ALLIED PATROLS ACTIVE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 13429, 17 April 1944, Page 3

ALLIED PATROLS ACTIVE

THRUST INTO ENEMY LINES Operations in Beachhead Area Good Work by Air Forces London, April 16. The Mediterranean air force, in about 1900 flights yesterday, kept up attacks on railways and bridges in north Italy, made sweeps over the Adriatic and the Yugoslav coast and flew battle-area patrols. In the land fighting our patrols are officially described as having been very active yesterday. Correspondents say one of their expeditions was a strong raid in the southern part of the beachhead. They penetrated nearly three miles in the Pontine Marshes, took Gl German prisoners and then withdrew. The raiders used tanks to punch their way through the German defence ring. Our forces used no artillery preparation and caught the Germans by surprise.

It is just three months since British and American troops in Italy went ashore at Anzio to set up the bridgehead. A correspondent who landed with them has summed up what has been achieved.

"Our time has not been wasted," he said. "In the first place the bridgehead is now a fortress which the Germans will find almost impossible to smash. It is one of the most heavily defended places in the world, with hundreds of guns ready to switch their fire at .any (point round the bridgehead." The. correspondent describes our forces as a coiled spring able to shoot forward the minute-the Germans relax their pressure. That is why the enemy has to keep so many divisions around or near the bridgehead, divisions the enemy would like to have outside Italy to meet the threat of the forces in Britain.