Evening star., 1944-05-17


sent thousands of shells into
the haze -enshrouded Bene-
dictine Monastery above Cas-
sino. The town appeared
closely hemmed in by Poles in
the hills to the north and the
British reaching around from
the south.
By the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS
Naples, May 17-British units
drove northward into the Lar
Valley toward Highway No. g.
the famed Via Casilina-behind
Casino today and the fall OF
that stronghold at last appeared
imminent.
Front-line dispatches said crack
German parachute troops who long
had defended Casino appeared in
danger of winding up their careers
In the forsaken town.
The Germans have been thrown
out of most of their positions in the
Liri Valley in tank battles, and the
entire l3-mile southern end of the
Gustav Line has been smashed
Allied headquarters announced.
French troops came into close
contact with 2,800-foot Mount
D'Oro, believed to be one OF the
strongest forward positions of the
lvyina H.
front said.
British forces took Pignataro, i'm
portant strong point four miles
southwest of Casino, in a smash
ing flank attack.
Americans Take Two Towns.
The American troops fought
their way into Castellonorato
heavily fortified town less than four
miles from Formia, finding ruined
pillboxes and the streets Uttered
with enemy dead They also occu-
pied the village of Scauri, on the
Gull of Gaeta coastal road four
and half miles from Fornlia, after
q light fight.
Later American troops and tanks
entered town on route No. t.
the Appian Way-west Of Scauri
after an u-hotH lull in fighting and
ran into considerable opposition
from German artillery, mortars and
snipers. The censors would not
permit naming the town.
eThe next town after Scauri
ION route is Santa Croce, a mile
FARTHER west. A mile beyond
1hat lies Agresti and the Ger
man base of Formia lis only 312
miles farther onl
In the Liri Valley the enemy has
now been evicted from most of his
original positions by British and
Indian troops" said today,s Allied
communique.
THE enemy is resisting our ad-
vance from further prepared posi-
tions in the rear. South of the
Liri River all positions in the Gustav
Line have been overrun," 1t added
Right Allied Flank.
The Liri Valley. spread out west
and south Of Casino, reaches north
westward for 20 miles before it is
traced through bottieneck in the
mountains at Ceprano, Sc miles from
Rome. 1t represents the right Allied
flank of 25-mile front stretching
inland from the Gull CT Gaeta.
(Today's German communique
declared great battle of attri-
ton" was raging and admitted
that German troops were falling
back before the onslaught.
c"Incessant drumfire, in which
huge quantities OF ammunition
are spent: the strongest air at
tacks; the use of tanks as movable
artillery; as well as an embittered
struggle for every fortified point
and every hill, which often
changes hands several times
within short time, are giving
these fights the character of the
great attrition battles of the last
World War" the communique
said.
cOu1 troops now for six days
have been Offering heroic resist
ance to the great enemy superb
ority. Detaching movements are
being carried out according to
plan, within the ambit of battle
strategy"
tAllied artillery was reported
increasing in intensity in the
Anzio beachhead 20 miles below
Rome and the German COM
munique said 1T is expected that
the enemy also will launch a
large scale attack from there.o
Casino Menaced.
Fearing the complete outfisnkins
Of Casino, to which they have cluns
for so long, the Germans threw
tanks and what reinforcements they
could scrape together into an ef1orr
to save Casino, now menaced b,
the capture of Pignataro.
The Allied communique reported
the Americans and French wer'
charging forward to gain contac
with the Adolf Hitler Line" nov
roughly Az miles ahead of tn,
French who are wiping out the re-
naming enemy south of the Lir
River.
American forces now. hold higf
ground in a triangle formed. by Cas-
tellonorato, Spigno and Monte Sar
Angelo, another one of numerou
mountains in the battle zone bearin,
the same name. In winning tn,
heights six out of seven howitzers il
single enemy artillery unit wer,
destroyed.
The French continued their spec
acular advance, driving 2h mile
southwest from San Giorgio in tn,
southern part of the Iiri Vale,
against determined resistance.
Other French forces moving west
ward from Ausonia seized elevation
2 y miles south of Esperia and pre-
pared an assault on that apparentl,
doomed town.
Pignataro was taken by British
esee ITALY. Page A-2.)