ANZIO DEFENCES HOLDING

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 119, 15 February 1944, Page 5

ANZIO DEFENCES HOLDING

Heavy Bombers Reappear

LONDON, February 13. All the recently-adjusted Allied perimeter defences in the Anzio beach-head are holding, states Reuter’s correspondent at Allied headquarters tonight. The position is now officially described as generally satisfactory. Heavy bombers which were previously grounded by storms have reappeared in support of the ground forces, and destroyers are bombarding strongpoints inland.

Clashes between the ground forces in the past 24 hours have been confined to two sections—round a factory half a mile east of Carrocetto, and at a point two miles south-west of Cisterna. The factory changed hands three times yesterday. It continues to be the scene of the heaviest lighting along the beachhead front. ■ American troops twice beat back German attempts to penetrate the Cisterna area. In one action the Germans Hung flame-throwing tanks into the battle. The Germans continue to shell the beach-head from, emplacements which Flying Fortresses and Liberators are again attacking. The improvemrut in the weather has permitted acceleration of the unloading of supplies, but boggy ground is interfering with movement ashore. The Germans are still presumably, awaiting the-completion of their regrouping before opening a full-scale offensive. Allied planes bombed lorees massing south of Albano'. Warbawks bombed what appeared tc be merely au orchard but actually the area contained a heavy Concentration of camouflaged German guns and vehicles, so cunningly concealed as to be invisible to the pilots. Heavy German Shelling.

On cue main Fifth Army front the battle for Cassino shows no sign of slackening, alter 11 days of most savage lighting. The Germans are shelling the Cassino positions heavily. The Americans held counter-attacks against a spur of the Albaneta massif. Germans taken prisoner yesterday included men of a parachute division which was last reported in the Adriatic sector. The British on the lower Garigliauo repulsed an attack against Mount Ornito and broke up with artillery German units which were forming up to resume the attack. < . . The Naples correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain reports that the Vatican has asked the Allies to spare the historical Mount. CassinO Monastery. It is officially confirmed that the Germans have fortified Mount Cassino Monastery. which Reuter's correspondent with the Fifth Army / describes as a

“hallowed hell.” A headquarteis commentator said: “We aren’t non- shelling or bombing the monastery, but the time may come when we shall have to use means other than those we are now using to knock the tbe Germans out of tbe monastery.” Americans Fighting Desperately.

The monastery sticks up from the hilltop, providing an excellent observation point, from which the Germans direct their heavy artillery against the American positions, while its massive windows and doors provide excellent machinegun positions. American troops a few hundred yards from these walls are lighting desperately to gain a few yards. Rome radio saiu tonight that Allied artillery .have begun to shell the monastery. The radio a 100 stated that enemy offensive activity is developing iu the Anzio beach-head area, particularly round Cisterna, where Allied forces launched strong thrusts which were repulsed. The German news agency said that British and American thrusts south . of Carrocetto failed against the new German linos. . The Germans, it claimed, dislodged Americans from ruins in the suburbs of Cassino yesterday... The remaining American positions consist only of the ruins of a few houses which are under concentric fire from German guns. '

WIDESPREAD ALLIED BOMBING (British Official Wireless.) (Received February 14, 7 p.m.) RUGBY, February 13. •An Allied air communique states: “Yesterday’s bombing' effort was chiefly against troop concentrations on the beachhead. Both heavy and medium bombers participated. The Campoleone railway junction and Cecchina were attacked. Fabrica airfield was hit by fighter-bomb-ers. Fighters maintained patrols over the beach-head. “Last night bombers attacked the communications centres of Campoleone and Cisterna and the road south of Lake Nemi. One enemy aircraft was destroyed and one of ours is missing. It is estimated that 25 to 30 enemy aircraft were active in the battle area during the day.” BOMBS REPORTED ON ROME LONDON, February 13. Allied planes dropped a number of bombs on Rome last night, says Rome radio. Several bombs fell iu a street near the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and destroyed a nursing home. -