Evening star., 1943-10-11
Allies Take TownNear Benevento
In New Vo|turno F|anking Action;
9th Army Gains Slightly in Mud
Swollen River
Offers Problem
To Clark Forces
By the Associated Press.

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS. Al
glers, Oct. 11.-Plodding for
ward on foot through Italian
mud which made motor trans
port almost useless and against
stiffening German resistance,
1t. Gen. Mark w. Clark's Amer
lean 5th Army has captured
Pontelandolfo, IL miles north
west of Benevento, in a further
f1anklng move against the VOL
turno River, Allied headquarters
announced today.
Similarly heavy going was encoun-
tered by the British 9Th Army of
Gen. Sir Bernard l.. Montgomery on
the Adriatic front where gains of
two to three miles were registered
against the enemy, who was being
put under constant pressure.
Along the swollen Volturno, where
the 5th Army has established a A
mile front, Gen. Clark's troops made
no fresh gains, official reports indi-
Gated
Patrols already have been skirm-
ishlng with the Germans on the
north bank of the stream, but Gen.
Clark's forces were mainly engaged
in consolidating their positions and
laboriously bringing up guns and
ammunition through the mud.
Major Military Obstacle.
Further crossings of the Volturno,
20 miles north of Naples, appeared
to present difficult problem, with
enemy artillery concentrations pre-
pared to lay down a vithering fire
on minutely charted bridging sites.
The winding stream, varying in
width from 100 feet to 200 yards and
with steep banks 10 to Is feet high
at most places, presented a ajor
military obstacle, particularly at its
present high-water stage. The
water normally is only waist deep
but recent rains had greatly in
creased its depth.
Nevertheless, Gen. Clark was re-
ported confident of his ability to
beat the "a DAYS required by Carl
baldi to get his army across the
obstacle in 1859, when he was en-
gagged in a march on Rome from
Naples in the effort to unity Italy.
Pontelandolfo, on the eastern flank
of the Volturno where it turns
northward, lies in the fold of the
hills between that stream and the
Tammaro River which flows in a
parallel direction, and is about 6
miles north of one bend of the
Galore River
Astride Arterial Highway.
The capture of Pontelandolfo
placed the Allies astride an arterial
highway which extends westward to
the coast and which must be de-
Tended strongly if the Germans are
to prevent the flanking Of their
Volturno line.
In the drive northWard the 5th
Army gained control of a wedge of
territory in which the towns of Cam
polattaro. FragnetO Reino, Casaldoni
and PescOlamazZa were captured.
Resorting to tactics employed in
Tunisia and Sicily, the Allies sent
fleets Of medium, light and fighter
bombers as flying artillery to blast
dozens of enemy gun positions along
most Of the front
These attacks were directed par
ticularlv at point about 5 miles
north of Capua. indicating the Ger
mans had massed guns there in an
effort to prevent any crossing of the
Volturno at Capua.
Patrols Push Westward
Eighth Army patrols are pushing
westward vigorously" an Allied COM
munlque said, adding:
The enemy continues to fight
hard and is using broken and diff
flcult country to assist his defense
Demolirions still are being met on
q heavy scale"
CThe Office of War Informal
ton SAID the United Nations
radio at Algiers had reported in
a broadcast that artillery duels
were raging along the Volturno
River and that German forces
appeared maSSlng for a counter
attack
An Allied air communigue said
medium and light bombers shot up
enemy road and rail communica-
tions beyond the italian battle line
area while mediums, fighters and
fighter bombers swept in and at
tackled German gun positions and
troop concentrations
Bombers attacked the enemy
along the west coast road last night
at Terracina some so miles north
west of the Volturno.
Footholds Secured.
Front dispatches yesterday said
Gen. Clark's forces had secured
hard-von footholds south of the