MUD IN ITALY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 63, 15 March 1944, Page 5

MUD IN ITALY

BOGS DOWN ARMIES

Will Be At Least A Week Before Battles Resume

N.Z.P.A. and British Wireless Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, Mar. 14. The liveliest patrol activity in Italy is still occurring on the Eighth Army front, where rain has again soaked the ground, says Reuters correspondent at Advanced Headquarters in Italy.

"It will probably be at least a week before the terrain on any of General Alexander's three Italian battlei'ronts hardens sufficiently for effective military operations," he adds. "Further rain also fell on the Fifth Army front, with snow in the mountains. The Allies are still running in supplies for the troops in the beachhead area. Amphibious jeeps, going ashore direct from landing barges, are delivering guns, ammunition and other supplies at the front line." Enemy Areas Bombed "Indian troops repulsed a series of enemy attacks against our forward positions," states . the latest Allied communique from Italy. "Patrols are active on all fronts. The weather has improved, but deep mud remains after weeks of snow and rain. Medium bombers yesterday attacked railway and road bridges at Sarzana, Via Reggio and railway yards at Spoleto, Perugia and Fabriano. Fighter-bombers attacked road and rail traffic in the Rome area, also gun positions, supply dumps and shipping off the Dalmatian coast. Other planes attacked the docks at San Stefano. also rail targets. Three enemy planes and six of ours are missing. The Allies flew 1000 sorties. About 45 i enemy planes were active over the battle area. The Germans are using San Stefano as a supply base for their beachhead forces."

More Junkers Losses Middle East aircraft took further toll of the enemy's Junkers 52's yesterday in the Aegean, states headquarters. Beaufighters on patrol intercepted a formation of three Junkers 52's off the south coast of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, and shot down two into the sea. On Sunday Beaufighters attacked a supply ship at Port Naussa, on Paros, and Naxia Harbour, on Nazos. They set two on fire. From those and other operations one of our aircraft is missing.

Patrol skirmishes and routine artillery duels were the only activity yesterday on the main Fifth Army front. An enemy working party was shot up near Cassino and prisoners were taken by one patrol, which wiped out a machine-gun nest. There were one or two sharp patrol clashes in the Anzio beachhead, mainly at A'rna, Littoria and a point live miles west of Cisterna, where American troops took 13 prisoners. British troops south of Carrocetto destroyed a machine-gun post. Four small air raids over the beachhead and Anzio Harbour were carried out on Saturday. The raiders dropped anti-per-sonnel bombs on Sunday night.