Evening star., 1944-05-21
War. Review
Two Serious Defeats
Cripple the Axis
By HoaCard p. Bailey

laSC week, one OF which is imme
diately serious and the other longer
ranged in its effect on the ultimat
defeat of the enemy.
Most spectacular was the suddel
smashing of the desperately-de
Tended Gustav Line in Italy whicl
was followed by Allied claims of ;
break-through along the create
part of the Adolf Hitler Line t,
the north, which the Nazis coun
tered by declaring never existed.
While the possession of the par,
ticular number of square miles re-
conquered during the past weel
may not in itself be decisively i'm
portant, the implications of tn.
German defeat are tremendous
Some of the best troops at Hitler.
command are reeling back in wha
approaches rout and, just as the
collapse on the long eastern front
in Russia resulted in the abandon.
ment Of large numbers of prisoners
and great quantities of supplies ir
hasty flight, SO is the story being
repeated in Italy where more than
100 towns and villages have beer
set free and where lengthening lines
of prisoners moving to the rear are
reminiscent of North Africa.
The second blow the effect OF
which will not be felt completely
for some months in all probability
was the capture of the airf1eld ano
the penetration of the outskirts OF
Myitkyina, the important japanese
supply base in Northern Burma
Completion of the operation will
make it possible for the Allied en-
gineers to move ahead without op-
position toward linking the Ledc
and Burma roads for an overland
supply route into China. 1t will
also pave the way for a drive down
the Irrawaddy River Valley toward
Mandalay, imperiling all japanese
positions in Northern Burma. Al
lied commanders declare that ar
rival of the monsoon season will not
halt operations this time.
Attack Well Prepared.
The groundwork for the new
campaign in Italy was launched
several weeks ago when an inten-
sive series of air raids smashed the
lines of communication behind the
German positions to make next tc
impossible .the efficient movement
of reserves and the bringing up OF
supplies.
Secretly many units of the Brit
ish 9th Army moved from the Adri-
attic half of the line to positions
behind Casino and judging from the
description OF the troops involved
new units were brought in as well.
Suddenly at noon on May 12 after
much bombing and intense shelling
far heavier and more devastating
than anything which had preceded
it, the first waves sprang forward
along a 25-mile front from Rapido
River positions east of Casino to
the coast. Supported by 1000
planes and 5000 heavy guns, the
Allies moved forward irresistably
and the hysterical Berlin radio de-
clared that the invasion was under
way, that D-Day in the west could
come at any moment.
BY Monday French troops operat-
ing on the right wing of the Ameri-
can 5th Army had moved forward
to depth of z miles while British
and Indian troops coming across
the Rapido had expanded a bridge
head to a depth of 1000 yards.
Tanks and other heavy equipment
In large numbers were pushed
across the stream and into the Liri
Valley which offers a direct route
to Rome. The French. captured
Ausonia, z miles south of Casino
and definitely behind the Gustave
Line. With the British drive to the
northeast, the French success
brought pincers movement into
play against Casino.
Many Prisoners Taken.
In the meantime, Americans NOV
ing ahead from Minturno captured
San Pietro and Santa Maria Infante
bringing support to the French ad-
vance. Gurkhas, who swing vicious
knife, cleaned out all the enemy
found hiding in the cellars and for
titled buildings of San Angelo and
the stage was set for the big push
BY Tuesday, 5000 prisoners hao
been taken and one entire regiment
Of the Hoch und Deutschmeister Di-
vision had been eliminated. Every.
where the Allied movement was for.
ward and all German efforts te
counterattack were shattered.
Wednesday hundreds of British
guns blasted the Benedictine Mon.
astery behind Casino while Polish
troops in the hills north of the Ger.
man position and British to the
south waited to close in. Tank bat.
ties which brought further victory
for the American 5th Army sent the
NaziS reeling back down the Lir
Valley and swept the eastern /:
miles of the Gustave Line clear o1
the enemy.
Casino Is Captured.
Thursday the British 9th Army
announced the capture of Cassin(
and the monastery, adding that tn,
Gustave Line no longer existed
American troops were only 2 mile.
from the junction of the Itri anc
Appian Ways, the only escape route
for the Nazis holding the port O.
Gaeta. French troops had won the
first outpost of the Hitler line anc
brought the supply road under
artillery fire. At this point, tht
Allies were only IS air miles from
Rome and IS air miles from tn,
Anzio beachhead.
Friday. American tanks ane
French troops broke into the very
center of the Hitler Line at SAINT
Olivia and Allied warships begar
sheliing Gaeta where the Nazis were
believed to be detroying ammunition
dumps and other supplies.
AS the week ended headquarters
OF the American 5th and the British
9Th which were now operating as /;
single unit, declared that one of tn,
main objectives, destruction of thu