SMALL SUCCESS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 124, 21 February 1944, Page 5

SMALL SUCCESS

German Troops Held In Beach-Head NEW ZEALANDERS AT CASSINO LONDON, February 20. Fierce fighting has continued in the Anzio beach-head in the past 24 hours. Our troops have improved their position. A correspondent says that the total German gains in their attempt to drive down the road to Anzio were less than 3000 yards, and most of this, he says, has been regained in our counter-attacks. New Zealand and Indian elements are now fighting round Cassino.

South of Cassino we have had _ to ■withdraw from the railway station, 1000 yards south of the town, which we captured on Friday. In the hills west of Cassino we have consolidated our positions on the two crests captured yesterday. In the lower Garigliano River we repulsed three counter-attacks. Snow and ice is holding up operations in the mountains. The weather yesterday was better, and our fighters and fighter-bombers attacked enemy positions round the beach-head. We flew about 800 sorties. , The Germans used every plane they could call up for the defence of their troops and it proved expensive. We shot down 26 of them for the loss of three of ours.

COMMENT BY PRIME* MINISTER Hard Fighting Ahead

The Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, announced last evening that the Second New Zealand Division, which had some.time ago been moved secretly from the Eighth to the Fifth Army, had taken over a sector of the fighting front in the Cass.no area.

In his latest report General Freyberg had indicated hard fighting ahead and referred to the excellent spirits of all ranks.

"It may be assumed,” added the Prime Minister, “that the splendid New Zealand Division will once again prove its outstanding worth in whatever task may be assigned to it.”

SHIPS AND HARBOURS Weather Hampers Allied Raids (British Official Wireless.) (Received February 20, 9.10 p.m.) RUGBY, February 19. t _ Consistently bad weather in the Aegean Sea has hampered attacks on enemy supply ships and harbours recently, but they have been maintained, states a Middle East air communique. Several vessels have been sunk and damaged. In operations from February 12 to 18 we lost five aircraft.