FIFTH ARMY FRONTS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 118, 14 February 1944, Page 5

FIFTH ARMY FRONTS

More Hard Fighting WEATHER HOLDS UP ALLIES (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 12. Bad weather is temporarily holding up Allied operations in ' Italy. Air supremacy which has helped the land forces from victory to victory is virtually useless unless tire skies are clear enough- for flying. Today’s communique states: “Hard fighting continues on both the‘'Fifth Army fronts. Our troops made some progress in the Cassino area of the main front, and threw back enemy

counter-attacks on the Anzio beachhead.

‘Two raiding parties on the Eighth Army front were repulsed with loss to the enemy. Operations on all fronts were impeded by rain, snow and sleet Yesterday the weather caused all major air operations to be cancelled. Enemy air activity was nil. Warships Support Troops. “In the Anzio area, our warships have given further support to the left flank of the army by their gunfire. Bad weather has hindered unloading.” The bad weather takes the form of squalls of heavy rain, states a correspondent at Allied headquarters in North Africa. Action in the Anzio beach-head was reduced to a minimum, but troops on. the left flank who had previously been driven back by fierce German attacks; were given solid support by cruisers and destroyers of the Royal Navy. The front line of the beach-head has remained relatively unchanged. Fierce fighting .continues as American troops push forward through the -streets of Cassino, knocking out one by one strongly-held German positions. One small part of Cassino is now completely in American hands. Germans who. lurked in the basement of the prison till blasted out by artillery fire have fled. That part of the town was the only Allied gain on all fronts yesterday. Two counter-attacks on the Garigliano front were made against British troops who occupy high ground, but both were repulsed. Since the invasion of the mainland of Italy, the Allies have captured 13,000 prisoners.