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ALLIES MOVING ON
TO ROME
Nettuno Falls in Rapid
Advance
TROOPS AND SUPPLIES
FLOWING IN
"The Age" Special Service and A.A.P.
LONDON, January 24.
Driving on after landing on the west coast of Italy on
Saturday morning, Allied forces have captured the town
and harhor of Nettuno, 32 miles south of Rome.
British and American troops and supplies are flowing in steadily
without any effective opposition from the enemy in this sector.
The landing forces have advanced four miles inland from
rneir ariageneaa, ana are now only eight miles from the Ap-
pian Way— the main highway to Rome — which is within
artillery range.
On the main Fifth Army front the enemy has launched furious coun
ter-attacks at numerous points. In most places these have been re
pulsed with heavy losses to the enemy.
German reports say that 50;000 Allied troops, including
strong armored units, ore fanning out east and north from
Nettuno, and advancing patrols are already half-way to Rome.
According to Vichy Radio one Allied column, after capturing Anzio,
is moving towards Lido Di Roma, a seaplane base at the mouth of the
Tiber.
A correspondent- of the British
United Press, writing -from an .Al
lied beachhead yesterday, said:—
"Fighting Is flaring up as the Al
lies fan out inland. German artil
lery fire Is increasing, and enemy
patrols are pushing out . towards
the advancing Allied lines.
"Sharp fighting - developed to
day between Allied and enemy
patrols. Allied Commandos and
Rangers wiped out a number
of German groups in the beach
head area and surrounding coun-
try.'
"I toured the beachhead to-day
in a - jeep, and -, drove : about five
- miles inland. - Is found scores of
amphibious invasion 1 "ducks"
, e.ven so fart,inl.'d.,T|).f.y"'-ho(l dri
ven' straight from .'the -.sea' tV help
the first Allied advance.
"These 'ducks' are playing an
important part in: the -success of
. the new landings. They are carry
ing field guns complete with ar
tillery crews, and depositing
them mile's inland'. Other .'ducks'
are moving inland with ammuni-
; tion." :
Reuter's correspondent in Zu
rich says the Germans attach ex
treme importance to the landings
in Italy, and adds: — "The Ger
mans. regard the Allied action as
a practical test of the Wehr-
macht's defensive potential In the
Rear-Admiral T. II. Trou-' ' bridge, R.N., who commanded the section of the Allied ar mada which covered the land ing of British commandos on the coast of Italy south of Rome. Rear-Admiral Trou- bridgc, who commanded the convoy and escort which car ried the U.S. task force to North Africa, was recently awarded by General Eisen- ; howcr the American : D.S.M. . , for the perfect way in which lie carried out his duties. - Help
Rear-Admiral T. II. Trou-' '
bridge, R.N., who commanded
the section of the Allied ar
mada which covered the land
ing of British commandos on
the coast of Italy south of
Rome. Rear-Admiral Trou-
bridgc, who commanded the
convoy and escort which car
ried the U.S. task force to
North Africa, was recently
awarded by General Eisen- ;
howcr the American : D.S.M. .
, for the perfect way in which
lie carried out his duties. -
event of invasion. Possession of
Rome; is so valuable to the Ger
man High: Command for mili-
tary, political and prestige . rea
sons that it will only be -aban
doned under extreme pressure."
Algiers correspondent of Bri
tish United Press reports .that
heavy fighting is continuing on
the Garigliano front, where - the
enemy launched eleven counter
attacks in 24 hours In an effort to
stem the Allied drive.
The correspondent adds that
especially heavy fighting is deve
loping between Minturno and
Castelforte, where the Germans
are attacking on a six-mile front;
Fierce fighting is also going on
between the French and the Ger
mans on the upper- Rapido River.
The Berne correspondent: of the
Stockholm -"Svenska Dagbladet"
reports; that tthvee-- Allied eoluriihs
are advancing from the Nettuno
beachhead. The first is moving
inland against the German sup
ply lines; the second is. advanc
ing . against Rome, and the third
is moving .along the coast
lengthening its beachhead and
also guarding the flanks of the
inland force.
