Evening star., 1944-05-18
British Forces Capture Casino;
Ruined Monastery Falls to Poles;
Yanks Take Stronghold Of Formia
Nuzis Yield Key
Points at Both
Ends of Line
BY the Associated Press.

tered Benedictine Monastery
and American troops Is miles to
the southwest have seized the
coastal hinge city of Formia, the
Allied command announced to-
day.
THE Gustav Line now has ceased
to exist" a special announcement
declared.
The double victory toppled
strong points at both ends of the
f1ercely fought Nazi line in Italy.
British troops took Casino
which had withstood siege since
January-while Poles seized Mon
astery Hill. A substantial portion
of the German 1st Parachute Divi-
sion-the Green Devils-was wiped
out in the two strongholds, the an
nouncement said.
I,500 Nazis Captured.
A headquarters officer said more
than $500 Germans were captured
at Casino.
Both Casino and the dominating
height of Monastery Hill were cap
tured this morning. Other i'm
portant objectives have been seized
by American troops pushing west
ward on the 5th Army front, head
quarters said, but these were not
identified Immediately.
The German defenders of Casino
were encircled by tactics which
avoided heavy casualties which
would have resulted from frontal
assaults such as were beaten back
two months ago.
The Allied announcement de-
clared "the enemy has been COM
pletely outmaneuvered by the Allied
armies in Italy following the origi-
nal breach of the Gustav Line by
the 5th Army on May IA, and the
subsequent rapid advance of French
and American troops through the
mountains.
Decisive Pincer Movement.
Troops of the 9th Army have
fought their way forward in the Liri
Valley and during the last "a hours
developed decisive pincer move
ment which cut Highway drom
Casino to Rome and so prevented
the withdrawal of the enemy"
Earlier, headquarters disclosed
Polish troops had seized Hill 593,
northern hinge of both the Gustav
and Hitler Lines.
American troops struck within two
miles of Itri-Appian Way road
junction commanding the only re-
treat route for the Nazis in the
Formia and important Gaeta areas.
Itri is four miles northwest of For
mia.
French forces in the center won
Esperia, outpost of the Hitler Line,
and French artillery from heights
began shelling the road branching
inland from Itri to Hitler Line de-
fenses in the Liri Valley.
Itri is only 65 airline miles from
Rome, and about 35 miles from the
AnZio beachhead.
Details of the capture of Formia
by the American troops we're not
N41DAAOCNo
Much Booty Captured.
Huge quantities of booty were
falling to the advancing Allied
troops, and the 5th Army at points
had pushed ahead as deep as Is
miles even two days ago. The bag
of prisoners in this offensive rose
to 4,500, for total of 10000 in the
Italian campaign.
The Germans acknowledged the
evacuation of Casino, but said il
was effected without fighting.
The Allied command said it wa:
clear since Tuesday that the Ger
man position in Casino was becom-
ing untenable. The encirclement
tactics not only held down casual
ties. it added, but pinned down &
large portion of 1t. Gen. Richard
Heidrich'S 1st Parachute Division
so he could not withdraw. But the
German divisions headquarters anc
artillery were stationed farther back
and escaped the Allied net.
by the turning movement from
the west, which cut Highway anc
by pinning his troops to the grounc
all along this front, the 4th Para.
chute Regiment was prevented from
carrying out an orderly withdrawal,
the headquarters officer said.
The German command once
again has been too slow in effectine
a withdrawal from a strategic po-
Sition. The 4th Parachute Regimen
fell into the trap which had beer
laid for them, and attempted toc
late to break out along Highway
and the mountain tracks during the
night.
Other Regiments Mauled.
In addition, one regiment of the
18th Panzer Grenadier Division and
376th Regiment of the 3O5th In
1antry Division also have been
severely mauled."
The official announcement said all
elements Of the Allied armies con-
trlbuted either to the preparation
for the fall Of Casino or the final
assault.
1t credited the Americans and the
French in the mountains north of
Casino with establishing weeks ago
the jump-off place for the pincers
development.
Others given credit in preparing
the way for the final capture of
the toWn-Which was laid in ruins
by aerial bombardment on March
lS-were the New Zealanders and
Indians who established new posi-
tlonS late in February, and British
and Indian infantry and Canadian
armor which drove across the
Rapido River less than week ago,
Nazis Tell of Evacuation.
In its communique today the Ger.
man high command confirmed al
earlier Berlin broadcast announcinG
the evacuation of Casino, and late,
the Berlin radio said the Benedic.
tine Monastery also had been evacu.
ated.
The German communique ssit
(See ITALY. Page A-4)