The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-05-15
The War On
Many Fronts
UNITED Press War Editor

Allied forces in Italy have broken
through the German Gustav defense
line between Casino and the sea in
a new advance of five miles on one
sector and have made smaller gains
at other points along the front, a
communique disclosed today.
In the air offensive against west
ern Europe, American heavy bomb
res resumed the assault on German
defenses in France after a brief
weekend lull imposed by the
weather.
The biggest gain on the italian
front was made by French troops
Of the Fifth Army. After the cap
ture of Monte Maio on Saturday, the
French advanced five miles west
ward to caputre the German head
quarters town Of Ausonia, nine miles
from the sea, taking six other vii
lagos in the process.
American units of the Fifth Army
operating nearer the sea captured
the village Of Santa Maria Infante
and advanced mile and a half to
attack Spigno, beyond the highway
from Casino to Formia on the coast.
Both the French and Americans
were across this important road,
which was considered lost to the
enemy.
Bridgehead Deepened
The British Eighth Army, operat-
ing below Casino, threw more tanks
across the Rapido river and deep
enel the bridgehead into the Liri
valley by more than a mile.
Today's communique, reporting
the capture Of eight more towns,
said the enemy had been cleared
from 80 square miles of territory.
Sundays advances had brought the
total Of towns captured to IS, and
hill positions taken to "a.
The advances were made against
the fiercest German resistance, par
ticularly in the defenses above and
below Casino and at the entrance
to t he Liri valley, which leads
through the hills towards Rome.
Swarms of Planes
The offensive was supported be-
hind the front by swarms of Allied
planes which attacked not only
troop concentrations and gun posi-
tons but communication lines from
Rome to the Pc valley and the Bren-
ner pass through the Alps, which
was blocked by the bombing Of the
Avisio bridge. About $500 Allied
planes, including some $50 American
Flying Fortresses and Liberators,
were in the air yesterday.
The aerial assault from Britain,
now in its fifth week, was broken
for "a hours by heavy weather. The
Raj resumed 1t last night with an
attack on the industrial and rail
center of Cologne on the Rhine,
while other two-engined bombers
attacked railway and defense objec-
tives in France and Belgium.
200 Heavy Bombers
About 200 American heavy bomb
ers, with as many fighter escorts,
led the start of today's operations,
attacking German west wall defenses
in France. Swarms Of medium
bombers and fighters famed out
against other detectives.
The Russian air force was active
on its side of the European fortress.
Red army bombers hammered rail-
way targets and military concentra-
tons deep III enemy territory, hit
ting Brest Litvosk in pre-war Po-
land, the railway junction of Polotsk
in northwestern White Russia and
the Estonian stronghold of Narva
near the Gulf of Finland.
In the Pacific
In the Pacific, American air forces
maintained their Widespread attacks
on Japanese positions, including an
assault on Rabaul, New Britain,
with new type of rocket gun which
destroyed 40 enemy barges.
In China, the defending forces in
Honan province surged back across
the Peiping- Hankow railway at four
points, again interrupting the line
which the japanese had cleared
completely last week and sought to
hold open. The japanese. however,
were storming Loyang from all sides
and the Chinese garrison there was
outnumbered.