Evening star., 1944-06-11

THIS action tnere was minimum OF
German air resistance.
The fall of Rome came quickly
and with only minor damage to the
Italian capital for the enemy put up
only light resistance as American
5th Army tanks rolled through the
streets of the city.
1t. Gen. Mark Clark declared
Monday that he doubted If the Ger
man 14th Army could continue to
resist, an opinion amply born out in
the days which followed. Gen. Clark
declared that parts Of two German
armies, the 10th and the 18th, had
been destroyed and that 10000
prisoners had been taken, among
whom were some young troops less
than a week before serving in Den
mark.
Monday King Victor Emmanuel
made good his. pledge to abdicate
when Rome should be restored to
italian control and surrendered his
throne to Crown Prince Humbert,
who set about the business of form
ing new government.
The 5th Army, hardly stopping to
wave at Rome, swarmed on across
the Tiber River and pushed on
northward at an average pace Of Is
miles day. So fast are the Nazis
now falling back that victorious Al
lies are at some difficulty in keeping
the enemy within rage Of their guns.
Civitavecchia, Italy's seventh
largest port, was captured so quickly
Wednesday the enemy had little
chance for demolition work and
these new facilities now available
to the Allies will aid materially in
further advances.
The British 9th Army Is facing
rather stiff opposition but the en-
tire line from the Tyrrhenian Sea
to the Adriatic is becoming fluid
and the Nazis are expected to fall
back to the Etruscan Line which is
pictured and described in the map
and text appearing on this page.
| There were signs of renewed action
on the long Russian front with the
Nazis striking first at Iasi in Ro-
mania, apparently probing for in
formation concerning Russian plans.
The attack was thrown back and
the Red forces moved slightly ahead
in the counterattack. In Poland also
there was some pressure by the
Nazis, again, probably in search OF
information as to Russian strength
and intentions In that area.
Four japanese Destroyers Sunk.
The first sizable force of Japanese
warcraft to put in an appearance in
the Southwest Pacific in many weeks
Friday met with disaster off Mano-
kwari in New Guinea. Intercepted
by 10 Mitchell bombers, the task
force consisting of six destroyers and
one cruiser was bombed with the
result that four destroyers were
sunk, one was damaged and the
remaining destroyer and the cruiser
fed. The action which was near
Biak Island cost three bombers al
the hands of 10 Japanese planes
five of which also went down.
On Biak itself, Allied troops COM
pleted the occupation of Mokme1
airfield and advanced in the direc-
ton of the two remaining fields
held by the enemy on the island
The Philippines thus are brought
within 800 air miles of a convenient
bomber and fighter base now al
Allied disposal.
Throughout the week, as usual
Truk, Ponape and other japanese
island bases were raided by Ameri-
can planes, but the action was
relatively light.
In China, the situation grows
progressively worse, with at least
10000 japanese troops battering al
the gates Of Changsha, key strong
hold in Yunan Province. Surviving
three previous attempts at its cap
ture, Changsha is now in gravest
danger. Seizure of the city woule
pave the way to split China in hall
with the enemy driving southwark
along the Hankow-C Canton Railroad
and isolating Allied airbases from
which Japan proper may be bombed
However, offsetting the unfavor.
able developments in China itself
is the success of the action in India
; and Burma.
1t. Gen. Stilwell's Chinese Amer.
!. ican forces have occupied the air.
: strip In Myitkyina, while Chimes.
forces within the supply base hav.
moved slightly forward to make
contact. To the north of the cit,
Lentaigne's Chindits have seizee
. the village Of Hola.
Other Chinese troops moving
down the Mogaung Valley about Al
, miles north OF Myitkyina have
hemmed in the base of Kamaing.
! In India, the Japanese are beint
! pushed back from the Kohima sec.
tor toward Imphal. which is alst