Evening star., 1943-12-04
5thArmyDrives
2-Mi|e Wedge
info Nazilines
AIgiers Radio Reports
CoIobritto's Capture;
British Knife Ahead
BY the Associated Press,

BY the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, AL
giers, Dec. Alt. Gen. Mark w.
Clark'S 5th Army has smashed
a wedge into German defenses
after the heaviest artillery and
aerial bombardment of the Ital-
ian campaign pulverized many
strong points, and has driven
ahead 2 miles along the Via
Casilina toward Rome, head
quarters announced today.
(The Algiers radio reported the
5th Army had taken the impor-
tant town of Calabritto, about 7
miles southwest of MignanoD
On the Adriatic front, the British
9Th Army, knitting ahead toward the
back door, to Rome, approached
the outskirts of San Vito, 16 miles
below the port of Pescara, and also
swept up the towns of Lanciano,
Treglio Orsogna and Casoli, all in
inland country beyond the Sangro
ridge. Orsogna, the farthest point
of advance inland, is about miles
beyond the Sangro.
Launched Drive Thursday.
British and American troops of
the 5th Army launched their full
scale offensive on mountain posi-
tions guarding both sides of the Via
Casilina, a main road to Rome, on
Thursday night, it was disclosed.
The assault, a4Ged in the direction
of Casino, drove the Germans from
the important Canine and Mag
giore heights, west of Mignano,
front-line dispatches said.
These dispatches said the might
lest artillery barrage since Gen. Sir
Bernard L. Montgomery broke the
German Afrika Korps at Ell Alamein
in Egypt beloved from hundreds of
guns as the Americans and British
launched their offensive.
Extremely bitter fighting con-
tinued yesterday and today as the
thrust carried into the maze of forti-
fled positions dotting the slopes OF
2,800-foot Mount Canine miles
southwest of Mignano and deeper
into the rough mountain country
north and northeast of Mignano.
Considerable numbers of prison.
ers were taken as Gen. Clark's
headquarters reported that the on
slaught was proceeding according
to plan," and the front-line ac-
counts said the 5th Army now holds
heights which provide observation
over the enemy in the Liri Valley
below and beyond Casino.
Highway Routes Severed.
The 9Th Army, in hammering
through to Orsogna for its biggest
gain, placed a deep wedge in the
Germans secondary defenSes, sever
ing highway routes without which
the enemy could not hope to main-
tain line anywhere near the San
gro.
In the area Of Guardiagrele, a
crossroads town about miles
southwest of Orsogna, fierce bat
tie ragged as the British forces
famed out from the points of their
original eak-through.
Fighting also was fierce as the
9Th Army captured Lanciano, a
market town and highway center
situated on 900-foot ridge, where
the Nazis resisted bitterly.
At Treglio, miles south of
San Vito and miles inland, the
British beat off a counterattack.
The air forces of both the Allies
and the Germans intensified their
efforts to help the struggling ground
troops and the result was numerous
aerial battles over the front lines.
IL Nazi Planes Destroyed.
Five separate formations of enemy
planes were intercepted over the
9th Army front and the Allied fight
ers shot down six planes and dam
aged two others. A total of IL Ger
man planes were destroyed in vari-
Gus aerial actions against the loss
OF one by the Allies.
Medium, light and fighter bombers
gave a continuous pounding to Ger
man positions in and near the battle
front, blew up an ammunition truck
and shot up a big, mobile gun.
In addition, American Liberators
attacked the Casale Airdrome, near
Rome, and American Mitchells and
Warhawks bombed the ports of
Sibenik and Split, in Yugoslavia, in
separate attacks.
At Sibenik, an important base for
German operations against Yugo-
slav guerrillas, direct hit was made
(See ITALY, Page A-2)