Evening star., 1944-05-26
BY EDWARD KENNEDY,

BY EDWARD KENNEDY,
Associated Press War Correspondent.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, Ma
Piles, May 26.-Fanning out
swiftly from the former Anzio
beachhead area, now linked to
the main front, American troops
have captured Cisterna in heavy
fighting and plunged forward
more than 8 miles, cutting two
important roads leading north
ward and northeastward toward
Rome, it was disclosed today.
On the northern end of the Italian
line, the 9th Army captured Aquino
and Piedimonte, the last remaining
strongpoints of the enemy's once
vaunted Hitler Line, and Canadian
troops won bridgehead across the
Melfa River, in the Liri Valley 13
miles west of Casino.
Cisterna, which had constituted
one of the kingpins of the enemy's
line around the AnZio beachhead,
fell yesterday after savage four
hour battle in which heavy casual
ties were inflicted on the defenders.
American infantry and armor had
been battering the town for three
days.
Drive Toward velIetri.
From Cisterna, American armored
infantry is pushing on toward Vel
letri and gaining ground Velletri
is miles UP the Appian Way,
Highway Z, from Cisterna, and Is
miles southeast of Rome.
The shambles of German defeat
were evident where veteran United
States armored outfit trapped a
fleeing German panzer unit yester-
day. One correspondent counted
9 burned-out Tiger tanks and over
20 wrecked propelled guns, half
tracks and vehicles in a 2-mile
stretch.
Southeast of Cisterna, the Amer
leans occupied Littoria, Mussolini's
model town in the ancient Pontine
Marshes, without opposition.
(The Nazis, who usually de-
scribe the retreats of their troops
as "disengaging movements"
acknowledged in a Berlin broad
cast that German troops had to
retreat" in the Cisterna area
under a heavy tank assault.
(''The attempt of the Anglo
Americans to push on and dis
lodge the German defensive
forces in the town of Velletri,
however, was frustrated" the
broadcast said0
AS the Germans pulled back to-
ward their new defenses in the
Alban Hills, Allied Air Forces con-
tinued to smash their fleeing We
hicles. A headquarters announce
ment said more than 1,750 enemy
vehicles had been damaged in the
last 48 hours.
$4,000 Prisoners Taken.
The total of Germans captured
since the offensive began two weeks
ago rose to more than $4,000 and
the columns continued to file to the
rear as the Allied forces mopped
up captured areas.
In its four-day offensive, the
beachhead section of the 5th Army
captured $500 prisoners up to noon
yesterday. Among the prisoners
were the commander of the 954 Ger
man Infantry Regiment and his
staff.
French and American troops, ex-
erting steady pressure in the noun
tains north of Terracina in a move
that was rapidly Strengthening the
battle line out along an east-west
axis, captured Monte Vaglia, north
east of Pico, Monte Civitella, west
of Vallecorsa, and other important
points in that region The enemy
hit back with several local counter
attacks
In their flight from Littoria ano
elsewhere along the Pontine Plair
the Germans left behind much
equipment. At the southern end oi
the plain the towns of Sabaudis
and Pontina were found unoccu.
pied.
Ldteral ROAD Cut.
In swift exploitation of the Ger
man coastal withdrawal and fall oi
Cisterna, 5th Army forces cut 8
lateral road leading to Cori, siz
miles to the northeast, and another
leading in northeasterly direction
TO Doganella, three miles of the
Appian Way. Several enemy at.
tacks directed down the Corr roac
were repulsed.
In their advance toward the AL.
ban Hills, about Is miles south.
east of Rome, where the Germans
apparently hoped to make their fina
stand for the Eternal City, the
Americans encountered deep mine
fields, but enemy artillery fire wa.
lighter than had been expected.
The Navy announced new BON
bardments of enemy targets in the
AnZio area during the last two days
Buildings were destroyed, and CUR
positions and bivouac area were wei
covered with shells, the announce
ment said.
Front dispatches said the Ger.
mans abandoned Aquino yesterday
after the Canadian advance to the
Melfa had f1anked them. The
Aquino garrison was said to have
Withdrawn across Highway No. {
toward the town of Roccasecca, ir
the hills five miles north ano
slightly west of Aquino Occupation
of Aquino gave the Allies a new air.
Sci