Evening star., 1943-12-07
British Tanks
Push Across
Moro River
MAP on Page A-3.)
By the Associated Press,

aLLALD AOt4UARIERS. AL
giers. Dec. Fifth Army infan-
try has crashed through Nazi
defenses in bitter assaults to
capture the most dominating
positions in a 25-mile- square
area overlooking the road to
Rome, it was announced today,
while on the east coast of Italv
British tanks pushed across the
Moro River.
A headquarters officer. describing
the battle in the vital Monte Cam
ino and Monte Maggiore area on
the western sector, declared, I'VE
now hold the most important fea-
lures in that area roughly five
miles long and five miles wide
On the Adriatic side of the Ger
man 10th Army line, Gen. Sir
Bernard L. Montgomerys tanks
and infantry moved across the
Moro, 10 miles above the Sangro
River, in a tank battle fought in
a fog. -Four German Mark w
TANKS we're wrecked,
Nazi Airfields Pounded.
The new United States 18th Air
Force struck heavily. at the Ger
mans Elevsis and Kalamaki air.
fields near Athens, with Flying
FortreSSeS and Liberators knocking
down 10 Nazl planes in a violent
air battle
American troops wading flooded
areas, with water up to their necks
at many places, marked the second
anniversary Of Pearl Harbor with
bloody fighting.
Marshal Albert kesselring. real
izlng the prime Importance of the
l500-foot and 2800-foot peaks DOM
mating the road to Rome running
through Casino threw the full
weight Of his division into desperate
CoInterattacks.
But despite these heavy blows,
the American troops captured
mountain point six miles west of
Mlgnano overlooking the swollen
Garigliano River. and farther inland
plunged mile west of Filignano
taking 40 prisoners in a localized
assault.
Strongpoint Seized.
SOUTH Of the American positions
on the ridges Of Mount Maggiore,
British forces were driven of a ridge
by a furious Nazi assault, but in a
nearby sector seized German
strongpoint.
The 9Th Army punch across the
Moro River met less dif1culty than
anticipated, but the tank action was
one Of the few fought in mountain
Gus Italy. 1t occurred at San Leo
nardo, 2'z miles northwest of San
Vito and 2 miles inland
North of the Moro. the Germans
threw in two counterattacks which
we're beaten off
The fighting on the Adriatic flank
now runs from the mouth of the
Moro River to a point four miles
northeast of Orsogna, and then
south to Casoli.
Heavy rains swept the 9th Army
front.
Supply Difficulties.
Both the Germans and the Allies
are having difficulty bringing UP
supplies all along the front across
Italy.
The Garigliano River on the west
ern side is swollen more than a
mile wide in places. SWamplands
and flooded creeks harnpered both
sides.
Low-lying clouds cloaked some
mountain peaks on the 5th Army
front, and attacking British Amer
lcan troops had to feel their way
forward through fog.
Due to weather. aerial activity
over Italy was slight. but Amer
lcan invader planes hit the ap-
proaches to a bridge at Ceprano,
southeast of Rome, and Warhawks
attacked bridge southeast of
Casino, Two Allied planes were
lost in all operations.
On the Athens raid. waves of
Fortresses and Liberators. escorted
by Lightnings, poured augmentation
bombs and explosives on the air
fields, hitting parked planes and
hangers.
The Nazi fighters put up their
most vigorous defense in weeks, but
the Americans sent down 10 and
damaged at least I more out of 33
attackers