The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-05-17
SWIFT ADVANCE MADE
Nazis Routed From First
Line OF Hills Overlook
ing Liri Valley
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS. Ma.

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, Ma.
pies, May 16-Vengeful French
troops, after smashing through up
to eight miles in the center of the
Germans Gustave line, tonight
threatened to outflank the enemy's
entire defense system guarding
Casino and the mouth of the Liri
valley leading to Rome.
The swift French advance be-
tween the Americans on the south
and the British on the north al
ready had routed the Nazis from
tie first line of hills overlooking
the Liri Valley and had eliminated
one great advantage the enemy
previously held-direct observation
of all Allied movements across the
loWland approaches.
Dozen Towns
Altogether the French and Amer
lean forces of the Fifth Army cap
tured at least a dozen towns and
commanding heights between Cas-
sino and the sea.
The British have thrown hun
dreds of tanks across the Rapido
River near SAINT Angels in readi-
ness for a direct smash into the
Liri Valley, and this concentration
of fast-moving armor would COM
pllcate any enemy efforts at an or
derby withdrawal from the Casino
fn ayrniI tho E1rnY,oJ,
attac.>
French Praised
1t was announced officially that
Gen. Alphonse Juin's French, who
have won the unqualified plaudits
of their Allies since the offensive
began last Thursday night, were
forging on northward and vest
ward from their two latest points
of advance-the town of San Gior-
gio, seven miles southwest of Cas-
sino, and 3,800-foot Monte Fam
mera, four miles southwest of San
Giorgio.
American troops occupied the
lofty German stronghold of Spigno,
four miles from the Gulf of Gaeta,
after a fierce fight on the APP
proaches of the rubbed town, and
we're reported engaged in a hard
struggle for Castellonorato, be-
tween Spigno and the coast. The
most advanced American units
seized Mount Cavita, about mile
southwest of Spigno, and captured
an entire enemy artillery battery
of eight guns there.
Infantry Withdrawing
Front dispatches said there ws
evidence the Germans were with
drawing their infantry from the
American sector-poscibly back to
the Adolf Hitler Line-and leaving
artillery to fight delaying action.
Two captured Nazi artillerymen
complained that their infantry
ran like hell"
An Allied communicate said the
advancing forces maintained the
impetus of their attack and the
official count of German prisoners
pcooCu lIIC O.OOO IlldIh luG MAIL
list division had been badly chew
ed up by the French, and a regi-
ment of the 44th division virtually
destroyed.
Allied casualties, on the other
hand, have been less than we
expected" said a member of Gen.
Sir Harold Alexander's staff He
warned that progress from now on
would be slower and said the Hit
Ter line contained pre-fabricated
steel pillboxes set in concrete. Cap
ture Of the road running from Au-
sonia south to the coast will be of
great help in supplying advanced
French and American troops, he
said.
German prisoners pouring back
along the dusty roads toward the
Allied rear appeared to be younger
than those taken earlier in the
Italian fighting, and some obvious
~ were bewildered by the great
artillery barrage which preceded
the Allied attack.