BLASTED BY BOMBS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 42, 19 February 1944, Page 4

BLASTED BY BOMBS

monastery fortress

THREE WAVES OF ATTACK

(N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent.) FIFTH ARMY FRONT, Feb. 15. This morning I witnessed the most spectacular "set piece" of the Italian campaign, the first Allied bombing of the Cassino Monastery. Cassino is a straggling village scattered along the foothills of Monte Cassino, behind which rises 6000-foot Cairo. I had time to see the ruined castle on the small eminence above the village, the slender ribbon of a stream, and the imposing bulk ot the mediaeval monastery itselt crowning the 1700-foot ridge oi Monte Cassino, then came Flying Fortresses. Soon the ridge became a volcano of leaping bomb-bursts, vomiting clouds of brown and jetblack smoke. Smoke clouds partially obscured the left side of the building but did not conceal the eruption of sheets of flame and flying debris fbom the heart of the ancient pile. Then a pall of dust and smoke descended over the monastery. The crack of an 88 millimetre shell sent me to the ground, and I realised that the excitement of the spectacle had caused us to stand up on the skyline well within range of even small arms in Cassino itself. As the dust drifted away we could see part of the roof wrecked. Light showed through some of the narrow windows, but the walls had fortress strength. The ruins of the oldest part still reared up to the right while a lazy banner of smoke drifted on the wind. Great Building Rocked Soon three dozen more Fortresses dropped their bombs, mainly on the ridge to the left of the monastery, among heavily fortified German positions. The building rocked to the impact of several hits which fell inside. The third wave of planes showered the whole area of the ridge with smaller bombs, which struck sprays of splinters from the walls. The entire pattern crashed simultaneously across the target, which was again screened by smoke and debris. Through the haze flashed bright pin-points of various charges and the roar soon echoed down from the heights. During the air bombardment Allied artillery continued to lob shells into the area. The departure of the bombers was followed by a lull, then it was the turn of the guns. Their thunder crashed and echoed from every hill as the tempo of the barrage increased. Heavy shells roared from a distance, medium shells cracked from vantage points, and close behind us field pieces barked away. Lurid blotches of flame leapt from the walls as the heavy shells crashed home. Smoke streamed in the freshening breeze, and windows gaped and widened as the masonry flew off. Then, as the blitz ended, comparative silence settled over the countryside.