Show Yanks in Italy Italy I Push Ahead Despite Mud Flanking Drive Nets Another Town Eighth Army Gains By Noland Norgaard ALLIED HEADQUARTERS Algiers Oct 11 UP Plodding forward on foot through Italian mud which made motor transport almost useless and against stiffening stiffen stiffen- ing German resistance Lieutenant General Mark W. W Clarks Clark's Fifth army captured Pontelandolfo 12 miles northwest of Benevento in ina a furtner flanking move against the Volturno river allied headquarters headquarters head head- quarters announced Monday Mondy Monda Similarly heavy going was encountered encountered encountered en en- countered by the Eighth army of General Sir Bernard L. L Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery Mont Mont- gomery on 1 the th Adriatic front where gains of two to three e e miles were chalked up against the enemy enemy enemy ene ene- my who was being put under constant pressure Along the swollen Volturno where the Fifth army has established established established a mile 44 front General Clarks Clark's troops troops' made no f fresh r res e s h gains official reports indicated Consolidate Positions Patrols already have been skirmishing skirmishing skir skir- with the Germans on the north bank of the stream but Clarks Clark's forces were mainly engaged engaged engaged en en- in consolidating ting their positions positions positions and labor laboriously bringing up guns and ammunition through the mud The crossing of the Volturno 20 miles north of Naples in force in a frontal attack appeared to be bea a difficult with enemy artillery c concentrations prepared t lOwn wn a withering fire on minutely charted bridging sites The winding stream stream- varying in width from feet to yards and with steep banks 10 to 15 feet high at most places presented a major military obstacle particularly at its present high water waler stage The water normally is only waist deep but recent rains had greatly increased its depth Clark Confident Nevertheless Clark was reported report report- ed confident of his ability to beat the 24 days required by Garibaldi to get his army across the obstacle in 1859 when he was engaged in ina ina ina a march on Rome from Naples Inthe in inthe in the effort to unify Italy Pontelandolfo on the e eastern stern flank of the Volturno where it Continued on Page Five Column Five Fin I v P Jr Italy Mud Slows Allied Armies In Drive on Rome Continued from Page One turns northward lies in the fold of the hills between that stream and the Tammaro river which fl flows ws in a parallel direction andIs and andis andis is about six miles north of one bend of the Calore Galore river Eighth army patrols are pushIng pushing push push- ing westward vigorously the bulletin bulletin bul bul- letin said adding The enemy continues to fight hard and is using broken and difficult difficult dif dif- country to assist his defense de de- Demolitions still are being met on a heavy scale The office of war information said the united nations radio at Algiers had reported in a broadcast broad broad- broadcast cast that artillery duels were ragIng ragIng rag rag- Ing along the Volturno river and that German forces appeared massing for a counterattack It was was' announced here that the Eighth army gains all aU made by infantry plodding ahead on foot averaged between two and three miles An air said that medium and light bombers shot up enemy road and rail communications communications communications beyond the Italian battle battle- line area while mediums fighters fight fight- ers and fighter-bombers fighter swept in inand inand inand and attacked German gun positions positions and troop concentrations Bombers attacked the enemy along the west coast road last night at Terracina some 50 miles northwest of the Volturno The Germans were said to be using Italian labor to build hasty defenses above the Volturno and an allied army spokesman declared a major battle is in prospect here the the first of at least three which he said are likely before Rome is reached Northeast of Benevento to the Adriatic just above Termoli the British Eighth army advanced steadily through mountain territory terri terri- territory tory toward the headwaters of the Biferno river with capture of such towns as San Marco Gambatesa Colletorto Larino and Guglionesi the the latter inland and well west of the Biferno At Benevento itself captured by American fighting men some days ago Clarks Clark's troops were astride both banks of the Calore Galore wes west t to Ponte Ponce and beyond At the confluence of the Calore Galore with the Volturno 30 miles in in from the west coast the Fifth army was poised for a thrust up the broad valley of the rive northwest branch of the Volturno directly toward to to- to toward ward Rome While the land and advance continued continued continued contin contin- headquarters announced Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day that the northwest African Africa n air forces had loosed a heavy air offensive against the Germans i inthe in inthe n the Balkans ans and the Aegean are area a Saturday with heavy bombers bomber s hitting eight airfields in Greece Crete and Rhodes and U. U S. S Light Wings knocking down 16 Warn enemy y bombers near Rhodes |