Evening star., 1943-10-29
Agreement Reached at Moscow,
Talks Successful Roosevelt Says;
U.S.. Warships Bombard Germans
Short Gains Made
In Italy by 5th
And 9th Armies
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS
AlgierS, Oct. 29.-An American
cruiser and destroyers, pouring
brOadSideS into Marshal Erwin
Rommel' shore positions along
the ancient Appian Way to
Rome, pounded the MinturnO
area to the rear of the German
leaders Mount MaSSico positions,
an Allied headquarters commu-
nique said today.
The Allied 5th and 9th Armies
registered short advances in the
face of maSSed artillery.
Fighting through a driving rain,
the Americans of 1t. Gen. Mark w
Clark smashed through riVuletS and
up the mountainSides for a gain of
three miles III the SparaniSe area
They threatened the town of TeanO
where four roads JOIN to the east of
Mount MasSico. the lofty anchor of
the Ronmel line defending Rome.
Teano is "a miles southeast of the
Italian capital.
The 5th Army'S coastal flank still
faced the Regia Canal. only iour
miles north of the Volturno. in its
frontal advance on Mount MaSslco
and Mondragone, with British ele-
ments for the most part not yet
over the barrier
Gains Consolidated.
Farther to the northeast, in the
RavlScanlna region, the 5th Army
consolidated its gains in important
high ground dominating valley roads
leading north along the Upper Vol
turno toward Venafro another key
point in the Rommel line.
The Nazl-Conrolled Rome ra-
dio said the Allied armies had
passed to the offensive after sew
eral days of active reconnaissance
tnrustS and that this is the bit
tereSt tghtlng experienced Oh
this front since Salerno.
'Today's German communique
said Nazi forces had been obliged
to withdraw to new mountain
positions on both sides OF the
Volturno in the face of powerful
Allied assaults
On the 9th Army front Gen. Sir
Bernard L. Montgomery veterans
claShed bitterly with the enemy on
the Adrlatic coast road near San
SalVo, miles north of the Trigno
River and miles inland. where the
Germans were making every effort
to prevent enlargement of the shall
low Allied bridgehead north of the
stream.
MOntefalcone Occupied.
Fifteen miles inland, where Gen.
Montgomery forces have not vet
reached the Trigno, 9th Army units
occupied Montefalcone after a
Smile advance from Castelmauro.
Still farther inland, the 9th Army
captured Molise on a 2.50O-foot
mountain l mile west of Torella del
SannlO, taken yesterday.
Molise is about 18 miles east and
slightly north OF the mountain COM
munlcatlOns center of ISernia. where
the Germans have natural defenSeS
These gains were scored through
scientifically directed fire OF massed
German heavy and medium artillery
placed III the hills where it would
cover every approach.
The Minturno area bombarded bv
the American Warships Wednesday
night is almost l2 miles north of
the front and Just behind the strong
German line on Massico Ridge.
On Gulf of Gaeta.
Mlntulno is on the Gulf of Gaeta
near Formia and the town of Gaeta
where Allied WarplaneS twice bombed
German coastal guns recently.
Slipping close to shore during a
moonless night. the American gun
ners swept the road, railroad and
coast defenSeS around the mouth of
the Garigliano River with a devas-
tating fire.
The region along the Adriatic
where Gen. Montgomery men were
engaged in Yesterdays Stiffest COM
bat is known as the SAINT Angela
Plain, a shelflike area or 6 miles
wide trimmed by mountains from
which the Germans poured their fire
tSee ITALY, Page A-16.)