QUIET SOUTH OF, ROME

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 115, 10 February 1944, Page 5

QUIET SOUTH OF, ROME

Air And Sea Activity BATTLE STILL RAGES ROUND CASSINO (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright) LONDON, February 9. Today’s land communique from Italy is not yet available, but the air communique reports continued air attacks on enemy communications, troop concentrations, gun positions and transport. The naval communique states that the bombardment of the Formia district, south of the beach-head was continued, and an ammunition dump was blown up. Marshal Tito’s communique from Yugoslav Partisan headquarters states that a British warship sank an enemy supply vessel carrying 40 trucks of ammunition off the Dalmatian coast yesterday. Field Marshal Kesselring’s counter-at-tacks against the Anzio beach-head have temporarily dwindled, says Reuter's corresnondent at Allied headquarters, but Allied and German patrols have been active along the 30-miles beach-head, perimeter and artillery exchanges have been frequent. The British and American troops have further consolidated their positions west of Cisterna and north of Padiglione, in readiness for the expected counter-offen-sive. The Germans are believed to here built up a force of formidable proportions. Kesselring is using tanks liberally, and also flame-throwers, which appeared for the first time on the beachhead front against the Americans west of Cisterna. Advance Behind Cassino. The British United Press correspondent with the Fifth Army says that the Americans today, after a day.uf rest, swept up the slopes of Monastery Hill, behind Cassino, to attack the strong German defences. The Germans used mortars against the advancing troops, but the Americans were unable to use their guns because of the existence of the monastery gnd the proximity of other American troops. An Algiers message says that Americans on this sector have taken nearly 500 German prisoners in the last fortnight. Op the Eighth Army front German night patrols have made two raids on the Allied positions near Orsogna, but both were beaten off. Rome radio announced tonight that British and American' forces have launched what they described as probing thrusts, and said that the. German troops had taken up new positions. . “There is no sense in playing down the Allies’ difficulties at the beach-head,” says a broadcast from Naples by the National Broadcasting System’s Naples commentator. “The German position is extremely strong, with the advantage of interior lines. When our troops landed, they could have taken a chance" and pushed on to Rome. Instead, they were ordered to consolidate, and ere still consolidating. There has been no significant extension of the beach-head, while outside it the German forces are growing.”

KESSELRING’S TASK Defend Gaeta-Pescara Line LONDON, February 8. The Zurich correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency says it is confirmed in Berlin that Kesselring had orders to defend the line between Gaeta, Cassino. and Pescara at all costs that the establishment of the Nettuno beach-head hns not changed this determination. Additional reinforcements have been dispatched from France to north Italy in order to strengthen the de-' fence positions protecting the railway lines from the s.Tuth. The battle for Cassino has reached whirlwind fury resembling the violence of the battles in Russia, says Paris radio. General Clark his thrown iijto the cauldron 35,000 men and 400 tanks, strongly sunnorted by artillery, in an attempt to outflank the town from the north. The radio adds: “The Allies on the beachhead south of Rome have gone over to tbe defensive, but it must be remembered that General Alexander no doubt expected a German counter-offensive and made preparations for more than a walk-over. The initiative is now firmly in German hands.”

A German news agency commentator said today that American tanks attacked again yesterday in the' direction of Cisterna. Otherwise, yesterday seems to have been relatively quiet on land. Madrid newspapers publish German reports that the British 56th Division is re-embarking from the Nettuno beachhead.

Berlin radio reports that important reinforcements, including two Polish divisions, have reached the Eighth Army.

PROPAGANDA MOVE Germans At Beach-head (Received February 10, 12.5 a.m.) LONDON, February 9. The Germans have intensified their psychological warfare against the Allies at the Anzio beach-head, says the “Daily Express.” They have erected a powerful radio transmitter close to the front which throughout the day broadcasts sentimental songs and danee music interspersed with propaganda in English. The station calls itself “Jerry’s Front.” The announcer tells the Allies how Big Berthas are sinking Allied warships and transports, leaving the troops stranded.

FOUGHT WAY BACK

Force Cut Off By Germans

(British Offlcial Wireless.) RUGBY, February 8. How a big British force had its supply line cut off by a major German pincer attack at the neck of the northernmost salient in the Anzio area and fought its way back almost intact to our lines is described by d war correspondent, cabling at midnight on Friday. “They came back tired but hearty,” he says, “through a gully of fire. For 24 hours they held on to a strongpoint they bad established over the railway line to Campoleone after grim fighting at the beginning of the week. “German tanks controlled a main highway—which follows the line of the river Pescolare—with raking cross-fire, and they had to be driven off a ridge on both flanks of the salient. At one time they were nearly astride the road itself. “It had been a day of bloody engagements, but our losses have been more than counter-balanced by those of the enemy. A brigadier who came back told me: ‘The German dead were thicker on the ground than we counted in one day at Medjez, where 700 were killed along one small sector.’ ”

The correspondent adds: “The immediate situation has grown more comfortable and has permitted of the bridgehead being strengthened by the withdraw,al and adjustment of our line. The tongue of the salient we had stretched out across the railway line at Campoleone was always exposed, and the enemy’s movements had gone on all day in this flank. An hour before midnight enemy infantry over-ran our outposts, and cut off whole companies as the attack rolled forward under the heaviest artillery barrage the enemy has been able to call down on this front. The battle swayed all morning, and tanks on both sides were knocked out. It was the enemy’s intention to lop off the Campoleone salient, but now it is clear that his attempt has failed—expensively.”