Reuter's correspondent at Al
giers says the landing forces are
75 miles as the crow flies from
the Fifth Army. Unloading and
debarkation is proceeding steadily
while rain is falling. On the
beach; heads air Opposition is
virtually non-existent.
PROBLEM FOR THE GERMANS
In n iiicssiigc despatched last niglit Renter's correspondent at
Algiers says that if Rome is to he saved, the next 48 hoars must
bring a CJeriiiani counter-move. Either the enemy must hring hack
Uiree divisions recently sent to the Gustav line, which is 80 miles
from the division's liuse, or transport troops from other areas
lliroiigh a hail of Allied liomhs.
With the object of a possible
counter-move, the Germans are
nt present endeavoring to move
troops from the Eighth Army
front over the tortuous Rome-
Pescaia road. Allied aircraft
south of Pescara intercepted, shot
up and bombed a large troop
convoy moving southward.
The Allied forces have now
pushed their beachheads inland
for several miles, and their
spearheads are almost within
stiiking distance of the first of
the main German communica
tions between Rome and the Filth
Army front. <
Frontline reports last night re
vealed that, the Allies' had cap
tured more than one coastal town,
and were astride the southern
end of the road to Rome. Every
report shows that the1 Germans
were completely , outwitted. Early
last week in preparation for an
intended crushing counter-at
tack to. halt the Fifth Army's
creeping progress to Rome, the
Germans transferred effectives
from the Rome area to the Gus
tav line. Rome was thus stripped
of defenders, which Included the
3rd, 29th and 90th Panzer and
Grenadier Divisions.
Nothing, therefore, could have
fitted in more .completely with
General Alexander plan for an
amphibious operation.1 German
preparations for ,a counter-at
tack from the Gustav. line
against the Fifth Army haVe gone
so far that they cannot be easily
reversed. Field-Marshal- Kessel
ring thus has nine divisions ma
rooned in the Gustav line. -which
at the moment is putting up
stiffened resistance.
It is possible that Kesselring
fears a new Fifth Army offensive
against the line which, with the
threat from the northern beach
heads, would practically trap his
forces. Massed formations of AI-
ilea bomders and fighters have
given non-stop support to the
landing forces, flying practically
a sortie per minute.
The British and American
forces are striking for three sup
ply routes, east and south of
Rome to the Garigliano front,
tne routes are the Rome-Capua
railway the Appian Way, which
t .. Ies lnland. and the Vial
Latina 24 miles Inland. .The Ger
mans have not made any counter
move, and the Allied Advance Is
reported to be proceeding like an
invasion exercise.
,.Tho military correspondent ot
ine 'Times" says the scene or
he Allied landing In western
«ai.v was to some extent dic
tated. it had, of necessity, If it
was to be exploited on a large
aie, to be carried out north of
the Pontine marshes. The suita
bility of the beaches in: this area
was also an important factor.
The correspondent adds: "Hav
ing selected this stretch of coast,
General Sir Henry Maitlnnd Wil
son and General air. HarolJ Alex
ander must have had to plan so
that the landing forces could if
necessary bo for some time self-
none Help
sufficing. No quick junction with
the two Fifth Army forces could
be hoped for unless the enemy
yielded to the present strong
pressure of the Fifth Army on
the Rapido and Garigliano
rivers.
fit is probable that the enemy
will now have to bring some of
his forces north again. The Ger
mans from the. point of view ot
tactics are more likely to strive
to drive back the Allied landing
forces to the sea than . they are
to retire from the southern front.
They will be fighting under a
heavy handicap, but generally do
best, when in difficulties.
"The results of the landings
may not develop for several days,
but a good start has been made
in a very daring venture which
was favored by an inestimable
boon in amphibian winter war
fare — a spell of fine, calm
weather."
Berlin Radio says the Allies
used at least three aircraft car
riers, two battleships, three
cruisers and six destroyers in the
landing.
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