The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-01-24
The War On
Many Fronts

T11UAl fILIy lkANdoLOLl lOTCSS UTOVG
inland within artillery range of the
ancient Appian highway to Rome
today, while in Northern Russia the
Red armies thrust deep through COL
lapsing German defenses in three
sectors.
In the air war, strong American
and British bomber formations re-
sumed their pounding of the French
invasion coast after q series of
night aids on Western Germany
by speedy Raj mosquitoes.
Consolidating their three day old
beachhead area virtually unchal-
lenged, Gen. Mark w. Clark's as
sault forces were reported officially
to have overrun Mettuno, LILLIAN
port 80 miles below Rome, and prob
ably seized Anzio, main port of
Rome one and three quarters west
Of Nettuno.
Advancing four miles inland, the
Allied Vanguards drove to within
eight miles Of the Appian way and
within % miles of the via Casilina,
the main inland road to the Italian
capital.
Swiss dispatches said $4,000 Al
lied troops and strong armored
units had been landed by noon Sum-
day along a beachhead stretching
from Anzio to Astura, eight miles
to the southeast. Allied patrols
have pushed half way to Rome, T"
the Swiss reports said, and distant
artillery fire already is audible in
the capital.
Capture of the Appian Way and
the Via Casilina by the fast-break-
ing Allied invasion probably would
collapse the western half of the
enemy line SIS miles OF the southeast
and trap the better part Of nine
German divisions-10O,0OO men-en-
gagged by Allied forces on that front.
Panzer Grenadiers
The nine enemy divisions facing
entrapment included three Panzer
Grenadiers that were drawn from
defense duty south of Rome only a
few hours before American and Brit
ish troops splashed ashore on the
then unguarded coast.
1t was to this colossal blunder"
by Nazi Marshal Albert Keselring
that Allied military authorities at
tributed the ease with which the
invasion forces established their
miles-long beachhead Saturday.
The Germans were reported al
ready Fastening some units from
the southern front to ten Rome area.
North of Minturno at Castelforte.
five large explosions, presumably set
OFF by Germans preparatory to evac-
uating the town, were heard by
Fifth Army advance units.
Taking immediate chargeg of the
developing Allied invasion, Clark
was reported to have gone ashore
soon after the beachhead was won
10 confer with his field commanders.
German bombs repeatedly fell near
the Fifth Army commander.
On the main front to the south.
meanwhile, the Americans were
forced TO abandon their bridgehead
on the west bank Of the Rapido
river near Casino in the face OF a
strong German counter offensive.
Front dispatches sadi the Amer
leans fell back only after running
out OF ammunition and engaging
the enemy in costly hand-to-haid
fighting. Elsewhere, the Allies on
the western half of the trans-Italy
front held firm to new positions won
in a general advance launched ar
hours before the invasion to the
north.
Smashing against the Germans
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS defense line
on 20-mile front, Gen. KyriI A.
MeretskovS Russian forces overran
at least II towns and villages on
the approaches to the last 5O-miles
stretch Of the main Leningrad-Mos-
COW rail line held by the Germans.
One Column
One column penetrated IA miles
west beyond the Volkhov river and
captured Smerdyna, only nine mile,
from the vital rail line. Another
seized Lesno, 10 miles north of
Chudovo, last important city on the
enemy controlled portion Of the line
A third wiped out the last bridge
head on the east bank of the VOL
khov, six miles east Of Chudovo.
Some 20 miles to the north, Gen
Leonid A. Govorov's Leningrad
armies closed in on Krasnogvard-
eisk, gateway to Estonia and junc-
ton OF all railroads running south
west from Leningrad, from three
directions. His forces also threat
ened Tosno, 20 miles southeast OF
Leningrad and junction Of the main
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT railway and a
lateral line from Krasnogvardeisk.
In White Russia, Gen. Konstantin
K. FokoSSovky's columns sliced So
miles west into the Pripet marches
from Mozyr ON q 30-mile front, an
initiating enemy forces fleeing II