BATTLE NEARLY WON’

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 122, 18 February 1944, Page 5

BATTLE NEARLY WON’

Alexander On Anzio Position “NOT A DUNKIRK” (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received February 17, 9 p.m.) LONDON, February 16. General Alexander, at the conclusion of a tour of the beach-head south of Rome on Monday, had a heart-to-heart talk with war correspondents, in which he had some blunt things to say, reports the British United Press correspondent with the Fifth Army. After commenting that he was surprised at the amount of rubbish he had been reading about the beach-head, General Alexander said: “There is no comparison (between the beach-head and Dunkirk. There is no Dunkirk here. “To face reality, we have pulled much tougher jobs, than this.. We( have not lost a battle since Alamein, and we will certainly not lose one here. Its no use blowing hot and then . cold, first saying we will be in Rome in -4 boms and then swinging round. “You are responsible people. lour work is vital because it is meant to give the people at home a true picture. “But I have received an urgent telegram that reports from the beach-head area are alarming people. I beg you not to take that attitude. I vineed that the Germans have lost the battle, even if things have not gone as fast as we would have liked. I have found during my tour of the beach-head that the morale is extremely high. 1 have full confidence in this beach-head in the second round. 1 “The beach-head battle, in which the Germans have gathered their forces in an effort to drive us off, is more than half over. In fact, it is nearly over, and we are winning it. The third round will come when we gather our forces, me fighting has been hard, but I. can assure you that tlie Germans in this beach-head area are a very unhappy lot. They do not like it. They are suffering many dead.” General Alexander concluded, 'by recalling Kesselring’s dictum: Battles are lost .when a beach-head cannot be driven into the sea.’ At the conclusion of the address correspondents pleaded that their reports were objective and not alarmist, and invited the General to provide greater facilities in the beach-head so that they could describe events at first-hand.

Correspondents’ Position.

War correspondents at the beach-head have been placed in an intricate situation, says the representative. of the combined Canadian Press at Anzio. News messages arc no longer transmitted by radio from the beach-head. Apparently it is thought that correspondents have been guilty of unwarranted scare news, and their radio facilities have been cut off. They are in a position in which it is technically impossible to file a. news story from the beach-head without being beaten by at least 21 hours by pondents as far away as the main lifth Army front, Naples, qj; Algiers. They have also been profoundly disquieted by the introduction of what is called a “censorship” for the policy of their messages. , . “We all hope the situation as the army sees it will soon be confined, as before, to matters of military security.

TROOPS' HEAVILY ENGAGED

Fighting On Northern Sector LONDON, February 17. Heavy fighting has been resumed in the beach-head. Today’s communique from Allied headquarters says:— “Fifth Army troops yesterday were heavily engaged with the enemy in the northern part of the beach-head. On the main Fifth Army and Eighth Army fronts our patrols were active. “The battle in the streets of Cassino continues. .... “Our heavy bombers attacked objectives in Ancona and Cecchina, and also a number of objectives round Florence. Medium bombers' attacked the harbour at Orte, Orvieto, Albano, and objectives in Perugia. Light bombers attacked enemy tanks, fortified points and concentrations in the battle area. On the night of February 16-17 the harbour at San Stefano was attacked by medium bombers. “Nine enemy aircraft were destroyed during the day. We lost four. The Allied air forces flew more than 1200 sorties during the day against. 130 over' the beach-head by the enemy.”

ENEMY ATTACKS

Resumed On Beach-head

(Received February 17, 9.15 p.m.) LONDON, February 16. “The Germans have resumed their offensive against our Anzio beach-head,” says a broadcast by the Columbia Broadcasting System’s representative. “After dusk last night German bombers began attacking our positions, the attacks increasing in numbers as the night lengthened. After midnight they came over hourly and their artillery then launched the heaviest barrage of the beach-head hattie. . “AL dawn today the German infantry attacked at points along the front, at some places with tank support, evidently probing .for weak spots as none of the attacks were made in great strength. “Heavy fighting at close-quarters has been going on all day, but the latest reports indicate that%he Germans have nowhere breached our lines. That the Germans will make another attempt to drive us from the beach-head is to be expected, hut our positions are stronger than when they launched their first attack 10 days ago. and reinforcements of men and supplies have moved steadily into the area.

Fighting Round Cassino. American troops, battling grimly from house to house for the past fortnight, now hold one-third of Cassino. says a correspondent at Allied headquarters. On the abbey hill, just to the west, Allied troops hammer relentlessly a network of German pillboxes. Allied artillery is throwing shells minute by minute into the shambles which yesterday morning was the Benedictine monastery. There were no major actions on any ot the Allied fronts yesterday. The Fifth Army kept up its pressure all along the The Americans face solid opposition from German pillboxes made of 4in. concrete with steel hoods and ?m. armour plating. The pillboxes are manned by two men, sighting by periscope, and using heavy machineguns. .... ,i It is officially announced that Allied troops are within a few hundred yards of the monastery. Anzio beach-head had another quiet day except for patrolling and artillery duels. In the village of Cessano, six miles south of Cisterna, there was a solid clash, from which the Germans retired leaving 10 dead. British troops drove back two enemy patrols. The weather is cold but clear throughout the Fifth Army front. Canadians patrolling on the Adriatic coastal sector of the Eighth Army, front went deeply into the enemy positions. There was a small scale, attack in the Orgognsi fltpfi by German infantry, supportcd by tanks, but it was smashed by British ’artillery.

BRITISH CASUALTIES (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 16. The Prime Minister stated in the House of Commons that the following casualties had been received by the British armies in Italy, including Dominion and Indian troops, between September 3. 1943, and February 12: — Killed 7635, wounded 23.283, and missing 5708. a total of 36,626. Navy and R.A.F. casualties were not included.