The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-01-26
LittOE.ia Captured us
NaZiS Abandon Casino
.anks Return
to Rapiido
Battle

(By international News SerYice)
The anclents had a saying that
All roads lead 10 Rome and both
Allied and enemy fo-ccs. apparent
y cognizant OF this. concentrated
.Oday on gaining control OF the
longitudinal highways In central
italy.
Patrols OF the Fifth Army in the
Rome area probed across the an
,ient Appian Way amid reports
rom Switzerland that the Allies
lad captured Littorla, ~ miles
East OF captured Nettuno. The
swiss quoted a Bari radio broad.
asst adding that expansion OF tho
original bridgeheads on the west
ryrrhenian coast had oyerrun Ap.
lila. 10 miles north OF Nettuno.
Late reports from the battlefront.
Meantime, indicated that the An.
ylo. American troops now are meet
ng some strong enemy opposition
rs they seek 10 extend their bridge
heads.
Meanwhile, other American pa
.rols entered Casino 70 miles be-
Ow Rome, TO find that the Ger
mans had quit the town which had
held up the Allied advance for
many weeks. The enemy eyacua-
ion was taken TO indicate a pos
,ible early withdrawal OF Nazl Field
General Albert Kessei.
rings forces from the Gustav lima
10 escape entrapment by the Al
lies to the north.
To Bolster Rome7
Though II was Stlll uncertain
whether the withdrawal from Cas-
sino meant Kesselrlng would seek
10 disengnge his forces IN the
Mlnturno-C Casino area or would
make a stand. there we're indIca-
lions that he was Withdrawing
some OF his troops to bolster tho
Rome deienses.
German abandonment OF Casino
came after the Nazis apparently
spent themselves in desperate
which only mo.
mentarily repulsed American pa.
trolls that had forced the Rapido
River. Regrouping. the ianks
again sdrRed over the stream To
probe enemy positions.
Along the Garigiiano River front.
British elements Of tho Fifth Army
extended their bridgehoads and
scored fresh gains. Their coun.
trymen OF the Eighth Army report.
I'd considerable enemy movement.
apparently as the Nazis sought 20
strengthen their positions toward
the Adriatic and prevent the Brit
ons from turning the flank OF tho
Trans Peninsula line.
Forced Backward
In Russia, too, the Germans wera
being forced backward steadily os-
pecially In the far north. Soviet
lrmored and infantry forces, spear
headed by tank-riding machine.
gunners, slashed at important enc
my railroad lines. intent on trap
ping " possible some 100000 Nazis
below Leningrad.
One Russia column engaged the
Germans in the outskirts OF the
Krasnog .Nardelsk rail junction
while to the southeast another So
Wet force probod to within ten
miles OF Shimsk, termed the key
10 Staraya Russia
Within the southern Ukraine.
east OF Vinnitsa. Gen. Nikolai Va
Lutin's first Ukrainian army ran
INTO stiff enemy resistance in its
lrlye toward the Romanian border.
Large German tank and infantry
forces hurled almost continuous
attacks against the Rus
slams. but su :ceeded only in los
ing heavily in manpower and ma
.eriel.
Hammer France
Medium bombers, escorted BY
lighters. left British bases to ham,
mer targets in northern France
early today. They followed up
night action by speedy Mosquito
Dombers which we're reported ac-
tive over western Germany and
northern France.
Three air raids by planes under
Cen. Douglas MacArthur's COM
mand caused plenty OF damage To
Japanese forces in the Southwest
Pacific, hitting the Nipponese air
forces particularly heavily. The
Allied airmen chalked up an almost
l7-to-one victory over enemy fight
sr pilots. destroying or damaging
30 Jap planes as against the an
nounced loss OF but Ave American
planes.
The enemy planes we're battered
when the Allies hit ground and air
IRON facilities in the Admiralty
stands. al Rabaul In New Britain.
Ind at Wewak on New Guinea. At
east FIVE enemy i000-ton cargo
-essels we're damaged in the adj
niralty attack.
Ground action by MacArthurs
men resulted in further Allied
yaines L. S. Marines around Boz
zen Bay. on New Britain. raided
lap positions in the Natamo area
where they killed 40 OF the enemy
md destroyed much small arms and
supplies.
And the Australians in the Ramu
Valley we're revealed TO have com
oletely driven the enemy from
he Kankiryo saddle" which they
we're now converting 10 their own
Use.
WASHINGTON-INS- Federal