| Show Eighth Army Nears as Enemy Withdraws By Noland Norgaard S SA A ALL ALLIED L L I lED E D HEADQUARTERS North Africa Sept 27 UP UPI UPI- Smashing a mile 10 deep salient into the mountains Americans of Lieutenant General Mark W. W Clarks Clark's Fifth army have captured the town of Cassano 50 miles due east of Naples allied headquarters an announced Monday I AS a result the Germans began a withdrawal in that sector east of Naples on the flank of their positions around the broad bay and port and offered only rear rearguard rearguard rearguard guard opposition Simultaneously the B British r i t i Is 8 h Eighth army of General Sir Bernard Bernard Bernard Ber Ber- nard L. L Montgomery drove rapidly up the east coast to within 22 22 miles of the airport center of Foggia Foggia Fog- Fog gia gla capturing the Adriatic towns of Cerignola and Margherita di Savoia the latter a large salt manufacturing center The British after crossing the Of an to river which empties into the Gulf of Manfredonia were meeting only the slightest resistance resistance resistance resist resist- ance and were sweeping along on straight roads across flat open country which extends to miles 30 beyond Foggia Air Springboard A Cairo broadcast said the British were within 18 miles of Foggia an air base with 12 satellite satellite satel satel- lite fields which wp Id give allied I air forces a great springboard for attacks on all parts of the Balkans 1 and much of Germanys Germany's southeastern southeast southeast- em ern domain The German admitted admitted admitted ad ad- that nazy army groups were carrying out aut another of their I retreats retreat undisturbed by the enemy enemy enemy ene ene- my in th the life e eastern tern sector after i destruction of f traffic i installations but declared attacks northwest and northeast of were re re- re pulsed In capturing Cassano the Americans Americans Ameri Amen cans drove to a poi point t 18 is miles northeast of Salerno and only 10 miles southeast of Avellino which with Benevento forms two of the main hubs of German communications in the area east of Naples Benevento is is is' 15 miles north of A Avellino Gain Four Miles The troops of General Clark also plunged up the Sele Sole river ver farther to the east for a gain of ot four and anda a half miles and captured Calabritto Calabritto Calabritto Cala- Cala britto a mountain community 27 miles east of Salerno The town is just north of Valva whose capture cap cap- ture tune was announced Sunday In the central mountain sector the British also were marking up steady progress and ed extended their lines beyond Muro 18 miles northwest northwest northwest north north- west of ot Potenza and 38 miles di directly directly directly di- di east of Salerno The allied lines thus ran almost straight Italy In a northeasterly northeasterly northeasterly north north- easterly direction with only a slight bow in the middle The British American occupation occupation tion had been pushed up approximately approximately approximately sixth one-sixth the length of the Italian boot in 24 days Although the Germans were fallIng fallIng falling fall fall- ing back northeast of Salerno al allowing allowing allowing al- al lowing the Americans to drive a wedge between their forces around Naples aples and those deeper Inland the fighting was bitter and at at close quarter to the north and northwest of Salerno immediately immediately- along the coast Here the Fifth army stormed and captured limited objectives in a sustained offensive a headquarters headquarters headquarters head head- quarters spokesman said but three or four miles mils of tough mountain mountain moun moun- tam tain going remained before the British troops there could break Continued ou on Page Pace Five Column Three as Ay PESCARA- PESCARA pro i-i i A LY Chieti 5 r Adriatic Sea F 3 Vasto Y Alessa uca k M SA RN EL I CAP j o r i c io c a j Associated Press Map Mop Allies Turn On Pressure Arrows indicate how American and British forces through forces through capture of Cassano Muro Calabritto and Cerignola are Cerignola-are are closing in on major maior German German German Ger Ger- man defense anchors of Naples and Foggia on the Italian peninsula Yanks in Italy Gain 10 Miles I Eighth Army Nears Foggia Continued from Page Pago One through to the open Naples plain From their mountain crests however however however how how- ever the British overlooked the plain I Front line reports said the fighting fighting fighting fight fight- ing there was more ferocious than I anything seen in the middle east north Africa or Sicily since the I British breakthrough at El Ala- Ala mein in Egypt nearly a year ago Take Heights In their new advance General Clarks Clark's Americans left the Sal Salerno rno plain plain far behind and took mountain heights dominating an elaborate network of highways some of which lead to Avellino the center of resistance for the whole area inland from Naples The slackening of German artillery artillery artillery ar ar- tillery fire was the first signal that the Germans were withdrawing withdraw withdraw- ing and the Americans at once began pressing the retreating enemy enemy enemy ene ene- my closely Messages from the front said the Americans now were consolidating consoli consoli- consolidating d dating ting their lines and straightening straighten straighten- ing out their avenues for supplies preparatory to the next big push which might take them to an east- east west road leading to Avellino only two wo miles north of their present position Demolish Bridges The enemy rearguards had demolished demolished demolished de de- practically every bridge and road however and considerable consIderable considerable consider consIder- able repair work was necessary to open the flow of supplies Discussing the fighting north and northwest of Salerno the I headquarters spokesman said enemy resistance is stubborn and the outcome is being decided in inman inman inman man to man encounters This fighting lighting resembles some of the historic historic historic his his- battles of the first World war when strong points in some sectors had to be taken by hard frontal assault A Reuters correspondent with the Fifth army said British warships warships warships war war- ships were hurling shells from the sea in an effort to blast open the passes Weather eather Grounds Planes For the first time in many weeks bad weather almost completely stilled the great allied air offensive offensive offensive offen offen- sive against the German enemy in Italy A few American Mitchells bombed German troop concentrations concentrations ions through the clouds near Sarno at the southeastern foot of Vesuvius an air said and R RAF A F fighter-bombers fighter attacked attacked attacked at at- tacked some trucks beside the road Other fighter-bombers fighter scored hits among aircraft parked on a landing strip at Pomigliano dArco d'Arco near Naples and attacked road junctions in the Benevento and Colle areas both northeast of Naples In support of the advancing Eighth a arm army r m y fighter-bombers fighter spanned the peninsula to the east coast and hit enemy motor transport transport transport trans trans- port north of Foggia Fog Headquarters announced Sunday that the German air force already has fled from the major air base and 12 satellite fields there From the middle east east- British Liberators and kept kep kePt up the allied hammering at the Balkans Balkans Balkans Bal Bal- kans by attacking the airdrome near Athens Friday night a Cairo announcement said also left a m merchant vessel smoking in an attack in harbor in the Aegean sea Sunday Meanwhile out across the Tyr Tyr- an sea in Corsica the French high command announced Sunday that it had the fierce Moroccan who terrorized axis troops in Tunisia against the trapped German garrison |
