The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-06-12

vCOQGlnueQ 1IOln EhBS U the collapse of Naz General Tber- herd vorl Mackensen's 14th Army, the German 10th Army appeared to be pulling out at top speed to escape nncirclement in the central and eastern Appennines.
 U s. Tanks
 American tanks and infantry forces on the coastal flank of the advancing 5th Army made the deep- est penetration into the enemy rear. Official reports covering the action through yesterday afternoon said they were approaching the Port of Orbetello, 70 airline miles north west of Rome, and about 90 miles above the capital by road.
 At the same time, another Allied force, apparently landed from the sea at Porto San Stefano, five miles west by north of Orbetello, was reported driving down on that city over the four-mile causeway linking Stan Stefano with the main land.
 Allied minesweepers entered San Stefano harbor Friday to find white flags fiuttering over the port, which apparently had been abandoned by the Germans several days before.
 NaM troops captured in the drive on Orbetello revealed that they had received special cards authorizing them to split up into small bands or make their way alone to Q rendez- vous point near Florence, where the German high command apparently hoped to reassemble its shattered 14th Army.
 At least 10000 crack troops of that army already had been taken pris- oners by the pursuing 5th Army and many of its top fighting units had been reduced to 25 per cent of heir combat strength by casualties since the start of the Allied offen- sive month ago.
 15O,OOO Men
 Official sources said the 14th Army numbred 150000 men at the time of the Anzio beachhead battles and subsequently had been cut to about six divisions or 90,000 men, by cas- iialties and transfers to the southern front. The six divisions, in turn, now have been smashed, forcing the Germans to rush three new di- visions down from the north, includ- ing a division made up of captured Russians.
 The Russian group, comprised mainly of men from central Asiatic Russia, were commanded by Ger man officers and rlon-coms.
 Forty miles inland from the Amer ican coastal force, other 5th Army units advanced more than 16 miles beyond fallen Viterbo, capturing Montefiascone and Bagnoregio, on the east shore of Lake Bolsena.
 On the 9th Army front, British forces fought their way up the east bank of the Tiber to capture Pog- gio, @ommavilla and Cantalupo, about 30 miles from Rome, and ad- vanced on the railway center of Rieti, 13 miles northeast of Canta- lupo.
 New Zealand units of the Sth Army swept eastward on the Rome PescaTa highway beyond Avezzano, 40 miaeS east of Rome, and seized a number of villages abandoned by the Germans.
 Other British forces on the coastal flank cleared the Nazis from the south rank of the Pescara river and prepared for & full-scale thrust across that stream.
 Bad weather restricted Allied air support to the advancing 9th ana sth Armies yesterday. but relatively strong formations of fighter-bomb- CTS bombed and strafed the enemy's road columns and struck a bridge on the coastal highway at Cecina, 20 miles south of Livorno Neghorn.
 The text of the ground forces communique:
 Our troops in the Adriatic sector have now cleared the enemy south of Pescara.
 "In the Appennine sector, our troops are advancing to maintain contact with the withdrawing en- emy. Avezzano and neighboring village have been occupied.
 'East of the Fiber, the advance continues toward Reiti.
 'sWest of the river, leading ele- ments are in the vicinity of Vagno Regio. The important road june ton of Montefiascone southeast Of Lake Bolsena is now in our hands.
 "On the coast, leading elements are approaching Orbetello."