STATION SHELLED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 58, 9 March 1944, Page 5

STATION SHELLED

BY N.Z. GUNNERS

Germans Expect Allied Drive In Italy Very Soon N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 2 p.m. LONDON, Mar. 8. A communique from advanced headquarters in Italy reports that patrols were active on all fronts. There are no changes along the whole front. Heavy snow in the mountains and deep mud in the valleys made all movements difficult. New Zealand gunners last night shelled the railway station a mile south of Cassino. marking the limit! of the last American attempts to break through to Liri Valley, says Reuters correspondent at Allied headquarters. Flooded rivers in the Cassino sector are subsiding, but boggy ground continues to immobilise aircraft and heavy vehicles. Von Mackensen's forces on the beachhead front are using the lull in large-scale operations to spar for an opening in the Allied positions. The greater part of yesterday's 1300 Allied air sorties was directed to crippling German communications and preventing regrouping of forces after the failure of the third offensive.

British troops again parried attempts to infiltrate through ravines and upper reaches of the Moletta River.

Unloading operations in Anzio harbour have not slackened, even under shelling, sneak bombing, heavy seas, wind and storms.

German military commentators forecast an Allied offensive soon from Anzio beachhead. Berlin radio said the attack by strongly reinforced Fifth Army troops could be expected within a few days.

The German news agency spokesman said that judging from the considerable movement behind the Allied lines the offensive will be launched very soon.

AIR RAIDS RESUME HEAVY BOMBERS AGAIN OUT Rec. 2 p.m. RUGBY, March 8. After a five-day lull heavy bomber daylight attacks from Italy were resumed. Fortresses and Liberators were out in strength yesterday and delivered crippling blows to communications as well as to the Toulon submarine base, writes an agency air correspondent. Fortresses previously attacked Toulon on February 4. The latest damage included hits on the dry dock area and the nearby munition plants, and among submarines and other war vessels in the bay. Liberators yesterday bombed rail centres in Florence area. The northbound line at Prato was cut and also the south-bound line at Pontassieve, which will create a temporary bottleneck in Florence itself.

Porto San Stcffano. through which the enemy is attempting to bring in supplies by sea to relieve rail congestion, has been frequentiy bombed in recent weeks.