Evening star., 1944-05-31
British Within II Miles Of Rome
In Coastal Drive, Yonks Advance
To Outskirts Of Villa Crocetto
Nuzis Hold Elsewhere
On 5th Army Front;
9th Army Gains
MAP on Page A-2.)
By the Associated Press.


ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, Ma
Piles, May 31.-British troops ad-
vancing through dense mine
fields on the coastal flank of the
5th Army line have reached a
point just south of Pescarella
Nuova, IA miles from the out
skirts of Rome, headquarters an
nounced today.
Americans fought virtually yard by
yard into the outskirts of Villa Gro
cetta, just southeast of the town oi
Lanuvio, in the Alban Hills 16 miles
southeast of Rome.
Elsewhere the 5th Army beat
against an unyielding wall of enemy
resistance. An Allied communique
said: "It is now clear that the
enemy's intent is to hold this line
at all costs"-the line reaching in
land below Rome.
Boring away on the left flank, the
British have crossed the Moletta
River all along the coastal sector
They worked their way through the
Village of L'Americano, on the coast
Is airline miles from the mouth of
the Tiber.
Ardea Also Occupied.
They also occupied Ardea, 21a
miles east and slightly south OF
Campo Iemini, coastal terminus of
the German fortress wall extending
through Velletri to Valmontone, key
TO Highway 6-the Via Casilina-2O
miles southeast of Rome.
The 9Th Army wheeled steadily
forward against enemy rear guards
through the mountains of Central
Italy, occupying such towns as Al
fedena, Fontana, Strangolagalli,
Pofi. Ceccano and Arpino and ad-
vanced to the outskirts of Frosinone
"a major exit for the desperately
placed Nazis on that sector of the
front.
CThe German radio reported
dramatic street fighting" in Vel
letri, strong point Is miles south
east of Rome, and said the stub
born fighting there was pinning
down heavy Allied forces and
enables us gradually to move
back the German front on the
central and eastern sector"
(aGerman troops are also re-
treating at Alfedena in the upper
Sangro Valley In the course of
general movement backwards"
the report said. A big tank battle
was reported around Lanuvio.
The Nazis said 78 of 200 5th Army
tanks were smashed. The enemy
said American troops were being
buried beneath ruins of buildings
which Nazi shock troops were
blowing up in Velletri. THE
battle south of Rome seems near
ing its climax, the report added
All-Out Naxi Effort.
The enemy was reported to have
thrown all available troops into an
all-out effort to hold his last fortress
wall before Rome-at least until
the troops Withdrawing in the face
of the 9th Army can make good
their escape.
1t is now apparent that months
were taken in preparation of this
steel and stone shield barring the
way to the Eternal City. Unofficial
opinion was expressed that only q
mighty drive would split it open.
Battle front advices said the Her
mann Goering Motorized Division
had been built up to full strength
and fhof orfillavvY,,o,, arl -o~xv; oz -
troops had been thrust into the line
as infantry, while German Mar
shal Albert Kesselring sought to
hold the 5th Army pressure. Ger
man counterattacks were spear
headed by tanks and self propelled
guns.
Smelling of Highway Continues.
A front-line report by Associated
Press War Correspondent Daniel De
Luce said the Americans, although
heavily opposed in the Valmonte
sector by the Goering Division, still
were shelling Highway 6 by daylight
and that only limited enemy traffic
was slipping through during the
night.
This artillery block does not trar
the German 10th Army withdraw.
ing from the Liri Valley. Eastward
from Valmontone series of latera
roads afford the enemy good escape
routes to the north. But these are
under constant and heavy air at
tacks.
Allied troops were closing a rims
around Frosinone, provincial capita
about some as airline miles from
(See ITALY, Page A-2)