associated Press.

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, Al
giers, Dec. 4.-Smashing forward
behind an air and artillery bonn
bardment so great that some
German troops were driven in
sane, 1t. Gen. Mark w. Clark
American and British 5th Army
has broken into the heart of the
enemy'S winter line to a depth
of 2 miles and is driving toward
Rome according to plan," the
Allies announced today.
The thunderous bombardment
which laid down a curtain of fire in
front of Gen. Clark'S charging troops
was described as one of the greatest
IN the history of warfare-perhaps
even greater than that which broke
the German line at Ell Alamein in
Egypt, because it was concentrated
on a smaller area.
Extremely bitter fighting con-
tinued today as the 5th Army
smashed into the maze of fortifica-
tons on and around 2,800-foot Monte
Canine, miles southwest of
Mignano. The assault, aimed in the
direction of the vital highway center
OF Casino, already had driven the
Nazis from the important Canine
and Maggiore heights west Of
Mignano.
Key Center Captured.
The British 9th Army, knitting
ahead on the Adriatic flank, reached
the outskirts of San Vito, Is miles
below the port of Pescara, and in
fierce fighting captured the impor-
tant highway and railway center
and market town Of Lanciano, sit
uated on 900-foot ridge where the
Nazis resisted bitterly.
Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgom-
ery's troops also captured the town
of Treglio, three miles south Of
San Vito and four miles inland, and
successfully beat off Nazi counter
attack there. The most impressive
9th Army gain came II miles in
land, where the British stabbed for
ward six miles to seize Orsogna,
nine miles northwest of the San
gro River.
The thrust through Orsogna drove
deep wedge into secondary de-
{ho 70 hi ;el,
the 9Th Army front and severed
road and rail lines without which
the enemy could not hope to make
another stand anywhere near the
Sangro.
Front-line reports disclosed that
even the arrival of reinforcements
had not enabled the Germans to re-
trieve the great piles of guns, am
munition and other equipment they
abandoned on the battlefields in the
Fossacesia area in their first dis
organized fight.
Many Prisoners Taken.
Considerable numbers of prison.
ers were taken as Gen. Clark's head
quarters reported that the onslaught
in the central sector was proceed
ing according to plan.
Don Whitehead, Associated Press
correspondent who witnessed the
start of the big offensive near Mig
nano, said:
Never had American troops gone
into an attack behind. such an ar
tillery barrage. The ground trem-
bled and storm of demoniac sound
filled the valleys and poured over
the mountains.
The heavens were lighted with
gun flashes and newspaper could
easily have been read in the light.
The artillery of one group alone
hurled 100000 pounds of explosives
and steel into the narrow sector
which had given the Germans OBJ.
servation of Allied movements in
the valleys below. German prison.
ers trapped in their foxholes by the
steady pounding were dazed by the
conclusion of exploding shells.
"As result, American troops ad-
v7ncinc up the Maggiore mountain
sides found little resistance from
those Germans who remained alive
Some Prisoners Insane.
An Raj statement said some Nazi
prisoners were insane from the ef-
fectS of the ceaseless air and ar
tillery bombardment and that ter
rife decentralization" had been
caused among enemy troops.
Allied medium and light bombers
and fighter bombers gave a contin-
uous pounding to German positions
in and near the battle front, while
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