Evening star., 1943-10-26
Allies Seize 10 Italian Towns,
Enemy Opposition Diminishes;
4 Red Armies Chasing Germans
Nuzi Forces in ItoIy
Apparently Retiring
To New Positions
BY the Associated Press.


ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, Al
giers, Oct. 26.-Allied armies ir
Italy have captured 10 more
towns in advances of to
miles, it was announced today
and German opposition on the
5th Army front diminished as
the Nazis apparently fell back tc
new positions.
1t. Gen. Mark w. Clark's 5th Army
seized Raviscanina, Is miles south OF
the large transport city of Isernia
and British 9th Army column
striking up from the southeast took
Bojano, about Is miles from Isernia
on the main road from Campobasso
The 5th Army gained to :
miles in taking Raviscanina, Is
miles north of Capua, and also took
the towns of Crancolise, Rocchetta
and San Angelo d'Aife Crancolise
is 2l2 miles west of captured Spara-
Mise and San d'Alife is miles
northwest of Alife.
British Take Other Towns
Five other towns besides Bojano
fell to the 9Th Army, including
Baranello, Spineto, Petrella, Palata
and Busso. Baranello is a strong
point between CampobasSo and Bo-
jano. Spineto is miles north of
ROiano, and BuSso is 2 miles north
of Baranello.
1sernia, key point III German
supply, was being threatened by the
5th and 9th Armies from the south
and southeast.
Some German rearguards still Of
fered stubborn resistance.
Franchise was captured in a fresh
advance westward aimed at the main
enemy defense positions at Mon
dragone and Massico Ridge which
towers $500 feet. Rocchetta is 4
miles northeast of Sparanise.
Official information from the front
confirmed an earlier forecast that
the Germans are preparing a majo
stand along line from Mondragone
on the west coast northeastWard
through Venafro and then across
Italy to the area Of Vasto on the
Adriatic.
Bridgchead Near Mouth.
1t was disclosed that the bridge
head gained by the 9th Army across
the Trigno River was near the
mouth of that stream, only 7 miles
below Vasto.
Alarmed by the success of the
British in that crossing, the Nazis
concentrated artillery there and laid
down very heavy shellfre on the
British front.
Heavy enemy shellfire also met
the British farther inland, where
Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery's
troops took Bojano in a 6-mile ad-
vance west from Vinchiaturo,
Between Bojano and the Adri-
etc Gen. Montgomery's British,
Canadian and Indian forces made
steady gains and drove the Ger
mans from Spineto, Petrella, IS
miles northeast of Spineto, and
Palata, - miles northeast of Pc
trella.
Yugoslav Airfield Attacked.
Halnmerlng out again at the Ger
mans in Yugoslavia, American
Mitchell bombers, escorted by
Lightnings. struck the airfeld at
Podgorica, 20 miles inland from the
Dalmatian coast and not far from
the Albanian frontier
The Lightnings went over first,
destroying several grounded planes
and damaging hangers and motor
transports. Mitchells and more
Lightnings followed, hitting the ad-
ministration buildings and wreck
ing more planes. Several fires were
started and three enemy planes
driven away.
Two merchant ships totaling 5000
tons were attacked near Lagosta
Island off the YugoSlav coast west
of Dubrovnik and deck cargoes were
left in flames.
In Italy Allied air fleets striking
over the battle area destroyed more
than 40 trucks, locomotives and
500 TTAIv paoe A1Ql