The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-05-18
MOVE ACROSS VALLEY
Allies Attempting To Sew
er Casinos Road, Rail
Lines With Rome

"A l. l. T. u HEAD(9O All L ERS,
NAPLES, May II IN British
and Indian troops have smashed
the German stronghold OF
Pignataro at the mouth of the
Liri valley four miles
southwest of Casino and tonight
were moving across the valley
against furious enemy resistance
in an effort to sever Casinos road
and rail communications with
Rome.
From the battlefield, strewn
with abandoned German equip
ment, Lynn Heinerling of the As
ISOLATED Press reported that the
crack Nazi parachute troops who
for months defied all Allied efforts
to storm Casino frontally faced
the possible danger of winding up
their careers in the dusty environs
Of that forsaken town."
Southwark from the Liri valley
along twisting 15-mile front to
the Gulf of Gaeta, American and
French native troops drove a dis
organized enemy from the last de-
lenses of the shattered Gustav line
and fought through the outposts
of the powerful Adolf Hitler line,
the enemy's last known fixed belt
of Notifications before Rome.
American forces driving up the
coast captured the heavily -forti-
fled town of Castellonorato, four
miles from Formia, and pushed on
up the coastal road under stiff fire
from enemy artillery and snipers.
Castellonorato, whose fortified.
tons were said to compare with
those of the Hitler line, was re-
duced to ruins and Uttered with
German dead. Several American
divisions participating in the of
fensive were without previous bat
tie experience.
The French, whose spectacular
advance between the Americans
and British has spanked the SIX
the fortress town of Esperia, fouur
miles southwest of San Georgia and
two miles south Of the Liri river.
They began fighting up 2,080-foot
Monte d'Oro, believed to be one
of the strongest forward positions
of the Hitler line.
In addition to wiping out the
Gustav line, which the Nais had
boosted was impregnable, the AL
lied push already was forcing the
Germans to throw their reserves
into the battle. Two grenadier reg
iments had been rushed from the
Anzio beachhead sector to meet the
onslaught. This fitted in perfectly
with the avowed purpose of Allied
commanders to destroy the Ger
man army in Italy.
Wednesdays German high COM
mand communicate said great
battle Of attrition was raging COM
parable to those of the First World
War and acknowledged that Nazi
troops were withdrawing before the
onslaught.
COur troops now for six days
have been offering heroic re-
sistance to the great enemy ST.
periority," the communicate said in
and unusual elaboration, '1nces-
SAINT drumfire, in which huge guam
titles of ammunition are spent; the
strongest air attacks; the use of
tanks as movable artillery; as well
as an embittered struggle for
every fortified point and everyhip,
which often changes hands several
times within a short time, are
giving these fifths the character of
the great attirtion battles of the
last world wary
AS powerful squadrons of British
arnor beat across the gun studded
floor of the Liri valley in an effort
to cut the Via Casilina and isolate
the Casino garrison, hundreds of
bombardment of the Quilted town
and Monastery Hill from the Rapi-
do valley on the east. The barrage
appeared designed TO obstruct any
general enemy withdrawal from
the stronghold to avoid the snap.
MING PrifiSh tran