Evening star., 1943-10-25
Nazi Forces Face 5th Army Trap
As Fierce Battles Rage in Hills;
Resistance Stiffening in Russia
VituI Rail Town
Is Captured in
Smile Drive
BY the Associated Press

~ VAC <1SSSS4cbSN iSeS'
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS,
Algiers, Oct. 25.-Violent noun
tain battles fared on the 5th
Army front in Italy today as the
result of an Allied drive of three
miles which took the vital rail
and road junction of SparaniSe,
l3 miles from the Western coast.
The advance of the 5th Army,
witnessed by Gen. Dwight D. Eisen-
hover while on a tour of the front,
placed the American and British
troops north of the stoutly defended
Regia defense canal leading to the
sea and imperiled the position Of the
Nazi troops in that area.
IF they don't get out they will be
caught in pocket military COM
mentator said.
The Germans launched four
counterattacks in an effort to re-
ieve their position. but, in the words
of the commentator, they we're
driven off with "a bloody nose"
The entire tempo of the war in
the sea and air stiffened as Ameri-
can heavy bombers blasted Southern
Austria and raided the airfeld at
Tirana, Albania, second time.
British Pour Across River.
Or the British 9th Armys eastern
front Gen. Sir Bernard L. Mont
gomerys men poured into an en-
larged hridgehead across the Trigno
River to attack German positions
beyond.
On the 5th Army front heavy
German counterattacks fared east
from Sparanise toward Pignatore
and Maggiora. American troops
smashed back four Nazi assaults in
"a hours.
The 5th Army advance in noun
famous area overlooking the coast
constituted a severe threat to the
entire German position and if con-
tinued would seriously endanger the
enemy's Massico Ridge line.
SparaniSe is about seven miles
north of the Volturno near the CEN
ter of 1t. Gen. Mark w. Clark's line,
and four miles due west of Pigna-
toro. III Allied hands for several
days.
Two Towns Captured.
Where the 9th Army plunged
across the Trigno River was not
specified by yesterdays communi-
que, but capture Of Lucito and
Montenero, both east of the stream,
was announced.
In the center. yesterdays COM
munique disclosed. British and Ca
madam troops registered a new ad-
vance paralleling the strategic
Vinchiaturo-Isernia highway up the
backbone Of Italy by storming and
capturing the upland city of Cam
pochiaro and nearby heights COM
manding the road.
BY preaching the German Trigno
River line, the 6th Army raised a
threat to the lateral VaStO-ISernia
highway few miles beyond.
A sweep southwest down this
highway to Isernia would flank the
Nazi forces delaying an advance up
the VinchiaturO-Isernia road, the
occupation of Isernia itself would
open up another important highway
on to the southwest and the rear
of the Massico Ridge defenses the
Germans have thrown up to delay
the 5th Army.
5th Army Takes Hamlet.
In further advance up the North
Volturno in the general direction of
Venafro, eastern anchor of the Mas
sico line, 5th Army troops captured
the hamlet of Baia -Elatina over the
week end.
The rail yards and aircraft factory
at Pistoia near Florence were
bombed last night, and other COM
munications lines at Formia on the
west coast and nearby Minturno
were blasted again.
In turn the Germans struck again
at Naples, now being converted into
an Allied supply port, and Is Nazi
planes were shot down yesterday,
mostly in sky tangles over Italy.
Three of them we're bombers which
attempted to raid Naples.
The Germans stepped up their air
defense by throwing at least so
fighters against the Allied attackers
American Flying Fortresses and
Liberators. flying for the time with
the escort of long-range P-38 Light
rinps from Italian haSes for a fOrau